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!
Chenille, tapestry, and milliner needles most of all! I like chenilles as they have longer eyes and are easier to thread!
milliners, chenille and tapestry
My essential needle list would include a 24 and 26 tapestry needle, a 24 crewel needle, a 10 embroidery needle, a size 3 and 5 milliner’s needle and a beading needle. I’ll add a quilting needle just to make a an even eight.
I think these would cover pretty much all the needlework that I do. Oh! Can I add a tatting needle?
I agree with you on essential needles, but I sure like a milliners needle too.
I like tapestry needles, too, but I also use beading needles when I add embellishments like beads and sequins. The ultra fine needles and the small eyes on them make multiple passes through beads much easier, and I don’t have to worry about the beads breaking as I try to pull the needle through after the second pass.
I like Bohin #28 tapestry for 40 count linen..
Mary,
I totally agree with you. Tapestry and crewel needles. Preferably Tulip needles.
Crewel no.9
Chenille nos 24 + 22
Milliners nos 1 + 3
I do more “creative stitching” than embroidery and these are my essentials!
Thanks for your weekly blog.
Sue
For embroidery, I usually use crewel. For garment sewing, it is sharps. For smocking it is milner.
Those are my go tos to start with. Then I branch out from there. My favorite brand is tulip.
I use whatever needle I have on hand that will “work” for whatever project I am trying to do. If I dont have one that will work of course I will have to purchase one that will!
I bought multiple types and sizes of needles when I started embroidering. I finally settled on a Chenille size 26. It’s small so it doesn’t leave big holes in fabric but the eye is big enough for me to use a needle threader easily.
Hello Mary,
I would add Brazilian embroidery and ribbon embroidery to my list of needles.
Regards,
Sophia
Definitely very fine sharps for shadow embroidery, millener needles for bullions, etc and sizes 6,7,8 standard embroidery needles.
this is my most exciting needle news, well, news to me. i was at the big quilt show in houston and went into the Bohin booth. i saw these needles that have the eye IN THE MIDDLE with points on each end. have you tried them? heard of them? i bought a pack but haven’t had time to try them yet.
while i don’t do cross stitch, i thought they would be great for certain kinds of quilt stitches that i do (especially one called rice stitching).
i’m interested in your thoughts. love your posts.
thank you and happy stitching!
wendy
I use a lot of perle cotton, so a #24 Chenille is my go-to.
I have several boxes of needles, sorted as to type–pointy, not pointy, misc. Being primarily a counted thread stitcher I use a lot of tapestry needles. For many years I have used crewel needles for all other stitching including hand sewing, hemming, and surface embroidery or crewel embroidery. I prefer the crewel needle anywhere a pointy needle is called for because they have a longer eye and are much easier to thread than sharps and quilting needles. I do have several packs of milliners which are invaluable for making bullions. I tend to collect things like needles when I see something unusual, so I have a pack of needles for sewing leather (you know–just in case I take a whim to stitch on leather) and some curved needles but basically, tapestry and crewel cover everything for me.
I almost always use self-threading needles regardless. They’re just so fast, especially in the evening when my eyes are working even less well than usual!
I agree with the selection of crewel, tapestry, chenille and milliner.
And maybe it’s just that I have small short fingers, but I also find the fine short quilters’ “betweens” needles useful sometimes for some kinds of fine stitching.
The horrifically long incipient-murder-weapon “doll needles” are also handy for some kinds of 3D embellishment as well as “Continental tying” in quilting.
I am ideologically opposed to the goal of narrowing down one’s needle priorities, though! 😀 I mean, as crafting tools go, needles are very cheap and very small, they cost little and take up almost no storage room. Collect ALL the needles and experiment to see which ones you like best for which purposes! 🙂 🙂
For sure, Tulip needles, made in Japan, are wonderful!
Tapistry needles are my go-to.
Definitely embroidery and crewel, but I have recently become aware of the binding needle which is a great addition for the finishing of projects. ( I also find them very useful when back stitching EPP).
Hi Mary! Good quality needles are an essential part of embroidery! Since I do dimensional embroidery, using rayon threads, the Milliner’s needle is my go-to needle and I keep them in assorted sizes, depending on the weight of the thread used. The narrow eye of the Milliner’s needle is essential for the needle to pull through the wraps and ensure a tidy bullion or cast-on. I also find Tapestry needles handy when doing stitches like the Detached Buttonhole, so I don’t split the threads when making the stitch.
