The document discusses different types of sewing machine needles, their uses, and sizing. It describes the parts of a needle, various point styles for different fabrics, and provides guidance on selecting the proper needle size based on the fabric weight. Recommendations are given for needles suited to tasks like denim, embroidery, quilting, and specialty fabrics.

1. Sewing Needle
Avinash Kumar
Ass.Professor
Lovely Professional University

4. Shank
Upper part of the needle ,This part of the needle is inserted in the machine.
May be cylindrical or have a flat side. Home sewing machine needles are
composed of a flat and a round side, to assist in always having the needle in the
correct position.
Industrial machine needles have a completely round shaft and the groove is
used to know which direction to put a new needle in the machine.
Support
Larger in diameter than the rest of the needle for reason of strength
Shoulder
intermediate between shank and the blade
It is also called shaft

5. Blade
below the shoulder of the blade to the eye of the needle
longest part of the needle.
greatest amount of the friction .

6. Long Grove
provides a protective channel in which the thread is drawn through.
A Correctly shaped long groove of a depth matched to the thread diameter,
offers considerable protection to the thread.
Short Groove
•It extends a little above and below the eye
•Its function is to assist in the formation of the loop in the needle thread.

7. Eye
It is the hole extending through the blade from the long groove on one
side to the short groove on the other
The shape of the inside of the eye at the top is critical.

8. Scarf or Clearance cut
It is the recess across the whole face of the needle just above the eye.
Point
Best penetration
Tip
It is extreme end of the point which combines with the point in defining the penetration
performance.

9. IF THE NEEDLE IS TOO SMALL FOR THE THREAD
• not pass freely through the eye
• not fit properly into the long groove.
•Thread will suffer from excessive abrasion.
•Can lead to costly thread breakages in production.
IF THE NEEDLE IS TOO LARGE FOR THE THREAD
•There will be poor control of the loop formation which may cause slip stitches.
•It will create holes in the fabric which are too big for the stitches and give an
unattractive seam appearance.
•Tends to give rise to damaged fabric along the stitch line, and in closely woven
fabrics, pucker along the seam line due to fabric distortion.

10. Needle Sizes
 Selecting the correct needle for your project is just as important as
selecting the fabric, thread and stabilizer. There are different
sizes and types of needles for different types of fabric.
 The European metric sizing system for sewing machine needles is
numbered from 60 to 110.
 The American sizing system is numbered from 8 to 18.
 For both sizing systems, the lower the number the finer the needle
and the higher the number the larger the needle. Most needle
companies show both sizes on the package.
 A good rule of thumb to keep in mind: the lighter the fabric the
smaller the needle size and the heavier the fabric the larger the
needle size

11. Thread sizes in synthetic
Ticket number
Needle sizes in
Metric system
Needle sizes in
Singer system
8 180 24
16 140 22
30 120 19
50 110 18
75 90 14
120 80 12
180 70 10
320 60 8
Needle & Thread Sizes

12. Sewing Machine Needle Sizes
• Understanding the numbers associated with sewing machine Needles will help you
make the correct choice and possibly solve machine problems.

13. Needle points
Cut point
 Sharp tips
 Used for sewing leather and plastics
 Modifies set of stitching and appearance
of seam
 Creates decorative effects
Narrow wedge point
 Cuts at right angle to seam direction
 High stitched density is achieved
 Most frequently used

14. B) Narrow reverse twist point
Produces incisions at 45 degrees to seam direction
`seam slithly turned left on the surface of the material
Next frequently used
C) Cross Point
Incisions along line of seam
Requires large stitch length
Incisions spaced far apart
Heavy decorative seams
Stitches- straight appearance

15. Cloth point needle
• Used for sewing textile materials
Types of cloth point needle
•Set point needle
•Ball point needle

16. Set point needle
Slim set point
Set point
Heavy set point

17. Light ball point
Medium ball point
Heavy ball point
Ball point

18. Denim
 has a very sharp, acute point with a slender eye and a strong
shaft.
 penetrate heavy fabrics like denim and canvas.
 The slender eye holds the thread in place for proper loop
formation.
 prevents deflection of the needle
 insures accurate needle placement for stitch formation

19. Embroidery
 Has a light point
 Large eye
 Special scarf to protect threads

20. Leather
 has a wedge shaped point
 good piercing strength

21. Curve needles
• Used for blind stitches
• Operate at high speeds
• Costly

22. Metallic
Have a large, elongated eye
 Larger scarf
 larger groove to protect fragile
metallic threads during stitch
formation.

