5 Minute Guide to Sewing Needles
By popular request I'm here today with a 5 minute guide to sewing needles! Did you know that there are approximately 50 million different types of sewing needles?
Ok, ok. Maybe there aren't that many. But if you've ever gone to the store to buy new needles and seen a big wall with rows and rows of different kinds, you know it can be intimidating to know which ones to buy for your project.
All those needles have a different purposes and are designed to be used for specific fibers or sewing techniques! But sometimes the sewing needle's name doesn't make it easy to understand how to use it.
In the latest installment of our 5 minute guide series, we're tackling the most common needles to use in both machine and hand quilting, and some helpful (and cute!) needle accessories.
Set your timers for 5 minutes, and let's go!
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Universal Sewing Machine Needles
These are likely to be your most-used machine needles. Universal needles are specifically designed to work well with most fabrics, including cotton. However, if you are using anything heavy like canvas or denim, you'll want a different needle (keep reading).
Our Favorites
We like Schmetz Universal Needles because they are widely available. However, you can always head to your local sewing machine dealer to check out needles made by other companies, including Singer and BERNINA!
Quilting Sewing Machine Needles
While quilting or patchwork needles for your machine are similar to universal needles, there are some important differences. The tapered design helps the needle move through multiple layers of fabric and batting so you can avoid dreaded skipped stitches!
Even though the name gives it away, machine quilting needles are intended for quilting a quilt sandwich and not piecing a quilt top together. You'll notice that these needles are 90/14, which is larger and more heavy duty than you need for piecing a light-weight cotton quilt top.
Our Favorites
Schmetz Quilting Needles can be found anywhere quilt supplies and notions are sold!
Denim Sewing Machine Needles
Some sewists wonder if they really need to switch to denim needles when sewing with heavy weight fabric. I'm here to tell you YES! These needles make a huge difference.
They are much sharper than other machine needles, which means they sew through heavy fabrics with ease. But don't forget to switch back to a universal or quilting needle when you're done — these strong and sharp needles sew through cotton like an axe chopping wood!
Our Favorites
Good ol' Schmetz Denim Needles to the rescue!
Betweens
Betweens is not really a descriptive name for a needle — until you know what these are designed for. These needles are specifically designed to glide between layers of fabric, making them the absolute best needles for hand quilting.
Sometimes called quilting or patchwork needles, betweens are a little shorter than other needles and have a narrow and rounded eye that allow the needle to glide through the fabric.
I personally prefer a longer needle for hand quilting, but these are my very favorite needles to use for binding!
Our Favorites
Bohin's Betweens Hand Needles are fantastic and glide through a quilt easily. In fact, I love all of their needles!
Sharps
Consider these your everyday needles. The eye is smaller than an embroidery needle but a bit bigger than a between, and they are super sharp. If these are all you have on hand, they'll work for just about anything.
However, because they are designed to be a catch-all needle, they may not become your favorite as you start to try out other needles on this list.
Our Favorites
Bohin's Sharps Hand Needles come in a multi-pack of sizes and stay sharp and straight.
Embroidery Needles
Embroidery needles are designed with very large eyes that can hold up to six threads of regular embroidery floss. That means they're excellent not only for embroidery, but also for hand quilting using Pearl Cotton No. 8 which is a heavier thread!
If you're using a fabric with a tight weave, you might have trouble moving a needle with such a big eye through without pulling. But that's the only downside to these!
Our Favorites
You can't go wrong with Clover Gold Eye Embroidery Needles. This pack has a variety of sizes and is available at just about every store that sells needles, so you'll always be well-stocked!
Milliners Needles
These are my personal favorite needles for hand quilting! Originally designed for hat makers (milliners), they are extra sharp and very long.
Most importantly, the eye of the needle is virtually the same width as the needle, meaning it is very small and does not cause any drag or pulling as you're sewing. Even though the eye of milliners needles is small, I still find that I'm able to thread thicker quilting thread like Pearl Cotton No. 8 through it, so this isn't only for thin threads.
