It’s been a long time since I’ve polled the audience on a topic like tools!
Over the years, I’ve written a ton about needles here on Needle ‘n Thread – because, in general, they’re pretty essential to the kind of needlework we do. It would be difficult – just slightly difficult – to embroider without a needle.
I include needles, then, at the top of the Essential Tool List for all embroiderers.
If you would like a refresh on needles used in hand embroidery, I recommend these articles especially:
Hand Embroidery Needles: How to Choose Them and Use Them – this is an introduction to different types of hand embroidery needles and how they’re used, with information on sizing and so forth.
All About Embroidery Needles – this includes links to other articles about embroidery needles, especially if you want to go deep.
But Here’s My Question
What type / types of needles do YOU consider essential for hand embroidery?
If I were narrowing it down, I’d say the crewel needle (also simply labeled “embroidery” by some manufactures) and the tapestry needle are the two I’d start with.
If I wanted to add an extra that makes some jobs easier, I’d add a milliner needle to the mix. But I think a decent crewel needle and a decent tapestry needle fit the “essential” needs of an embroiderer.
I like chenille needles, too – but I could start adding needles and more needles to my list, and that wouldn’t be narrowing it down, would it?
Weigh In!
What’s your take? If you had to narrow down needle types to the essentials, what would your recommendation be?
If you’d like to join the conversation, please leave a comment here on the website!
I value the collective brain of our community, and I’d love to hear your thoughts!
My favorite needle is an embroidery size 5 or 7 needle. I would add milliners for knots and chenille for silk ribbon. That would do it for me.
I’m learning to like sashiko needles. While most aren’t fine enough for delicate work, I use a lot of heavier threads and combinations. So the extra length gives me a good balance when stitching.
Because of a nickel allergy, my go to needles have to be gold plated. My favorites are #26 or #24 tapestry, #24 or #26 chenille
I usually use the smallest, thinnest needle that I can thread for for my embroidery, regardless of its type. I also keep a pack of mixed size darners for general use, from mending his jeans to sewing on a button.
My embroidery needles are like my embroidery scissors, they don’t get used for ANYTHING other than embroidery.
Thanks for the great newsletter and information that you give,
Ann
Definitely a tapestry needle for counted work or other techniques that I don’t want to split threads, whether on the ground fabric or working threads.
A nice crewel needle for techniques that splitting threads is desired, if not necessary.
A chenille needle if using threads larger than floss.
That said, I haven’t been able to resist gathering a large selection of needles for both needlework and general sewing. I keep them in 3 tins. Two are for straight needles and are helpfully labeled “sharp” and “blunt”. The third tin is labeled “specialty” and holds plastic, curved, doll, and upholstery needles and such.
The question of needles isn’t just about the point but also the size of the eye and technique involved. A proper crewel needle has a larger eye than a # 10 embroidery needle. That is why you need to consider what threads you use as well as the surface material. I have Tulip needles in a wide variety – ordinary embroidery needles in multiple sizes as well as silk needles which are shorter and sleeker to use on silk fabric, leaving less of a hole. Crewel needles, chenille needles and tapestry needles in multiple sizes. Milliners needles for bullion knots. Ballpoint tipped needles for cross stitch on 32-36 count linen( they don’t split the threads). I think we have all learned that the wrong eye size can shred your thread, tear your fabric or leave large holes. I have fat large eye needles for plunging threads. Needles can also come in different lengths. appliqué needles can be shorter while milliners needles are very long.
As embroiderers, our needles are our most important tool. One needs to select wisely and match the needle to the purpose. Relative to the costs of threads and fabric, needles are relatively cheap. So invest in the best for your project.
Yes, I cover all these details in the articles linked to above.
