Complete Guide to Sewing Machine Needles

How to choose the right needle? What do all the numbers mean? Let’s take a look and dive into a complete guide to sewing machine needles for beginners and advanced sewist alike. Schmetz is my preferred needle choice, but the information is transferable to other brands. This post contains affliate links.

To Download the complete needle guide click here.

General Rules and Tips for Sewing Needles

I tried to include a complete sewing guide for sewing machine needles. If you have a question, please list it in the comments below. I will try to include it in the general questions section.

How often should I change my needle?

I get asked this question quite a bit, and like all things the answer is “it depends”. The general rule of thumb is to change your sewing needle with every new project. If it is a simple 1 hour project, you may not have to change the needle before starting a new project. On the other hand, if you made a really complicated bag that took a few days to complete, I would probably discard the needle before starting the next project.

Why do I need to change my needle?

Change your needle before starting any new project to obtain the best results. This is the BEST way to improve stitch quality and decrease skipped stitches. Not changing the needle frequently can also result in broken needles, damaged fabric, and shredded sewing threads.

Where can I purchase my sewing machine needles?

You can purchase your sewing machine needles from most sewing stores such as JoAnn’s. Of course, you can also buy them online. Amazon has a wide selection of Schmetz universal needles. I typically buy them in bulk. Click Here to find these needles. Also, The Fat Quarter Shop has lots of needle options. Click Here

What needle will fit my machine?

Schmetz needles will fit most sewing machines. Look at your sewing machine manual for more specific information for your specific machine. Schmetz needles 130/705 H-M are the home sewing machine needle line. This is typically listed above the needle size.

How to I open the needle pack?

Slide down the clear plastic covering to the shoulder of the needles in the pack. Bend the white plastic away from the needle. The white plastic has a scored back that bends easily. Once you expose the needle, remove it from the package. Then, replace the covering to store the remaining needles.

Parts of the Sewing Machine Needle (Anatomy)

1. Butt of the Needle – This is the blunted end of the needle. Insert it into the sewing machine.
2. Shank – The shank is the flat part of the back of the needle. This is always flat on home sewing machines. Insert the flat part of the needle toward the back (away from you) when changing the needle.
3. Shoulder – The shoulder is the angled part of the needle and transitions from the shank to the shaft.
4. Scarf – This is a groove in the back of the needle. This helps catch the bobbin thread as the needle dips below the thread plate of the sewing machine.
5. Shaft – This is the long part of the needle from the shoulder to the point. It contains the groove, scarf, eye, and point.
6. Groove – This guides the thread into the eye of the needle. The length and size will say depending on the needle type.
7. Blade – This determines the needle size. It is based on the diameter of the needle. For example, Size 80 is 0.8 mm in diameter.
8. Eye – The eye of the needle is the hole in the needle where the thread goes through. The size and shape will vary depending on the size of the needle and the type of needle.
9. Needle Size – This is the actual diameter of the needle. Most of the needle manufacturers color code their needles by size and type. I will discuss needle size in further detail below.
10. Needle type – Choose the needle type based on the type of fabric that you plan to sew. There are 3 main categories that we will discuss.
11. Needle Point – This is the very bottom of the needle that pierces the fabric. Needle points come in many different shapes. We will discuss this category in more detail as well.

Complete Guide to Sewing Needle Size

This is the actual diameter of the needle. Most manufacturers will list the needle size in European/American system (i.e. 80/12). The first number is the metric system. The next number is the empirical system. The size is based on the diameter of the needle. An 80 size needle will have a diameter of 0.8 mm. As the number increases, the diameter increases. The lowest number size needles should be used with lightweight fabric. The highest number is reserved for heavy weight fabric.

Complete Guide to Sewing Needle Type

Choose the needle type based on the fabric that you plan to sew. The needle type varies by the scarf, eye, and point of the needle. There are 3 main categories of needles.

• General Purpose Needles – These needles are used for most projects. They come in various sizes. For most woven projects, you can use a 80/12 or 90/14 universal needle. For most knit projects, you can use a 80/12 or 90/14 ball point needle. I use these needles for 99% of the projects that I sew.

• Speciality Needles – There are various needles that are used for highly specialized projects. I have included a quick guide table if you want to use any of these needles.

• Multiple Needles – Multiple needles are typically used for decorative or topstitching. You will likely not use these very often.

Needle Point

One of the differences in the needle type is the needle point. A universal needle is slightly pointed and pierces the fabric. This is a great choice for most woven fabrics. If you sew a lot of knit fabrics, a ball point needle is a great choice. The blunted point will slide in between the fibers without cutting the fabric. This will result in more even stitches. For super stretchy fabric (leotards, swimsuit, lingerie), you may find even with a ball point you are getting skipped stitches. For these fabrics, a stretch needle will be a better choice. I have included a quick graphic below to see the various points.

Choosing the Right Needle

Choose the needle based on fabric type and weight. For example, for a light weight chiffon, a universal needle in 60/8 or 65/9 size would be a great choice. I have included a table below for a guide reference for the various fabric types.

Have you purchased your machine yet?? Check out this post for the best sewing machines for beginners.

I hope you have found this complete guide to sewing machine needles helpful. Please leave any questions or comments below. Follow me on Instagram to see all my latest projects.