All of that means that these needles are so easy to use when hand quilting!
Our Favorites
Bohin Milliners Hand Needles are fantastic. You can probably tell that Bohin is my personal go-to brand for almost all hand sewing needles!
Sashiko Needles
Similar to milliner's needles, Sashiko needles have become popular for hand quilting due to their length. Some quilters even use Sashiko thread for hand quilting because the thread is so smooth and moves through layers of fabric easily.
Sashiko has a long history originating in Japan. And while some quilters use Sashiko needles for hand quilting, it's important to note that Sashiko is a very different technique, which you can learn more about from Sashiko artisan Atsushi Futatsuya here.
Our Favorites
Tulip Sashiko Needles are made in Japan and come in beautiful packaging. You can find even more Sashiko supplies and read about the history of Sashiko at Upcycle Stitches.
Appliqué Needles
If you've done needle-turn appliqué before, you know that it's a delicate technique. Appliqué needles are very similar to sharps (which can also be used for appliqué) but they are a little narrower. These fine needles are also a great option for English paper piecing!
Our Favorites
Clover Gold Eye Appliqué Needles in size 10 are excellent. They glide right through the fabric!
Self-Threading Needles
If you're new to quilting, have vision issues, or struggle with hand pain, threading a needle can be the most frustrating part of hand sewing. If you're feeling frustrated with threading needles, check out self-threading options that have gaps which allow the thread to be snapped into place instead of threaded through the eye!
Our Favorites
Clover Self-Threading Needles have a small gap in the eye that the thread is snapped into. However, that does make the eye large and can cause issues when sewing. Spiral Eye Needles are a great alternative, although they are not widely available like the Clover needles. Spiral Eye Needles have a gap on the side, allowing the eye to remain small.
Needle Threader
If you struggle with threading a needle, this tool is for you. Whether you have vision issues, hand pain, or shaky hands, adding a needle threader to your sewing kit could reduce your frustration when sewing.
Needle threaders have a thin wire that you push through the eye of your needle, giving you a much larger space for the thread. After you've passed the thread through the threader, pull it back out of the needle eye and your needle is perfectly threaded!
Always be gentle when handling a needle threader! The wire that goes through the needle eye is very thin and can bend, break, or pull apart from the threader if you aren't careful.
Our Favorite
Matryoshka Doll Shop (you'll see them again later!) has a needle minder with a lovely design that you'll love looking at as much as you love using!
Double Sided Needle Threader
Some needles have large eyes to accommodate thick threads, and some have small eyes to help thin thread stay in place.
That means there are different sized needle threaders, too! If you use needles with different sized eyes regularly, you might like a double sided needle threader, which has one small threader and one that is large.
Our Favorite
The Clover Double Needle Threader will work with just about any needle you need for sewing!
Tabletop Needle Threader
For quilters with arthritis or hand pain, a needle threader can still be a challenge. Tabletop needle threaders work by setting your needle in the threader, eye down, and pressing one little button — easy breezy!
Our Favorite
The Clover Ultimate Needle Threader is the ultimate pain and frustration remover — thread your needle with the push of a button!
Needle Minders
Needle minders are cute little magnets that you can attach to a hand sewing project or have nearby so you can set your needle down temporarily. These are so helpful for when you're switching threads or if you want to put down a hand sewing project and come back to it later. Plus they're adorable!
Our Favorites
Matryoshka Doll Shop's needle minders are the best. They're powerful but small, so they don't add to much weight to your project as you sew. The leaf needle minder is my favorite, but I also have a matching heart. Check out all their needle minder shapes!
Magnetic Notions Case
If you like to sew on the go (and who doesn't?), a magnetic notions case is a must! My magnetic case is never too far from me. I travel with it, but I also keep it right next to me on the couch when I hand sew. It's spacious and holds the needle I'm using for my current project, a needle minder, embroidery scissors, a needle threader, a pack of extra needles, and thread.
It fits everything I need and because it's magnetic, I never have to worry about dropping my needle! I just set it down in the case and it sticks.
