Understanding the Various Parts of a Needle

When it comes to sewing, not only is a needle a must-have, but it also plays a large role in how your overall project turns out. Holly Willis teaches you about the different parts of a needle, explains some of the differences between needle types and also gives you an idea of what kind of needle to use with different fabrics.

Eye

There are some parts of a needle that are commonly known by most, the first one being the eye of the needle. This is the part of the needle that gets threaded. Threading a sewing needle can be one of the more difficult tasks to do before starting a sewing project, which is why it is good to know that needle eyes come in different sizes. Not only are larger eye needles easier to thread, but they are necessary when sewing with thicker thread.

Point

The point is another part of a needle that is commonly known. While Universal needles can be used for many things, Holly explains why a needle with a different point, such as a ball point can be useful when sewing with a knit fabric. She also explains how another needle point type, found on Microtex and topstitching needles, can help improve the overall look of your stitches. If you are new to sewing and are finding that your work has skipped stitches, uneven stitches or you are having a lot of thread breakage, you may need to change your needle. While it is very important to learn how to set up your sewing machine and ensure that the machine itself is running properly, a lot of stitching issues can be avoided by ensuring you are using the correct needle.

Sewing Needles

Holly shows the remaining parts of a needle, including the groove, scarf, shank and shaft and explains how some of these areas differ depending on the needle type. She then explains why these subtle differences matter when it comes to stitch formation in your fabric.