Collection: Sewing Needles

Match the needle type to the fabric and the size to the fabric weight. A universal needle suits most woven fabrics, a ballpoint or stretch needle suits knits, a denim or jeans needle suits thick cotton, a leather needle suits leather, and a quilting needle suits layered cotton. Use finer needles for lightweight fabric and heavier needles for thick fabric.

A needle size such as 90/14 shows two systems: 90 is the European metric size (the shaft diameter in hundredths of a millimeter) and 14 is the American size. Lower numbers are finer and higher numbers are thicker. Use 70/10 for sheer fabric, 80/12 for most cotton, and 90/14 to 100/16 for denim and canvas.

Change the needle after about 8 hours of sewing, at the start of every new project, and any time it hits a pin, bends or begins to skip stitches or make a popping noise. A dull needle damages fabric and weakens stitch quality, and it is the cheapest fix for many sewing problems.

Most home machines use the same flat-shank needle system, but some specialty and industrial machines need a different type. Overlock machines use their own needle system. Check your manual for the system and the sizes your machine supports before buying.

Use a ballpoint or stretch needle. The rounded tip pushes aside the knit fibers instead of piercing them, which prevents skipped stitches and runs. A stretch needle has a slightly deeper scarf to improve stitch formation on very elastic fabrics.