About Sewing Needles

Whether you stitch by hand or machine, you need to stock up on sewing needles. However, choosing the right needles can be confusing if you don't know which ones to buy. Because sewing needles come in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses, it's important to know the differences, as well as how they're used for various sewing projects.

Identification

Sewing needles are long, straight tools used for stitching on fabrics. One end is pointed and the other is a hole (eye) through which thread is pulled through fabric.
Hand sewing needles are sized by length and thickness, with numbers increasing as sizes decrease. For example, a size 10 needle is shorter and finer than a size 1 needle.

History

Sewing is an ancient activity dating as far back as 20,000 years ago to the last Ice Age when needles were first made of bones to sew skins and furs (See Additional Resources, below). Later, when needles from the third century B.C. were found in Manching, Germany, they were made of iron. Native Americans designed sewing needles from natural sources, such as the agave plants, using a leaf's tip end as a point. For the needle's eye, they looped the plant fiber ends, forming a hole. As for sewing needles, British inventor Thomas Saint invented the first workable sewing machine in 1790, designed to sew leather and canvas. However, an awl was substituted for a needle. Today sewing needles are made from high carbon steel wire, platinum, nickel or gold to resist corrosion.

Types

There are various types of hand needles:
Betweens (quilting needles) are short needles with a small, rounded eye used in quilting and tailoring for making fine, detailed stitches on heavy fabrics.
Sharps are medium-length needles used for general sewing. They have a round eye and sharp point.
Crewels (embroidery needles) are like sharps, only they have a longer eye for managing multiple threads and thicker yarns.
Milliners are used for millinery work and are ideal for basting and pleating.
Ball points, which are rounded-tip needles, are ideal for knit fabrics because they can easily go through knitting without damaging it.
Tapestry needles have a larger eye and blunter point for working with heavier fabrics and threads.
Darners are long needles used for basting and darning.
Beading needles are used for sewing sequins and beans.
Machine needles range in size from 11 to 14, and are the opposite of hand needles (where smaller numbers are bigger.) The bigger the number, the larger the size of the machine needle. Most sewing-machine projects need sharp needles, sizes 11 to 14. Larger sizes are for sewing thicker fabrics, such as denims, while smaller-sized needles (9 to 11) do better with silks and finer fabrics. They come in assorted sizes and are divided into three groups: standard, decorative and specialty needles.

Considerations

Consider the size of a needle before using it. The larger the number a needle is, the tinier the eye, making it harder for the needle to go through a fine fabric or needlework canvas. As a result, there are less odds of distorting fabric.
Sewing-machine needles can break in the middle of sewing a fabric. Therefore, it's a good idea to buy replacement needles before staring a project.

Warning

Choose high-quality needles, especially in buying needlepoint needles. Although somewhat more expensive, they're worth the investment because they don't snag fabrics and threads done from previous stitching.
Change needles when beginning a new project, because over-worn or broken needles can damage fabrics.

Prevention/Solution

It's easy for needles to drop, getting lost in carpets and furniture. Even worse than losing a needle is stepping on one. Pincushions don't work as well as magnetic needle holders because they can dissolve into the cushion.
Placing a small white index card (or any white background) behind a needle makes the eye more visible for threading. Also, using a needle threader is an excellent aide for shaking hands or aging eyes, saving time and aggravation. For easy accessibility, tack a needle threader to your fabric or canvas. You can make your own by folding a tiny piece of stiff paper in half and then inserting the thread end into the fold. Next, pass the paper through the eye of the needle.

Resources

• Sewing--Tools and History
• Know Your Hand Sewing Needles