Sewing Needle Information

A sewing needle is a long slender tool with a pointed tip. The first needles were made of bone or wood; modern ones are manufactured from high carbon steel wire, nickel- or gold plated for corrosion resistance. The highest quality embroidery needles are plated with two-thirds platinum and one-thirds titanium alloy. Traditionally, needles have been kept in needle books or needle cases which have become an object of adornment.

A needle for hand sewing has a hole, called the eye, at the non-pointed end to carry thread or cord through the fabric after the pointed end pierces it. Hand sewing needles have different names depending on their purpose.

Needle size is denoted by a number on the packet. The convention for sizing is that the length and thickness of a needle increases as the size number decreases. For example, a size 1 needle will be thicker and longer, while a size 10 will be shorter and finer.

Types of hand sewing needles

These come in 10 sizes, ranging from No.1: very heavy to No.12: very fine.

• Sharps are needles used for general sewing. They have a sharp point, a round eye and are of medium length. The difference between sharps and other sewing needles can mainly be seen in their length.

• Embroidery needles, also known as Crewel needles, are identical to sharps but have a longer eye to enable easier threading of multiple embroidery threads and thicker yarns.

• Betweens or Quilting needles are shorter, with a small rounded eye and are usually used for making fine stitches on heavy fabrics such as in tailoring, quilt making and other detailed handwork.

• Milliners' needles are longer than sharps, are useful for basting and pleating, and are used in millinery work.

• Easy- or Self-threading needles, also called Calyx-eyed Sharps, have a slot for the thread, rather than an eye.

• Side threading needles, also called Spiral Eye needles, have a slot in the side of the eye to make threading easier and still stay threaded when using them.

Special purpose needles

These needles come in various sizes so numbering will differ from the needles described above.

• Ballpoints have a rounded point and are used for knitted fabrics. Sizes 5-10.

• Beading needles are very fine, with a narrow eye to enable it to fit through the centre of beads and sequins. They are usually long so that a number of beads can be threaded at a time. Sizes 10-15.

• Bodkin. This is a long, thick needle with a ballpoint end and a large, elongated eye. They can be flat or round and are generally used for threading elastic, ribbon or tape through casings and lace openings.

• Chenille needles are similar to tapestry needles, but with large, long eyes and a very sharp point to penetrate close weave fabrics. Useful for ribbon embroidery. Sizes 13-26.

• Darning needles have a blunt tip and large eye, similar to tapestry needles, but are longer, with yarn darners being the heaviest with very large eyes to thread yarn. Various types, with sizes ranging from 1-18.

• Doll needles are long and thin and are used for soft sculpturing on dolls, particularly facial details. Size 2.5"-7" long.

• Leather needles, also known as Glovers needles, have a triangular point for piercing the leather without tearing it. Used on leather, suede, vinyl and plastic. Also known as wedge needle, this may also describe the shape. Sizes 3/0-10.

• Sailmaker needles are similar to leather needles, but the triangular point extends further up the shaft. Used for sewing thick canvas or heavy leather.

• Spiral Eye Side Threading needles come in a variety of sizes and types. The precision cut and the geometry of the eye allows for most material to slide over the opening on the side. Good for those with low vision or dexterity issues.^[1]

• Tapestry needles have a large eye and a blunt tip. They are used for working on embroidery canvas, even-weave material and other loosely woven fabrics. The blunt tip allow the needle to pass through the fabric without damaging it. Double ended tapestry needles, with the eye in the middle, are also available for the convenience of embroiderers who work with fabric mounted in a frame. Sizes from 13 (heaviest) to 28 (finest).

• Tatting needles are long and are the same thickness for their entire length, including at the eye, to enable thread to be pulled through the double stitches used in tatting.

• Upholstery needles are heavy, long needles that can be straight or curved. Used for sewing heavy fabrics, upholstery work, tufting and for tying quilts. Curved needles are used for difficult situations where a straight needle is not practical and are also used in fabric box-making. Heavy duty 12" needles are used for repairing mattresses. Straight sizes: 3"-12" long, curved: 1.5"-6" long.

Needles in archaeology

A variety of archaeological finds illustrate sewing has been present for thousands of years. The Romans left elaborate traces of their sewing technology, especially thimbles and needles. Even earlier Stone Age finds, such as the excavations on the island of Öland at Alby, Sweden, reveal objects such as bone needle cases dating to 6000 BC. Ivory needles were also found dated to 30,000 years ago at the Kostenki site in Russia.^[2] Native Americans were known to use sewing needles from natural sources. One such source, the agave plant, provided both the needle and the "thread." The agave leaf would be soaked for an extended period of time, leaving a pulp, long, stringy fibers and a sharp tip connecting the ends of the fibers. The "needle" is essentially what was the tip end of the leaf. Once the fibers dried, the fibers and "needle" could then be used to sew together skins and other items used in a cloth-like manner.

How sewing needles are made

1. The raw material is a high quality steel coil which is drawn down to the required size.
2. From the coils the wire is straightened and cut to the length of two needles.
3. Each length of wire is pointed at both ends.
4. Pairs of matching dies stamp the eye impression in the centre of the wire
5. A hole is punched through the two eyes at the centre.
6. The wires are broken into two separate needles.
7. The waste metal around the sides of the eye is clipped or ground off.
8. The waste metal from the top of the eye is clipped or ground off.
9. So far the wire has been soft, but it is now hardened
10. It is tempered to ensure the correct amount of spring in each needle.
11. The needle is scoured which both cleans it, makes it completely smooth and highly polished.
12. The needles are usually nickel plated unless a special coating such as gold or platinum is required.^[3]

Finally, every needle is inspected by eye before being packaged for sale.

Notes

1. ^ Spiral Eye Needle, side threading self easy thread sewing
2. ^ Hoffecker, J., Scott, J., Excavations In Eastern Europe Reveal Ancient Human Lifestyles, University of Colorado at Boulder News Archive, March 21, 2002
3. ^ Needles by John James, 'How Needles Are Made'

See also

• Sewing machine needle
• Thimble
• Treen
• Needle threader

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