Sewing Needle Definition | Apparel Search

A sewing needle is a long slender object with a pointed tip. The first sewing needles were made of bone or wood; modern ones are manufactured from high carbon steel wire, nickel- or gold-plated for corrosion resistance, and the highest quality embroidery needles are made of platinum. A needle for hand sewing has a hole, the eye, at the non-pointed end to carry thread or cord through the fabric after the pointed end pierces it. Needle size is denoted by a number, and the convention is that length and thickness increase as the size number decreases: a size 1 needle is thicker and longer than a size 10.

A needle for hand sewing has a hole 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.10: 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, rather than an eye for the thread.

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 are longer and heavier than sharps, yarn Darners being the heaviest with 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 shaped point for piercing the leather without tearing it. Used on leather, suede, vinyl and plastic. Sizes 3/0-10.

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

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 hole 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).

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.

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Sewing Terms & Sewing Definitions

A sewing machine uses an eye-pointed metal needle (with a hole near the pointed tip).

Point, Shaft and Eye

The hand sewing needle has three working parts. The point pierces the fabric, and its shape suits the material: sharp for woven cloth, rounded ballpoint for knits so fibres are pushed aside rather than cut, triangular for leather so the point slices a path instead of tearing. The shaft carries the thread through the hole the point makes, and its thickness must match both fabric and thread. The eye, at the non-pointed end in hand needles, is the thread's doorway; a long eye suits multiple strands of embroidery thread, a small round eye suits fine sewing thread and gives the strength needed for dense stitching. Machine needles reverse the arrangement, with the eye near the point, because a machine forms its stitch from a loop below the fabric.

Traditionally needles were kept in needle books or needle cases, which became objects of adornment in themselves, and the habit survives because loose needles are both fragile and hazardous. A bent or burred needle, its point roughened by use, drags and damages fabric, and experienced sewers discard needles readily; the tool is cheap and the fabric is not.

The Types and Their Work

Sharps are the general-purpose needle, in sizes 1 to 10 from very heavy to very fine, medium length with a round eye. Embroidery or crewel needles are identical to sharps but with a longer eye for multiple threads and thicker yarns. Betweens are shorter, for the short, precise stitches of tailoring and quilting on heavy fabrics. Milliners' needles are longer than sharps, useful for basting and pleating and in millinery work. Self-threading needles have a slot rather than an eye. The special-purpose range extends the principle in every direction: beading needles fine enough to pass through beads, sizes 10 to 15; chenille needles with large eyes and a sharp point for ribbon embroidery; darning needles long and heavy for yarn; bodkins, blunt and large-eyed, for threading elastic, ribbon or tape through casings; tapestry needles with a blunt tip and large eye for canvas and evenweave, in sizes 13 to 28; leather and sailmaker needles with triangular points for leather, suede, vinyl, plastic and heavy canvas; and upholstery needles, heavy and long, straight or curved, for heavy fabrics, tufting and tying quilts.

The numbering repays attention because it is not consistent across types: special-purpose needles come in various sizes and their numbering differs from the sharps scale. The safe method is to match the needle to the fabric weight and thread, test on a scrap, and change the needle when stitching quality falls. Behind the variety lies a single continuity: bone and wood needles of the earliest sewing did the same work as today's plated steel, carrying thread through material one stitch at a time, and the thimble, the needle's oldest companion tool, exists to push it through.

Common Questions

What is a sewing needle?

A sewing needle is a long slender object with a pointed tip and, for hand sewing, a hole called the eye at the non-pointed end to carry thread through fabric. Modern needles are made from high carbon steel wire, plated for corrosion resistance.

How does needle sizing work?

The size number denotes length and thickness inversely: as the size number decreases, the needle gets longer and thicker. A size 1 needle is very heavy and a size 10 very fine.

What is the difference between sharps and betweens?

Sharps are general sewing needles of medium length with a sharp point and round eye. Betweens, or quilting needles, are shorter with a small rounded eye, used for making fine stitches on heavy fabrics in tailoring and quilt making.

Sewing Needle