Have you ever pulled a needle out of your machine after a short project, intending to use it for another project?
You put it in a safe place. And some time later, maybe a month, a week, a day (if you are me), you find that needle but can’t remember what the needle is for.
Please tell me I am not the only one who has done that.
If you are like me, there is hope. Not hope for remembering that safe place… Hope for finding out what the needle was used for!
There are two possible ways to identify the needle. First, use your smartphone to scroll into the shank of the needle. Some manufacturers, like Groz-Becker, etch the needle size on the shank. This needle came from my longarm.
Other companies use a color-coding system to identify their needles, For example.
Schmetz, uses two different colors, the top is the type of needle, and the bottom is the size needle. If there is only band, it is a universal needle and the band notes the size.
This is a 100/16 Universal needle from Schmetz. I use a lot of universal needles!!
Just like with handheld needles, machine needles have varying types and sizes. The points and configurations are similar to handheld needles. And the larger the number, the larger the machine needle. (For more information, click the link to read the previous article)
The difference between the handheld needle and machine needle is primarily the scarf. This is the area above the eye, which may have a flat or curved area. This configuration helps the hook grab the threads to make the stitch.
So which needle is which? The size of the thread dictates the size of the needle. The type of material or project will determine the type of needle.
So again, how do you pick? Let’s ask the experts!
- Groz-Becker (sewing)
- Groz-Becker (longarm)
- Bernina (fyi Bernina needles look a lot like Schmetz)
- Singer
- Janome
- Schmetz
- Organ Needles
- Superior
- Aurifil
- Sulky
- Wonderfil
These are just of few of the brands floating around in my studio. I am sure that I have missed a number of thread or needle brands. If you find them, please let me know and we can add them to the list!
What are your favorite thread & needle combinations?? Please let me know in the comments.
Happy Quilting