Hi Mary
I agree with your two groups of essential needles. Perhaps having an assortment of thin needles for beading or fine stitching may be helpful ( quilting #10/12 may do both depending on what type of beading ), and an assortment of curved needles for lacing / finishing work.
One can always add handmade needles etc – but your question was “essential”.
I stitch temari, and for that you need a darner. Long and strong.
Jane
Chenille for most threads I use, shapes for beading and milliners for wrapped stitches.
Ever since I learned embroidery from my mother (about 50 years ago), I have used an embroidery size 9 or 10 or a 5 or 7 depending on the thread. I have tried other needles like chenille or tapestry needles and they are great sometimes, but mostly I reach for my embroidery needles. And lately, my favorite are the DMC gold.
I’m fairly new to embroidery and I’m self taught so I had no idea there were needles specially for embroidery. I have just been using a regular sewing needle. I’m anxious to try a different needle. Thanks for the information.
Years ago when I was learning to embroider, the instructor/shop owner/embroiderer was frequently asked “what needle should I use” “how do I tell the difference”. Her answer was “not to worry, if the needle you’re using works, use it”. She just didn’t fuss unless you needed a particular needle for a particular purpose.
Mary, I agree with you on the traditional crewel, and tapestry needles, but I can’t live without a milliners needle! I like them for bullions and cast-on flowers, which I tend to do a lot of lately. I find using a size 8 or smaller milliner for shadow work embroidery is very useful. I tend to do very tiny embroidery motifs on baby collars, and such. I just love the smoothness of that straight shaft going through the finer fabrics.
Hi Mary! Longtime fan of your blog, first time comment – thank you for all that you do!
For me, I would say that crewel needles and milliner needles are my top two – I’d even say that since I tend to do a lot of tiny detail stitches, I’ll even default to the milliner needles over crewel, if I’m using 1 strand to stitch with. However, I did want to shout-out my #1 embroidery needles – PONY Black. Last year I did a daily embroidery diary, and after a couple months my fingers were painfully peeling, and I figured out it was due to my nickel allergy. So regardless of needle size/type, it’s essential that mine are nickel free so that I can keep stitching!
My must have, can’t leave the house without-needles: tapestry, crewel, and bullion
I like crewel needles for the size of the eye. Also tapestry depending on what you are doing. I use tapestry 28 for my stitching cards, As I find it goes through the card without damaging it.
I am a counted thread stitcher so I use a tapestry needle. I do the majority of my own finishing. For both stitching and finishing I often look for a sharp needle – small eye, slender needle, SHARP point. I regularly use a petite when I have stitched further than my thread reaches! My favorite tapestry needle is Pieceworks. Trying to move only to them…I used to love Anchor, but they are not made anymore.
Enjoyed your recent newsletter on waxers. I have tossed my commercial “waxer” and gotten out the pure beeswax. Quite a different feel.
Lo
I would agree to the essential crewel and tapestry needles, but 2 sizes of each.
Tapestry for linen
Crewel for denim and other surface work
Milliners for beads
Sharps for hemming cotton and sewing on buttons.
Of course I have a lot of other needles, but these are the ones I started with and the ones I replace.
I also love a great Darner needle size 5-7 for Smocking. I am a member of the smocking Guild and it is so important to have great smooth needles. Also, the milliner needles for beautiful bullions and extra stitches. Thank you for your website and notifications. I learn a lot from you.
I do such a variety of embroidery work which means I have needles virtually coming out of my ears! Cross stitch, Hardanger, pulled/drawn thread and canvas work all require tapestry needles in various sizes. I completely baffled one shop owner as I had bought a kit which included 32-count linen but asked for 22 and 24 gold-plated needles. I had to explain that I had loads of 28 and 26 gold-plated needles but was a tad short of 22 and 24’s.
I also do Sashiko which requires a really long needle. Then comes the embroidery. Well, that depends on what I am stitching on and what with. Then there are the beading needles, needles for patchwork. Have I missed anything? Oh heavens I could write a book on needles I have known, loved and hated!
