Sewing 101: Choosing the Right Needle for Your Fabric


The standard needle that comes with your sewing machine will do a great job sewing most fabrics; however certain types of fabric, like knits, denim, leather, and sheer fabrics. require special needles.  Here's how to choose the right one:


  1. Knits:  When sewing knit fabrics you want to choose a ball point needle.  Ball point needles push through the fibers in the fabric instead of cutting through them like standard needles. This helps maintains elasticity and prevents puckering and skipped stitches.
  2. Denim:  For denim use an extra fine point needle.  For a thicker denim use a larger size needle and for a thinner denim use a smaller size needle.
  3. Leather:  Whether sewing natural or synthetic leather you'll want to use a cutting point needle (also called wedge point).  These needles are more durable than standard needles so they'll be less likely to break.  They also create a slit in the fabric instead of a hole giving a better appearance.   
  4. Sheer:  While standard needles will work on sheer fabrics, if you find you're getting a lot of puckering or thread breakage, try switching to a smaller size needle.  Smaller sizes are also thinner so they work better with sheer or lightweight fabrics.  
As a general rule for all needles, a heavier thicker fabric requires a larger size needle and a thinner lighter fabric requires a smaller size needle.  To find these needles go to the sewing machine company's website and purchase them directly from the company (or they may tell you where to purchase them) or visit your local sewing store such as Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store.

Not into sewing your own clothes but still want to look good?  Check out our Timeless Fashion Trends.