Our Favorite
The Maker's Buddy Case by della Q is functional and beautiful. The entire inside is magnetic but it's covered in a soft fabric that feels great. It's spacious and closes tightly with a snap, so nothing will ever fall out.
Needle Grips
Have you ever felt like your needle is just stuck in your fabric? Maybe you're using a needle with a really wide eye, or a thick thread. At some point, you've probably had to pull on that needle hard to get it to glide through your fabric.
Needle grips are here to help! Pop one on your first finger and one on your thumb, and these rubber grips help you pull any needle and thread easily. These are also very useful for quilters with arthritis or hand pain!
Our Favorites
These Clover Flexible Rubber Thimbles are excellent for gripping a needle. They help make hand sewing easier and less painful!
Old Needles Container
Whether you're using a machine needle or hand sewing needle, it's important to remember to use a brand new needle at the beginning of every new project. Needles become dull or can curve, and that makes them difficult to use.
But don't just throw those needles into the trash! Just like anything sharp, you should put your needles into a container as a safety precaution.
Our Favorite
No need to get too fancy here — eventually your old needles container will go in the trash! Do you have an old Altoids container? A pill bottle with the prescription information removed? Great! Toss your dull needles in there and once that's full, toss the entire container in the trash.
What Are Your Go-To Sewing Needles?
Did you learn about new needles or accessories to try out? What are your favorite needles? Let us know in the comments!
And while you're there, don't forget to tell us what topics you'd like us to cover in future 5 minute guides. Would you like a guide on scissors, cutting supplies, thimbles, or sewing machines? Do you have any ideas of what we can cover? You may see your idea in a future post!
Thanks for this post, Laura! It answered so many questions that I’ve had. Now I want to go buy all the needles! I have a couple of improv projects that I’ve been wanting to use to try hand quilting for the first time. This guide is helpful to get me past my hesitations. And I love that cute leaf needle minder❤ I think it will be a perfect early Valentine’s gift to myself 😍
I’m so very happy to hear that you liked this, Saralyn! My leaf needle minder is pretty much always by my side, I just adore it 🙂 Hope you love yours!
I’ve been sewing/quilting for years but always need and appreciate refreshers. Thank you again for another excellent blog!
Glad to hear that this was even helpful for seasoned quilters! Is there any topic you’d like to see in a future 5 minute guide?
Hi Suzy,
From a cold but beautiful sunny day in Brittany, France.
My goodness what a comprehensive guide to needles that was. Thank you so much. Such was the positive effect that I now have my sewing machine and my new quilting project out on the kitchen table ready to start. Kind regards, Jane
Hi Jane! I’m so very happy to hear that you liked my latest 5 minute guide. I’ve loved writing this series! If there is any topic you’d like to see in a future 5 minute guide, leave a comment!
Thanks for this Suzy, lots I didn’t know and very helpful. I use Straw Needles for handquilting, they are longish and fine.
I’m so glad you enjoyed my article, Carol, and found new things to try! Straw needles are a great suggestion!
Great enlightening article, was a wonderful refresher for me as well as some new things.
Thank you always look forward to your next article.
Thanks so much, Debra! Is there any topic you’d like me to cover in a future 5 minute guide?
I love Black and Gold needles, sharps #10 for hand sewing. My preference for machine piecing is Schmetz microtex because they are extra sharp and work well with Aurifil 50wt thread in all my machines.
More excellent needles! Very glad you found needles that work great with your machines 🙂
I love Clover’s large assortment of milliners needles for hand quilting with Perle 8 cotton thread. They make pulling through with multiple stitches so easy!
Great addition to the list, Jane!
I always wondered what “betweens” meant! Thank you for clearing that up 🙂 My favorite needle for binding is tiny: John James Quilting Size 10. Tiny stitches and very little drag!
I like a shorter needle for binding too!
A refresher is always appreciated as well as an introduction to “what’s new”. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Is there any topic you’d like to see in a future 5 minute guide?
