Basics

The right needle for every fabric

What 80/12 means, when you need a jersey, stretch or denim needle, how often to change it and how to tell the needle isn't right.

Five panels with needle points and matching fabric: a thick, sharp denim needle above twill, a slim microtex needle above fabric with a vinyl window, a leather needle with a cutting point above leather, a topstitching needle with a large eye and heavy thread above bold topstitching, a twin needle above jersey with two parallel rows of stitching.

Skipped stitches, holes in jersey, a shredding thread: often it isn't the machine, it's the needle. It's the smallest and cheapest part of your sewing machine, and yet it has a big effect on how your seam looks.

You don't need to know every special needle. If you know what the number on the pack means and which point suits your fabric, you'll almost always get it right. The matching thread is covered in The right thread.

What you need

Universal needles in 70, 80 and 90
Jersey (ballpoint) needles in 70 to 90, stretch needles for lots of elastane
Denim, microtex or topstitching needles if needed
The small screwdriver that came with your machine
A small jar with a lid for old needles
Fabric scraps for testing

Step 1

How a needle is built

A large machine needle from the side: at the top the shank with its flat side marked in yellow, below it the blade with the thread running down the groove to the eye, at the bottom the point. On the right, enlarged, the D-shaped cross-section of the shank and the eye with thread passing through.

A machine needle only has a few parts, but each one has a job:

The shank is the thick top end that goes into the machine. It's flat on one side. On almost all home machines, the flat side faces the back.
A groove runs down the front of the blade. The top thread lies in it, protected, while the needle goes through the fabric.
The eye is the hole for the thread. It sits just above the point, not at the top like on a hand-sewing needle.
The point decides whether the needle pierces the fabric or slides between the threads. More on that in step 3.

The size is usually stamped in small numbers on the shank.

Step 2

The size: what 80/12 means

Four panels with needle points from thin to thick, each above the matching fabric: a fine thin layer, a regular layer, a thick layer and a stack of several thick layers.

The pack shows two numbers, for example 80/12. Both describe the same thickness, once in metric and once in the American system. The first number is the diameter in hundredths of a millimetre, so 80 means 0.8 mm. The higher the number, the thicker the needle.

60–70: fine fabrics such as batiste, chiffon and lace
80: most cottons and jersey
90: heavier fabrics such as sweatshirt fleece, corduroy or firm linen
100–110: denim, canvas and several thick layers

The rule: as fine as possible, as thick as necessary. A needle that's too thick leaves visible holes, one that's too thin bends or breaks. Heavier thread also needs a thicker needle.

Step 3

Universal, jersey or stretch: the point for wovens and knits

On the left, wrong: a sharp needle pierces a knit loop and the loop breaks. On the right, right: a needle with a rounded point slides between two loops, which just move aside.

The most important question is: woven or knit?

The universal needle has a slightly rounded point. It's made for wovens such as cotton, linen or viscose.
The jersey (ballpoint) needle has a rounded point. It slides between the loops instead of piercing them. That way you get no holes and no runs. Use it for jersey, ribbing and sweatshirt fleece.
The stretch needle is made for fabrics with lots of elastane, such as sportswear, swimwear or lingerie fabrics. Its special shape prevents skipped stitches.

For Merle, Hanne and Liv, use a jersey or stretch needle in 70 to 80, for the sweatshirt fleece of the Tove vest a jersey needle in 80 to 90. More on knits in 5 jersey traps.

Step 4

Special needles: denim, microtex, leather, topstitching and twin

Denim needle: sharp and extra sturdy. For denim, canvas and thick layers.
Microtex needle: very slim and sharp. For fine, tightly woven fabrics, microfibre, coated fabrics and clear vinyl, see Clear vinyl: reuse and sew. For the Kirsche wallet with several layers of cotton fabric and a vinyl window, a universal or microtex needle in 80 to 90 works well.
Leather needle: has a cutting point. Only for real leather. In faux leather and vinyl it cuts holes that are too big.
Topstitching needle: large eye and deep groove for heavy topstitching thread.
Twin needle: two needles on one shank. On top you get two parallel rows of stitching, underneath a zigzag that can stretch. Ideal for hems on jersey.

Step 5

When the needle has to go

On the left, wrong: a bent, blunt needle point with a burr, below it a seam with skipped stitches and a pulled thread in the fabric. On the right, right: a new, straight needle, below it an even seam.

Needles get blunt, even when you can't see it. Put in a new one after about 8 to 10 hours of sewing, or simply for every new project. Change it straight away when …

the needle has hit a pin,
the machine clicks or thuds as the needle goes in,
you get skipped stitches or the fabric shows pulled threads.

Sometimes the needle isn't old but wrong:

Skipped stitches in jersey or stretchy fabric: use a jersey or stretch needle.
Holes or runs in knits: use a rounded point, possibly a finer one.
The top thread shreds: the eye is too small for the thread.
The needle breaks: too thin for the layers, or you pulled on the fabric.

Step 6

Inserting the needle correctly

Side view of the needle clamp, presser foot and fabric: the needle is pushed all the way up into the clamp, an arrow points upwards and a curved arrow at the screw shows it being tightened. Enlarged, the cross-section of the shank with its flat side facing the back, the direction the fabric travels.

A needle that sits crooked or too low causes skipped stitches, even if it's new. Here's how to do it right:

Raise the needle all the way with the handwheel and lower the presser foot. That way nothing can fall into the hole in the needle plate.
Loosen the screw on the needle clamp and pull the old needle down and out.
Hold the new needle with the flat side facing the back.
Push it all the way up until it stops. It won't go any further.
Tighten the screw, with your fingers or the small screwdriver.

Then turn the handwheel slowly by hand once. If the needle goes cleanly into the centre of the hole in the needle plate, you can thread up.