Haberdashery can be a complicated subject as it covers to so many variables, choices, personal preferences and brands. It doesn't matter if you're a complete beginner or an experience dress maker, its very easy to get confused when buying sewing machine needles. The selection is vast and it can be overwhelming understanding the intricacies.
I've had a look though out haberdashery department here at Calico Laine and picked out some of our best selling machine needles and some which cause most confusion in the hope of eliminating any mix ups.
Universal needles;
These are the most common needles, they're available in multiple sizes (the smaller the size the lighter the fabric). These needles have a regular sizes hole and a slighted rounded tip making them the most versatile of all the needles.
Jersey;
The jersey needles and the Stretch needles always create the most confusion in any haberdashery department!! Jersey needles are designed for knitted fabrics that are stable, for example double jerseys, ponte romas and cotton jerseys. They are available in several sizes and have a medium ball point tip.
Stretch;
Similar to the Jersey needles, the stretch needles have a medium ball point tip and are available in several sizes. This range differs though because they have a special eye and scarf area which prevents skipping stitches when working with very stretchy fabrics. This makes them more suited to lycra, power nets, spandex jerseys and other very stretchy fabrics.
Microtex;
These needles have a very fine point for accurate and easy access to both fine or densely woven fabrics. They enable you to achieve an accurate and precise stitch when spacing it vital. These are ideal for silk fabrics, micro-fibre, leather looks and foil fabrics
Embroidery;
This range is available in several sizes, the needles have a slight ball point tip with a relatively large eye in comparison to other lines to accommodate thicker embroidery threads.
Quilting;
Quilting accessories are always very popular in any haberdashery department as its such a liked hobby. Like with most hobbies, its essential you have the right tools. Quilting needles come in several sizes and multi sizes packets. They have a slightly thicker heavy duty tip that slightly rounded to enables easy sewing though multiple layers.
Top-stitch;
These needles have an extra large eye which allows several decorative threads to be used at once. Top stitch needles are designed for decorative purposes and are available in several sizes depending which fabric you're using.
Whatever you're making, its important to have the right needle so be sure to have a good look through our haberdashery department, both in store and online.
