Sewing Machine Needles

How well do you know your sewing machine needles? If you’re in need of some guidance, we are happy to help! Here at Missouri Star we carry the best sewing machine needles you can find, from ball point needles to quilting needles.

So, a question we get often is, what kind of sewing machine needle do I need? That depends on what type of sewing you are doing. If you are sewing knits, you need a ballpoint needle, but most likely you’ll be quilting. In that case, you need a quilting needle! The difference is, ball point needles are dull at the tip and are meant to move fibers aside instead of piercing them, whereas sharp needles are meant to pierce cotton fibers. Universal sewing machine needles are somewhere in between ball points and sharps. They aren’t bad to use, but quilting requires a sharper, stronger needle to pierce through all the layers of a quilt.

Now, let’s talk about sewing machine needle sizes. What is the difference in sewing machine needles? For quilting cotton, you’re going to want to use a needle somewhere between a size 11-14, depending on the thickness of the fabric. The two numbers you see side by side on the package of needles are actually the same size, but they are either Imperial or Metric. 

For example, sewing machine needles that are size 11 are also size 75 in European sizing. What is the standard sewing machine needle size? There really is no standard. Sizes depend on what material you are using. Here’s a handy table to help you choose the right needle for your fabric:

Do sewing machine needles fit all machines? Yes, they do! Sewing machine needles are standard for all machines. Although there are many types of sewing machine needles, they should all work with your domestic sewing machine. Here at Missouri Star, we carry a variety of sewing machine needles for quilting including your favorite brands like Schmetz needles, Organ needles, Superior needles, Groz-Beckert needles, and more, including quick threading needles.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind. Change your sewing needle after about 8 hours of use. It goes blunt more quickly than you might imagine! How do I know if my sewing machine needle is blunt? You might hear a faint popping sound, or your stitches might start to look wonky. You might even experience tension issues. A quick check before you adjust tension is to change out your needle, rethread your machine, pop out the bobbin and pop it back in, and see how it goes! It’s sure to be smooth stitching when you keep your machine maintained and your needle sharp.