Best wishes
Roz
I’d add those with a large eye to the list Mary! Some are split right down the middle, so threading them is easy, and they can be used for beading too.
I use Chenille’s mostly 24 or 26. Big eye’s for threading needles. Tapestry and milliners are my three go to’s. If and very rarely a beading needle if I’m blinging something up.
I find that I use a lot of 22 Chenille needles around. Main one I use for crewel. Works well well for perle cotton, too. Easy to thread!!
Tulip needles in all configurations are my go to when I buy needles.
Well, I do an awful lot of what I guess is freestyle embroidery, on a vast variety of things, using pretty much any kind of thread, yarn, cut-up silks, weird objects or whatever works to do my project.
So, I have a huge collection of needles, including some oddities like doll needles and upholstery ones. Maybe an awl. I’ve actually used most of them. I also have pliers! For pulling them through truly tough stuff.
But when I first started this, as a hippie kid in the 60s defacing jeans and army jackets, I had ONE needle, just a regular needle filched out of mom’s rarely-used sewing kit.
It’s not the tool, it’s the imagination.
Spot on, Mary.
But…Is there any needle with a rounded eye that could take two threads at once?
I riffle through them all until I find the needle-o-day!
I mostly do crazy quilting. My needle choices are embroidery, and chenille with a beading needle for some single threads and attaching beads. The crazy quilting uses all my stitching and sewing skills plus my creative designs. Thank you, Mary, for your excellent knowledge about needlework! Barb
Is there any way to determine the size of a needle once you’ve taken it out of the package and mixed it in with other needles?
There are needle identifiers available on the market – look up “Needle ID cards”
My favorite tapestry needles for cross stitch are Bohin and Piecemakers. I must order these online since I live in an area without a needlework shop, and the big box craft stores don’t carry them. My least favorite is DMC.. I find that the eye on these tends to shred the thread and occasionally there is a burr at the point.
I use sharp chenille needles for crewel work (big eye is easy on the wool thread) and regular embroidery needles for surface work. Bohin and Piecemakers again are my favorites.
Tapestry, milliner’s, chenille (although milliner’s could sub in for these) are my go-to needles for counted cross stitch and counted canvas. There are times I need sharps but most of the time I’m sharpless with tapestry needles!
I use a lot of “sharps”, particularly a size 11 with Gum Nut silk threads.
I wish I truly understood the difference between crewel and chenille needles. I don’t feel like I understand them. I personally like tapestry, crewel, and bouillon knot needles. I have also learned I like different sizes for different projects. Size matters! I did go through and organize my pin & needle collection recently, and it was so “eye opening!!”
A chenille needle has a long eye like a tapestry needle’s eye, but unlike the tapestry needle, it has a sharp point (a tapestry needle has a blunt tip).
A “crewel” or embroidery needle has an eye that’s about half the length of a chenille or tapestry needle eye. It is considered a “longer” eye, because it’s longer than the eye of a regular sewing needle, but it is not really a long-long eye, like the chenille or tapestry. The crewel needle also has a sharp point.
Crewel and Tapestry are my top 2. Always have both in my needlebook.
I use the tapestry needle most of all and do use the John James #10 &12 beading needle plus the JJ #10-12 blunt tip beading needle.
I love Bohin Embroidery sizes 7 and 10 for almost everything. When I use wool thread I use a chenille size 22. When I teach, I give each student a package of Clover gold eye embroidery needles 3-10 because the children like the big eye so they can thread it. Sometimes I give them a chenille needle.
I like the smallest, thinnest, shortest needles best. I did try the Pony size 11 or 12 that Mary recommended years ago. It’s tiny tiny but it’s getting harder for me to thread. I also love Tulip brand embroidery and sashiko long needles. I learned all I know from Mary and my own trial and error!
I LOVE tiny chenille needles, I use them almost exclusively. I mainly do thread painting in untwisted silk.
Hi Mary,
Given that someone once described embroidery as “just putting one needle in and then pulling it out” it definitely is the MOST essential equipment in my tool kit. I have used so many types and brands over the years but I always keep coming back to Chenille needles because I love their large eye. I have found that the Tulip brand of needles is just lovely and I can get the needles locally in finer sizes such as 22 and 24.