23. Quilting
• Has a tapered point for stitching through multiple
layers and across seams.
• The shape of the point minimizes damage to the
quilting fabric.

24. Microtex
 Sharper than the universal point with a more slender
shaft.
 Used primarily on fine woven, heirloom sewing on very
fine fabrics, synthetic suede, tightly woven fabrics.

25. Topstitch
• Used for embroidery and quilting.
• has an extra large rectangular-shaped eye which allows for smoother
movement of thread.
• has a much deeper groove which works wonders with heavier threads.
• The deeper groove allows a heavier thread to lie in it, thereby reducing
friction on the thread as it moves.
• most popular sizes are 90/14 or 100/16.

26. Hem stitch Wing Needles
• Uses: Hemstitching or heirloom
embroidery on linen and batiste.
Configuration: Has fins on sides of
shank to create holes as you sew.
Troubleshooting: Stitch is more
effective when needle returns to
same needle hole more than once.
If needle pushes fabric into needle
hole, put stabilizer under fabric.

27. Twin (double) Needle
• Uses: Topstitching, pin tucking, and
decorative stitching.
Configuration: Two needles on single
shaft produce two rows of stitches.
Measurement between needles ranges
from 1.6mm to 6mm, and needles come
with universal, stretch, embroidery,
denim, and Metallica points.
Troubleshooting: Be sure throat plate
allows for distance between needles.

28. Triple Needle
• Uses: Same uses as for double
needle.
Configuration: Cross bar on single
shaft connects three needles to
sew three stitching rows. Comes
with universal point in 2.5mm and
3mm widths.
Troubleshooting: Same as for
double needle.

29. Spring Needle
• Uses: Free-motion stitching with
dropped feed dogs.
Configuration: Has wire spring above
point to prevent fabrics from riding up
onto needle, eliminating need for presser
foot.
Troubleshooting: Before using, practice
free-motion stitching with heavy regular
needle, paper, and dropped feed dogs.
Don't pull paper/fabric; instead gently
guide it through stitching. Wear safety
glasses for free-motion work, since
needles often break.

30. Fabric
Fabrics below can be of any fiber, cotton, linen, silk, wool, synthetic, rayon,
blends. They are listed as examples of weight.
Machine
Needle Type
Machine
Needle Size
Sheer to lightweight: Batiste, Chiffon, Georgette, Organza, Voile and all
microfiber or microdenier fabrics.
Regular Point 9/70 or 11/80
Lightweight: Challis, Chambray, Charmeuse, Crepe de Chine, Guaze,
Handkerchief Linen, Silk, Taffeta, Tissue Faille.
Regular Point 11/80
Medium-weight: Broadcloth, Brocade, Chino, Chintz, Corduroy, Flannel,
Linen, Poplin, Satin, Synthetic Suedes, Taffeta, Terry, Velvet
Regular Point 14/90
Medium to Heavy-weight: Coating, Damask, Drapery Fabric, Fake Fur,
Gabardine, Ticking, Woolens
Regular Point 16/100 or 18/110
Denim and Canvas Denim/Jeans 16/100
Sheer to Lightweight Knits: Jersey, Single Knit, Spandex, Tricot Ball Point 10/70 or 12/80
Medium to Heavy-weight Knits: Double Knit, Sweatshirt, Sweater Knit Ball Point 14/90
Specialty Fabrics: Leather, Suede, Buckskin Wedge Point 14/90 or 16/100