Sewing Machine Needles That Work On Leather
Sewing needles that work with leather have a sharp point and a thicker shaft, which allows them to penetrate the dense fibers of leather without damaging the fabric.
Leather needles are typically size 90/14 or 100/16, which indicates a thicker needle with a larger eye.
Use the correct size needle when sewing with leather so that the stitches are strong and the needle doesn’t damage the fabric.
Using a regular sewing machine needle on leather can result in skipped stitches and damage to the fabric.
Most sewing machine needles are universal
The three most common types of needles are sharp, ballpoint, and universal. Sharp needles work with all woven fabric.
A sharp point is especially helpful when sewing straight lines and tasks such as top stitching. The majority of needles are universal needles.
What a 90 14 needle is used for
90/14 needles are suitable for medium weight fabrics, slightly heavier weight cotton, polyester, linen and lightweight upholstery fabric.
Lighter weight fabrics such as silk require a smaller sized needle.
The lighter the fabric, the smaller the needle required.
What 70 10 sewing needles are for
70 10 sewing needles have a slightly rounded point and are best for projects with woven fabric and knits.
70 10 needles are excellent all-purpose needles that work with any household sewing machine brand.
Brocade, fleece, thin leather and velvet also work well with 70 10 needles.
The best universal sewing needle size
The slightly rounded points of the best universal needles are sharp enough to pierce woven cotton fabrics, but not so sharp as to damage knits.
They come in sizes ranging from 60/8 to 120/19, however, a good starting point is the 80/12 size.
To save money, look for assorted needle packs that include two or three different needle sizes.
The strongest sewing machine needle
The strongest useful sewing machine needle for use on home machines is the 120 size, used on heavy upholstery and heavy non-woven fabrics.
These are popular in Europe for use on some shoe leather and other tough materials known to break lesser sized needles.
Needle type that works best on batting
A quilting needle works best on batting because it has a thin shaft.
Machine quilting with a quilting needle is ideal for pushing through top, batting and binding materials.
The slightly rounded tip and tapered shaft of a quilting needle easily pierces several layers of woven fabric, without damaging them.
About size 11 sewing machine needles
Size 11 needles work well on light-medium weight knit fabrics and are the recommended needle size for light to medium weight embroidery.
Size 11 works especially well when quilting with polyester thread.
A size 11 needle should be part of a good basic sewing kit.
How to tell your sewing needle is dull
A dull sewing needle will make a popping sound each time the needle penetrates the fabric.
A dull needle will not feel sharp to the touch. Using a magnifying glass, you can confirm a needle is dull by comparing it to a sharp needle.
You can sharpen a dull needle with the same sharpeners used on knives.
How to know what sewing machine needle to use
As a general rule: smaller needles are best used on lighter weight fabric, and larger needles work best on heavier weight fabric.
The thread used for your sewing project will determine the size and type of needle you choose.
Product labels will tell you which fabric type they were designed for, trust the packaging.
