Sewing Machine Needles
Consumer Guide to Sewing Needles

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What would sewing equipment be without sewing machine needles?

Indeed, these are important components in your Singer, Brother, Juki, or whatever brand name you chose.

And because they're basic, you need to understand their nature.

It will help you pick the one that will not only be compatible to your sewing machine but will also be the right needle to use of your sewing tasks.

Basic Parts of a Sewing Machine Needle

Looking at it closely, needles look very small. Surprisingly, however, they are made up of several parts.

There are only two things that can make one needle different from the other. First would be the shape of the needle parts, and the other concerns their length.

The shank is the thicker part of the sewing machine needle. It's located at the upper portion. This is also the one that's being inserted into the sewing machine. Commonly, needles that you employ in your domestic sewing machine are flat with round edges.

On the other hand, industrial needles are known to have really round shanks. When you're trying to attach the needles into your sewing machine, make sure that you refer to your manual so you will know the right way and position to insert them.

The eye is the hole you can obviously see in your sewing machine needles.

This is where you're going to place the thread in your sewing machine so you can begin sewing your stitches.

The size of your needle's eye will differ, and it can be attributed to the groove. You need to properly select the eyes of your needles.

Keep in mind that if your eye is either too large or too small, your thread is in a potential danger of breaking or shredding.

Closer to the eye, meanwhile, is the groove. It is the area where you're going to lay the thread in the needle. If you want to better understand the different sizes for your threads, you need to feel the needle's groove.

Shaft is a part of your sewing machine needle that basically contains your groove, eye, and the needle point. It also holds the scarf, which is the groove on another side of your needle.

It practically allows the hook of your bobbin thread to meet with the thread in the upper portion of your needle and begin creating stitches.

Lastly, you have the point. It got its name from the mere fact that it's pointed and perhaps it is the one that is in first contact with any type of fabric. It's the one that pierces through your material so you can start your sewing task.

Types of Sewing Needles

A sewing machine needle may be distinguished by their point, size, or their use. When you're going to talk about point, there are three common types that will come up.

You have the sharp needles, which are intended for any fabric that is woven. This is useful when you want to produce straight-line stitches.

The ballpoint needle, on the other hand, works well with your knitted fabrics. This is because the point will just simply glide into the different loops of your fabric without having to cause any damage on the fiber.

You also have the universal needle, which can function to both knitted and woven fabric. You can call it a hybrid, simply because it contains the basic characteristics of the ballpoint and sharp needles. It is quite round yet sharp.

There are also needles for particular types of sewing machines. Thus, you have a quilting needle, an embroidery needle, and leather needle, to name a few.

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