How to Buy Quilting Needles
There are a number of sizes and grades of quilting and sewing needles available for every type of fabric imaginable. With a bit of knowledge, you can enter any store or go online and find the right needle for your needs.
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Instructions
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Hand-Quilting Needles
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Look for needles with small eyes (the whole where the thread goes through). A small eye prevents snags and bumps in the fabric as you quilt.
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Purchase needles called "betweens." These are slightly thicker than other needles, and they remain sturdy while quilting through multiple layers.
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Match size to the thickness of the thread and the layers of your quilt. Hand-quilting needles come in sizes 9 through 12, with 12 being the smallest and 9 the largest.
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Purchase a hand-quilting needle with glide coating. The needle will work through your quilt layers more smoothly.
Sewing Machine Quilting Needles
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Acquire a topstiching needle for general sewing machine quilting. It has a large eye and deeper grooves for heavyweight threads and machine quilting through layers and heavy batting.
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Work on appliqués and other embellishments that require an "invisible" nylon or polyester thread with ballpoint sewing needles. The needle tip is rounded to avoid thread breakage.
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Sew heavyweight fabrics, such as denim and canvas, with a denim needle. The needle is strong and the eye is small to pierce thick fabric better.
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Use decorative threads for your quilt with an embroidery needle or a metallic needle. Both are made for delicate threads to prevent breakage, shedding or splitting.
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Purchase a sharp point or microtex needle to use with delicate fabrics. This thin, sharp needle will pass through delicate or thin fabrics without bunching or snagging the material.
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Check the needle size. All sewing machine needles carry a two-number code, such as 60/8 to indicate the needle size. The larger number is the American size and the smaller represents the European metric. A higher size indicates a larger, more rigid needle, while a smaller size calls for a thinner, more flexible needle. Choose needle size based on the weight of your thread and fabric.
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