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Singer Featherweight

Singer Featherweight

Choosing The Right Singer Sewing Machine Needles For Your Project

Choosing the right material and the right equipment for a sewing project will help ensure success. A bit of research may help in making the selection. Singer sewing machine needles come in a variety of sizes and styles for many purposes.

Needles are classified in two main ways. First is the type of point that the needle has, which is to say the shape of the tip. Then there also can be several needle sizes for each type of point.

A needle with a regular point can be used on a wide variety of woven fabrics, such as cotton and linen. The sharp point is able to pierce the fabric threads. This will help create smooth and even stitches.

Another common type of point is a ball point. This needle type is recommended for knit fabrics, whether single knits like jersey, or double knits. The point of the needle slips in between the fabric threads, rather than piercing them. Using a regular point needle on knits could cause snagging and uneven stitching.

To sew leather, suede, vinyl or similar materials, a needle with a wedge point is indicated. These materials are non-woven and often thicker than either woven or knit fabrics. The wedge shape of the point enables the needle to pierce them easily.

Another specialty needle is the twin needle. This creates two rows of stitching placed close together. Usually this is a decorative type of stitch.

For other decorative sewing, such as machine embroidery, there are special needles also. These are made of stronger materials than regular needles. This helps them withstand the stress of dense embroidery stitching.

Sewing with a serger also requires a different type of needle. Sergers are also known as overlock machines. These machines use different styles of needles than regular sewing machines.

The size of the needle is another consideration. Needles such as regular point and ball point also come in a range of sizes for different fabric weights. Size is indicated by a number. In the United States the number range is 8 - 18, whereas in Europe the range 60 - 110 is used. Needles usually are labeled with the appropriate numbers from each range.

As an example, a lightweight woven fabric such as gauze or chiffon would require a regular point needle in the 9/70 or 11/80 size range. A medium weight fabric such as linen or velvet should be sewn with a 14/90 needle. And, a heavy material like denim or drapery fabric should be paired with a 16/100 or possibly an 18/110 size needle.

Once you have decided on the needle size and style you need, make sure you have at least one spare in case of breakage. This will avoid an emergency trip to the fabric and notions store in the middle of a sewing project.

Selecting Singer sewing machine needles that are appropriate for your project needs will go a long way to achieving excellent results. If in doubt, ask a knowledgeable sales clerk for help in choosing. Also, try a test seam on a scrap of the material you will be using before sewing an actual seam.

About the Author

Al Smitty is a writer who loves to discuss many topics ranging from singer sewing machine parts to American football. Thanks for reading!