Discover the best needle to use for your project with Amy Scarr, Brand Ambassador for Simplicity Ltd

ABOUT AMY SCARR

Amy is the UK Brand Ambassador for Simplicity Ltd that produces all your favourite brands – Vogue, McCall’s, Butterick, New Look and Simplicity, available at www.sewdirect.com. She shares tips and tutorials, fresh ideas and the best of the sewing community at simplicitymccallsuk on Instagram

I’m sure we’re all guilty of not changing our sewing machine needles regularly enough but how long did you think about which needle to use for your project? Maybe you’ve got the sizes and types memorised already, but just in case let’s cover the basics. And then look at some special needles you might like to try!

ANATOMY OF A NEEDLE

Sewing machine needles come in a standard length, but the thickness of the needle and the tip changes depending on the fabric being sewn. The smaller the number labelled on the needle packaging, the finer the needle.

The size of a needle is calculated by its diameter; thus a 90 needle is 0.9mm in diameter. Just to keep things interesting, the US use a different numbering system to us, which you’ll have seen as the second part of a machine needle, eg 90/14 or 14/90.

WHY CHANGE MY NEEDLE?

If you pair too small a needle with too heavy a fabric, it may bend or break under the pressure causing harm to your machine and possibly you if it snaps in your direction!