Sewing Machines & Needles
Needle Set
The needle is the smallest part of the machine and the one that causes most of its problems. It has to pierce the cloth without cutting it, carry the thread without fraying it, and form a loop the hook can catch. The size is the shaft diameter in hundredths of a millimetre, so a 80/12 needle is 0.8 mm across, and the point type is shaped for the weave.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 60/8 to 110/18 |
| Universal | Woven fabrics, sizes 70/10 - 90/14 |
| Microtex | Fine and densely woven cloth |
| Jeans | Denim and canvas, sizes 90/14 - 110/18 |
| Ballpoint | Knits and stretch fabrics |
| Shank | Flat, domestic; round, industrial |
Technical parameters
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Size meaning | Shaft diameter in 1/100 mm |
| Point types | Sharp, ballpoint, wedge |
| Eye | Standard, large for topstitching |
| Coating | Titanium and ceramic last longer |
| Life | 6 - 8 hours of sewing |
| Signs of wear | Skipped stitches, popping sound |
Safety
Needles are sharp and break at speed. Unplug the machine before changing one, and never leave a broken needle tip in the fabric or the bobbin case. Dispose of used needles in a rigid container rather than a bin bag.
What it is for
Universal, microtex, jeans and ballpoint needles, and the size-to-fabric table that decides which one belongs in the machine.
Compatible fabrics
Compatible stitches
Working notes
- Match the point type to the weave before you touch the tension dial.
- A bent needle causes skipped stitches that look exactly like a tension fault.
- When in doubt about weight, go one size up rather than down.
- Hold the thread tail when you start, or the first stitch will be a birdnest.
Related tools
Sewing Machine
A lockstitch machine, mechanical or computerised, that forms the stitch every other technique on this site is built on.
Serger / Overlock
A three- or four-thread overlock machine that trims, stitches and neatens a seam edge in one pass.
Bobbin
The lower thread supply. The wrong bobbin class, or one wound unevenly, breaks the stitch before any setting will fix it.