Sewing Needles: Everything You Need to Know

Your sewing machine likely came with a needle installed. But, you may want to use different needles for different projects for the best results! 

Don’t be intimidated by the number of needle choices.  We’re here to talk about the 10 most common sewing machine needles and share what they are used for!

Green Bulb

Sewing machine needles are standardized, so you should be able to buy any brand you like for your machine.

Will all sewing machine needles fit my machine?

What are the different types of sewing machine needles?

1. Universal Needles  The most common type of sewing needle. The tip is sharp enough to pierce through woven fabric, but slightly rounded to slip through the fibers of a knit.

2. Ballpoint Needle  Rounded slightly so it can pass between the fibers of knit fabrics. 3. Stretch Needles These needles are designed for lighter-weight knits or anything with a high spandex content.

4. Microtex or Sharps Needles  Extra sharp point used for wovens, especially tightly woven ones like microfiber and silk. 5. Quilting Needles Extra tapered to help sew through multiple thick layers.

6. Denim Needles Sharp and strong to sew through many layers of thick fabrics like denim, canvas, or duck. 7. Leather Needles A leather needle is a good choice for leather, suede and vinyl.

8. Embroidery Needles This is the needle you should use for machine embroidery. 9. Topstitch Needles Similar to embroidery needles, but with a larger eye to accommodate topstitching thread. They are also sharper to pierce woven fabrics.

10. Twin Needles A twin needle is a special kind of needle that has two needles attached to one shaft.  This is used primarily for topstitching knit fabrics.

For more tips and ideas, visit DIY Danielle

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Danielle Pientka

Danielle is a DIY/craft/sewing blogger on DIYDanielle.com.  She loves to write about projects that she makes for her small farm, her children, and her home.