According to the manufacturers, “crewel” and “embroidery” are the same style of needle (as far as the shape of the shaft and eye are concerned). There is a difference in sizes depending on the manufacturer or brand (especially between Bohin, Tulip, and typical “English” needles like John James), even though they might be numbered the same. But they’re the same style of needle. They both have “medium-long” eyes (as opposed to chenille and tapestry, which have long eyes) and sharp tips. The #10 “crewel” or “embroidery” is a very fine, small needle, same basic style, but much finer than most people would use with crewel work because the wool threads are heavier and wouldn’t take to the small eye very well – but they’re still labeled “crewel” needles by the manufacturers (especially among English needles, like John James). Tulip (Japanese needles) call their “crewel” body-type needles “embroidery” needles. I’ve heard a rumor (I hope it’s not true, because it will just lead to confusion) that Bohin is considering renaming their needle types. If they do, it’ll be interesting to see what label they apply to what we know as “crewel” or “embroidery” needles, milliners / straw, chenille, etc.
I just started embroidering and this was my first question. WTF? Not enough has been written on this. Also with the punch needle, I just made a big hole in the fabric.
Where’s the best place to buy needles? Michaels doesn’t cut it. Joanne’s?
🙂 I carry Tulip Needles in an array of sizes and types! You can find them here: https://shop.needlenthread.com/product/tulip-needles
I also carry this combo pack of assorted needles by Bohin – it’s a wide array of types and sizes: https://shop.needlenthread.com/product/bohin-vintage-christmas-needle-assortment
Both brands of needles are good needles.
Joann will have the same brands as Michaels. For a while anyway. They are replacing much of the brand name notions and tools for their own in-house brand. Who knows what quality level those will be, even if manufactured by the name brands.
If I were to chose my one essential needle it would be the milliner/straw needle. Those bullion stitches roll right off the needle shaft, better than a crewel needle, and also handles other embroidery stitches like a professional. By using the milliner needle, I find I don’t need to change to other needles during mid-project. I would appreciate hearing comments and advice on my opinion as I am an avid embroiderer and learner. Thank you Mary for asking for the survey.
I took your advice on Hiroshima needles
I prefer the chenille needles. I couldn’t really pin down why. I think it is the length.
Chenille needles are a go to. Usually #26. For knots a Milliners needle
A bit late to the party, but wanted to make sure of “what” it was that was my favorite. I tend to love the Quilters Betweens, about size 9. I like tiny and short, but that is perhaps due to what I create a lot… my tiny mini landscapes. I also do Hardanger, so am fond of the tapestry needles as well. But my mind jumped first to those tinies that I love to work with. I do use other larger types, but they always feel so huge and awkward to me at this point.
I probably use crewel needles most often, then tapestry, then chenille. But I used to use mostly chenille needles, when I was working with a lot of wool.
All the Mill Hill kits I use include #10 tapestry beading needles, so that’s what I use most often for beads. I occasionally use milliner needles, mostly for bullion knots.
When diving back into embroidery after a 40+ year break, I picked up several packets of DMC embroidery needles, multiple sizes (roughly 1-5 & 5-9) and 5. So far, I’ve mostly used the 7s and 8s. I now have some Tulip embroidery/crewel needles but I can’t say that they really make a difference with cotton floss on muslin or (cheap) linen. I do really like having lots of needles to leave them threaded for projects with lots of colors.
I accidently picked up those beautiful big skeins of perle 5, thinking they were just more of the 6-strand floss. So, for my first project, I used the larger sizes, of course. I still don’t feel I have a handle on the best size for perle 5; what is usually recommended seems far too small to thread plus the twist unravels.
Bullion knots were a real pain, even with straw/beading needles. Thinking that perhaps the needle quality was the issue, I bought some Tulip needles labeled specifically for bullions; they were indeed amazing! But, they are much larger in diameter than any of the straw needles I have. I can’t say if the difference is truly a higher quality needle or if it is just that larger diameter.
In this last chapter of my stitching journey, so very different from what I did over 45 years ago, Mary’s advice and information has been crucial, written in such a pleasant and comfortable tone. Thank you, Mary Corbet!
laura
Aw, thanks, Laura! I think a #3 crewel needle works pretty well with perle #5! You can also go as large as a #1 crewel needle. I hope that helps!