Needles-Needles-Needles
NEEDLES - NEEDLES - NEEDLES
There are four basic types of needles - sharps, ball points, wedge points and metallic. These are fairly self explanatory as to what they are but you need to know which needle to use when.
- Sharps - Yes, they are sharp needles. They have a very sharp point that will penetrate threads.
- Bag Points - They are a little bit different than the sharp in that they have a rounded point These will not penetrate threads as easily and will more than likely go between the threads instead of penetrating them.
- Wedge Points - These have a sword-like point. They are very sharp but instead of making a round hole penetration they will make more of a slit.
Metallic - These needles are made especially for metallic threads. The eye of the needle is shaped a little differently thereby allowing the metallic thread to flow smoothly through the needle. |
All of the above types of needles come in various sizes. The lower the number, the smaller the needle.
For very fine fabrics such as bridal satin, satin, silk, linen or similar fabrics, you will want to use the smallest needle you have. A #60/8 Sharp, #65/9 Sharp or #70/10 Sharp would be appropriate sizes for this type of application. For denim and heavy woven fabrics, you will want to use a larger needle to penetrate this heavy fabric. For this application you will want to use # 75/11Sharp, #80/12 Sharp or #90/14 Sharp. Obviously these are ranges for these applications and you will need to make the decision which needle is best for your particular application. For knits and loosely woven fabrics you will want to use a ball point needle. The same size constraints will apply to these fabrics as well. The finer the fabric, such as jersey knits and pique knits, the smaller the needle. If you are sewing on a loosely woven fabric such as tapestry you may also want to use a ball point needle. These will more easily go between the threads of the fabric instead of penetrating them.
Wedge point needles will be used for vinyl, leather, and fabrics that are not woven per se. The theory here is that the wedge point will make a small slice instead of a round hole. In embroidery, the stitches and needle penetrations are so close together that if a large hole were made in these types off fabrics, the design might be "cut" out.
Metallic needles are sharp needles and have a hole that is almost rectangular This allows for the stiffness of the metallic thread to flow through the needle very easily thereby creating less friction and less thread breaks. Sizes for the metallic needles apply here as mentioned in the above paragraphs. |
Oklahoma Embroidery and Design (OED)
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