Hand Sewing Needles – Small Tool, Big Job

There’s a good chance you have quite a few hand sewing needles tucked away somewhere. Some are in their original packets. Some are stuck into a pincushion. And at least one is probably sitting in the bottom of the sewing box with absolutely no clue as to what sort of needle it once was.

But here’s the thing. That tiny little needle can make an enormous difference to your sewing.

I know I can spend plenty of time choosing beautiful fabric and exactly the right thread, but the humble needle can easily become simply whatever I happen to grab first. So this week, I thought I’d give the smallest tool in the sewing room the attention it deserves.

A Needle Isn't Just a Needle

At first glance, most hand sewing needles look much the same. Look a little closer, and you'll find differences in their length, thickness, point and eye.

Those differences determine how easily the needle passes through your fabric, what sort of thread it can carry and how comfortable it feels in your hand. Choose the right one and your stitching can feel effortless. Choose the wrong one, and suddenly you're fighting the fabric, shredding thread or wondering why your stitches aren't behaving.

Sharps – The Everyday All-Rounder

If I were keeping only one general-purpose hand sewing needle nearby, chances are it would be a Sharp.

Sharps have a sharp point and a fairly fine shaft, making them a great general-purpose needle for everyday sewing. They're useful for general hand sewing, mending, attaching buttons, hand finishing, small repairs and dressmaking.

I think of the Sharp as the dependable everyday needle in the sewing box.

Betweens – Little Needles Made for Quilting

These can look surprisingly tiny when you first encounter them.

Betweens, also known as quilting needles, are shorter than ordinary sewing needles. That short length gives you excellent control and helps with making small, even stitches. They're particularly suited to hand quilting, small running stitches, traditional quilting techniques and detailed hand stitching.

If you've ever tried hand quilting with a long general-purpose needle and found it awkward, changing to a Between Needle can be quite a revelation.

Milliners – Long, Fine and Surprisingly Useful

Milliner's needles – sometimes called Straw needles – are long and relatively fine.

Originally associated with millinery, they've become popular for many forms of decorative hand sewing. Their extra length can be particularly handy for techniques where several stitches are loaded onto the needle before pulling the thread through.

They're useful for appliqué, decorative stitching, pleating and some forms of embroidery and beadwork. I also find the longer style can simply feel more comfortable in the hand.

Embroidery Needles – Give That Thread Some Room

Embroidery thread is often thicker than ordinary sewing thread – and sometimes I'm using several strands at once.

That's where an embroidery or crewel needle earns its place. It has a sharp point to pierce the fabric and a longer eye that makes it easier to thread with embroidery floss.

They're particularly useful for hand embroidery, decorative stitching, stranded embroidery cotton and perlé cotton. If you've ever struggled to force several strands of embroidery floss through a tiny needle eye, you may simply have been using the wrong needle.

Tapestry Needles – Blunt for a Reason

Here's one where the point – or rather the lack of one – really matters.

A tapestry needle has a large eye and a blunt tip. Instead of piercing the fibres, the blunt point is designed to find its way through the existing openings in fabrics such as Aida and canvas.

They're commonly used for cross-stitch, needlepoint, tapestry and counted-thread work. Using a sharp needle for these jobs can split fibres and threads that you actually want the needle to move around.

Sometimes blunt really is better.

Chenille Needles – Big Eye, Sharp Point

A chenille needle looks a little like a tapestry needle until you reach the business end.

Unlike the blunt tapestry needle, chenille needles have a sharp point. They also have a large eye and a somewhat heavier shaft, making them useful when you need to carry thicker threads through fabric that actually needs to be pierced.

They're excellent for thicker embroidery threads, perlé cotton, wool embroidery, ribbon embroidery and decorative hand stitching. For ribbon embroidery in particular, that combination of a large eye and sharp point helps create enough room for the ribbon to pass through without unnecessary wear.

[GRAPHIC SLOT – NEEDLE COMPARISON IMAGE]
Suggested image: Sharps, Betweens, Milliners, Embroidery, Tapestry and Chenille needles arranged side-by-side and labelled.

And Then There Are Special-Purpose Needles

The needle rabbit hole goes considerably deeper.

You'll also come across darning needles, beading needles, leather or glover's needles, sashiko needles and other specialist designs. They're not simply different names on packets. Their shapes have developed around particular jobs.

A leather needle, for example, can have a specialised cutting point to help it penetrate leather and similar materials. A long sashiko needle makes it easier to load several running stitches onto the needle while creating those lovely rhythmic lines of stitching.

And anyone who has tried threading tiny beads onto an ordinary sewing needle will quickly understand why long, very fine beading needles exist.

Now for the Confusing Bit – Needle Sizes

Needle sizing isn't immediately intuitive.

With many types of hand sewing needles, the larger the size number, the finer the needle. So a size 10 is generally finer than a size 5 within the same needle type.

It feels backwards until you get used to it.

I find the easiest way is not to become too obsessed with the number. Instead, think about the relationship between three things:

Your fabric + your thread + your needle.

The needle needs to be large enough to carry the thread comfortably, but not so large that it leaves an unnecessary hole in your fabric.

How Do I Know If I'm Using the Wrong Needle?

Your sewing will often tell you.

If you're having to force the needle through the fabric, something isn't quite right. Likewise, if your thread is constantly fraying near the needle eye, your needle may be too small for the thread.

I watch for excessive resistance when pulling the needle through, thread fraying or breaking, visible holes remaining in the fabric, difficulty threading the eye, distorted stitches, hand fatigue, or a needle that bends excessively while I'm stitching.

Changing the needle type or size can sometimes fix the problem immediately.

Don't Forget to Change Your Needle

Hand sewing needles don't last forever.

With use, the point can become dull, the surface can become rough, and the needle can bend slightly. Sometimes the deterioration is so gradual that you don't notice it.

If a favourite needle suddenly seems harder to push through the fabric, starts catching your thread or simply doesn't feel as smooth as it once did, I think it's time to retire it.

Needles are inexpensive. Your beautiful fabric – and your fingers – deserve a good one.

My Little Needle Test

If I'm unsure which needle to use, I thread it and try a few stitches in a scrap of the actual fabric I'm working with.

The needle should pass through without a fight. The thread should move comfortably through the eye. The fabric shouldn't be left with an obvious hole.

And most importantly, the stitching should feel comfortable.

There isn't always one magical needle size that's correct for every person. Sometimes two needles will both do the job perfectly well – but one simply feels nicer in your hand.

That's the one I'd use.

Small Tool, Big Job

For something that weighs next to nothing and costs very little, the humble hand sewing needle carries quite a responsibility.

It has to hold our thread, penetrate our fabric, form our stitches and do it thousands of times without damaging either.

So next time you're preparing a hand-sewing project, don't automatically reach for whichever needle happens to be sticking out of the pincushion. Take a moment to choose it.

Beautiful fabric deserves beautiful thread – and both deserve the right needle.

Join the Conversation

Do you have a favourite hand sewing needle that you always reach for?

Perhaps you're devoted to Betweens for quilting, love a long Milliners needle for appliqué, or have discovered a particular needle that completely changed your hand stitching.

I'd love to hear about it.

And if there's a sewing tool, technique or mystery you'd like me to investigate in a future Carrie's Blog, please let me know. Your suggestion might just become one of my next articles.

Until next time, happy stitching.

Carrie
Everything Fabric