I struggled to find a needle that worked with 12wt Aurefil thread, that was long enough for big stitch quilting and also fine enough to pull through a sandwich of batting and two layers of Art Gallery Fabrics, (quilting poplin, thus more tightly woven) without fatiguing my hands. I settled on Tulip Embroidery Needles, size #9, after trying almost every needle listed here (the finest #10’s were a little too flexible for me). My second struggle, re: needles, was threading this fine needle (tiny hole, thick thread). Until recently, I’ve used cheap wire threaders, which twist and break regularly (I’m asking a lot of these threaders!). But these work well enough when I can actually get the wire into the eye of the needle with my old eyes! However, all my threading problems have recently resolved with one ingenious tool: the Clover Ultimate Needle Threader, mentioned above. I’ve tried other versions of this type of table top threader with no luck, but this one actually works! Thanks for the great review!
Excellent review of the ultimate threader! So very happy to hear that it’s working for you after trying many things 🙂
Excellent Information, thank you for posting it.
You’re welcome! So glad to hear that you like it!
Great article. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Becky! 🙂
What do you recommend for EPP? Do you ever have trouble with needles breaking?
Hey Sharon! The appliqué needles that we link to are a great option to try out!
Thanks for your quick reply.
The information you’ve provided was great. I do have one question for you. I am starting a quilt project with felted wool that I want to put together with my sewing machine. Would you use a universal, denim or some other needle when sewing?
Yes, a Universal 80/12 should work great. If the wool is really thick, bump your needle up to a 90/14. If you do bump up your needle, use a thicker thread too (40 wt. as opposed to 50 wt.)
Interesting article. Some needles, I was familiar with, but not others, nor what they were specifically good for. I appreciate the links to the products you mention. I gather “sharps”, including needles and blades and turn them in to a local refuse location where they collect electronic waste and sharps. I like that they don’t go directly into the landfill (even though they probably ultimately end up there).
So glad you enjoyed the article, Priscilla! And that’s a great idea for disposing of your sharps 🙂
Thanks Laura! Can you explain the difference between 90/14 schmetz regular, quilting, and denim? I just ordered a 100 pack of schmetz 90/14 but they aren’t labeled “quilting” like my craft store pack.
Hi Heidi! Sorry for just seeing this. The type of needle — regular, quilting, denim, etc. — generally refers to the type of point the needle has: super pointed, rounded, twisted, and so on. The bulk packs are generally universal needles, which will work just fine for piecing and quilting. The quilting-specific needles have a sharper point, so they’re nice to have but not essential. Denim needles have a ball point. Schmetz has several great guides on their website: https://www.schmetzneedles.com/pages/schmetz-sewing-resources.
Thank you for all your information. My go to needles are Schmetz Microtex. Just love their clear cut sharpness. But I have discovered quilting needles recently which certainly made a difference in my last quilting project. I also use a little stick-on gadget that helps me remember which needle and size is in my machine currently. A great help when we have so many choices!
Wow, what a handy gadget! I’ll look into it, thanks for sharing!
This was a wonderful and informative article. I was especially interested to learn the difference between a universal and a quilting needle. Your narrative clarified for me that the former can be used for piecing, and the latter for actual machine quilting. I do some quilting for charity, and we often use sheets for quilt backs and bindings. What needle would you recommend for a binding made with a high thread count sheet? Thank you for your time.
So happy to hear that you liked the article, Christine! I prefer using betweens for my bindings, regardless of what fabric is used.
Thank you so much for all this info!!!! So many things answered for me and recommendations!
You’re welcome! Are there any quilting and sewing topics you’d like to see us cover in future guides?
Thank you so much for this article. I purchased 2 recommended needles off the list! Quick question how do you get the perle cotton threaded with the Milner needles?? I’m using size 16 and the struggle is real! Thanks so much!
Oh yay! What a delight to find new things to try out! I use a needle threader for almost all of my hand sewing, so that’s how I get my needles threaded even with thicker thread 🙂