Choose the Right One for Your Project
Sewing machine needles are not all the same. They come in different sizes, different points and they are designed with different tasks in mind.
Although there are a number of choices, if you understand what to look for, deciding which needle to use on a project is quite easy.
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![]() Brother Sewing Needles by Organ (100 needles)All purpose 80/12 size and designed for Brother machines. |
![]() Singer Denim Machine Needles, Size 100/16, 3-Pack3 Heavy duty needles. |
![]() Schmetz Universal Needle Assorted 10 pcQuality needles in a nice assortment of sizes. |
![]() Janome Machine Universal Needle Size 11- 5 per packFor general purpose sewing on woven fabrics. |
![]() Organ Sewing Machine Needles 100 Count Size 14Flat shank works with most brand of machines. |
![]() Singer 10-Pack Regular Point Machine Needles AssortedNice assortment of color coded needles– 4 Size 80/11, 4 Size 90/14 and 2 Size 100/16. |
![]() Singer Titanium Universal Regular and Ball Point Machine Needles Combo PackEight color coded machine needles–2 of size 80/11, 4 of size 90/14 and 2 of size 100/16. |
![]() Schmetz Gold Titanium Embroidery Needles Size 90/145 needles with slightly rounded point for embroidery on most fabrics.. |
![]() Singer Leather Machine Needles3 Universal Needles for sewing on leather—2 Size 90/14 and 1 size 100/16. |
Size is important. Sewing machine needles have different sizes, ranging from 8/60 to 16/100. The smaller needles, like the 8/60 are used for fine fabrics like silk and microfiber. Sizes 11/75 and 14/90 are the most common sizes used, and they are used for medium weight fabrics like cottons and linens.
If you need a heavy duty needle for denim or leather, you would use a 16/100. In addition, leather needles have a special point, so you should buy sewing machine needles that were designed especially for leather.
Choose sewing machine needles
to match your fabric’s weight.

In addition to the size of the needle, you need to pay attention to the point. A regular point is used with woven fabrics like cotton, linen or denim. A ball point is used with knits, in order to avoid snagging the fabric.
If you see the word, universal, it means that the needles will fit most machines. Just to be sure, check to see if your brand sewing machine is listed.
Some needles are now made of titanium. Spending a bit more for them could be a better deal, as they are supposed to last 5 times as long as traditional needles. They don’t break as often, and this is because the heat caused by the friction of the needle, is reflected away from the machine.
Singer color codes their sewing machine needles by size. This is great for those of us who have trouble seeing the little size markings on the needles without a magnifying glass.
If you follow the simple rules above, choosing the right needle for your project will be a breeze!
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