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.

A quilting needle in size 75/11 to 90/14 is common. It has a tapered point that passes through layers and seams cleanly. Choose the size based on the thread and the thickness of the batting and fabric.

Skipped stitches are most often caused by a dull, bent or wrong-type needle. Replace the needle with a new one suited to your fabric and thread, check that it is inserted fully with the flat side facing the correct way, and rethread the machine. If the problem continues, check tension and lint in the bobbin area.