I’ve been embroidering now for over 40 years and I still love fine, sharp needles. However I do re-use them rather than have a “new” needles for each project as recommended. Tulip tend to keep their sharpness well. Just a preference.
And, of course, I still maintain that there is a front and a back to a needle hole which becomes clearer when one is struggling to thread the needle and then turns it around and the thread just then glides in! I know, many manufacturers claim there is no front or back to the needle but, in my experience, there definitely is!
Regards from a very hot Melbourne, Australia, Jane
I primarily use two different types of needles. Most projects that I work on use a single strand of thread and I use a Bohin crewel/embroidery #10. When I’m working with crewel wool I prefer a #26 chenille needle. (I evidently like small needles!)
Occasionally, I will use a slightly smaller or larger crewel/embroidery needle, or something specialised such as a milliner’s needle, but that’s not common. I seem to get along quite well with my two primaries.
I mostly use tapestry or if the pkg says embroidery I’ll use that. If I’m doing small places and adding beads I’ll use a small milliner needle. I don’t use crewel needles because I thought they were only used if you were using wool yarn. I don’t use wool thread very often.
I would need (at least) one of all the kinds of needles as I am so interested in many kinds of needlework. Only recently have I been introduced (by Mary) to the concept of having more than one needle threaded up (and parked) to use in the same project. What a time-saver!
I only use cotton border thread, #3. I use the chenille needle, the tapestry needle, and the “embroidery” needle. Also use that long bendable needle for beads.
I love your website and blogs and everything you do. I can’t thank you enough for the inspiration you have given me for many years.
I agree with your nominees, Mary.
I also frequently use chenille needles for my embroidery.
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!
dear Mary
Please please remind people, when tossing broken, blunt, worn out needles….sharps…broken scissors…please do not just dump in the trash, much of the western worlds waste ends up strewn in other countries where less fortunate people pick over it for stuff to sell….I shudder when I think of dumped needles and other sharps, loose in all that…..please put stuff in a tin and seal with..whatever will work. Let’s all have a peaceful Christmas. X
For embroidery I feel most comfortable with a tapestry size 28. It fits two strands of most threads, and I like that it won’t split the fibers of the materials I work on, though I have to swap it for a regular embroidery or just a regular needle (haven’t found chenille 28s where I live yet) when I work on denser fabrics. I also like doubling the thread when I work with two strands at once, so that it’s just one long strand; less bulk, and the thread doesn’t get rubbed as much.
I’ve been looking into getting some handmade needles for filament silk embroidery, but it’s so hard to get specialty stuff from Japan to northern Europe.
I have embroidered with just decent sowing needles a lot, but I couldn’t tell you what they were. That said I am currently out looking to upgrade my needle game, and I’ve invested in some I think pretty good ones for upcoming projects, embroidery and handsowing. I’ve even got replications of 15th century ones is iron and brass! Still missing the Japanese round eye ones.
Funny thing about finding my favourite needle (tapestry 28s) – I have, several times, received vintage and antique sewing supplies, and paring down at some point I put my favourite needles into a little case, and this one followed along without me ever having used it. Comes time for me to find something that works for the 18ct aida I decided to use for my first larger project, and I find this one again. I use it for upwards of 80h, and it grows dull (I literally learned about emery cushions today) and I try to find a replacement. I take a close look at the needles available – oh, that one seems right, buys a pack of those, but using them, it’s not the same. It’s too big. The ones I bought were 26s. Well over a year pass, I assume it’s a 26 from a different brand – it looks about the same, but it’s just, finer. Then I add on a pack of 28s when I order a frame, and lo and behold! THE GRAIL. Except, no. THE perfect needle- the one I found first that I hope I can get back to functioning order, IS a 26. It’s just, very, very used!
I do, also feel like my new pincushion, stuffed with wool, keeps my needles far better than my previous one – stuffed with synthetic, despite the fact that my fingers tend to get a bit oily after I work for a while.
Now all I need is a way to differenciate them in the pincusion…
Wow this got long. Apologies for the absolute rant.
I use a lot of beading needles. Sharps for bead embroidery and blunts for off-loom bead weaving.
The #10 and #12 short tapestry point beading needle is also very good for cross stitching on high count linen.
I would say embroidery and sharps. I use a sharp needle for some very fine work and beading. But I would add milliners after those two.