N is for Needles!

There’s no surprise I’m highlighting Needles for the N feature in the ABC Archives series we’ve been exploring here on Needle ‘n Thread!

Needlework, after all, would be pretty difficult without needles. They’re about the only tool you have to have for embroidery. You could get away with no scissors, no hoop. But could you embroider (as in, regular embroidery) without a needle?

I don’t think so.

When you first start embroidering, the answer to What Needle Should I Use? can be pretty basic. One conveniently sized needle can do the trick for most beginner applications.

My go-to needle type and size for most regular surface embroidery is a #7 crewel needle, for example, and if you’re a beginner and you’re using 3 strands of floss in the needle, that size needle will generally work great for you.

But as you progress on your embroidery journey, you may find that certain needles work better for some techniques, certain needles might be easier to handle, easier to thread – there are, in fact, many good reasons to get familiar with a variety of needle types and sizes.

Archive Dive on Needles

You’ll find loads of articles on needles – and on topics related to needles – available on the blog. I’ll highlight some key articles in the list below, to give you a springboard for exploration, if you want to learn more about embroidery needles.

• All About Embroidery Needles covers basic and not-so-basic information about embroidery needles. It’s a good place to start.
• Hand Embroidery Needles: How to Choose Them & Use Them presents different types of needles for different tasks, with some needle-selecting tips.
• The Chenille Needle focuses on the benefits of using a chenille needle – long-eyed and sharp-tipped – for practically any kind of embroidery application.
• On Threading a Needle offers a few useful tips on threading needles.
• Embroidery Needle Facts: Three Points Worth Knowing presents three facts you might not know about embroidery needles, and some of these facts might even enhance your relationship with your needle.
• Pitching a Curve talks about the usefulness of curved embroidery needles.
• Milliner vs Bullion focuses on a very specific type of needle with a round eye and a consistently thick shaft – perfect for certain jobs.
• Problem Solving for Stitchers: Needles without Nickel provides a source for stitchers who have a nickel allergy.

I guess it’s pretty obvious that we love needles here at Needle ‘n Thread! They’re a tool worth celebrating!

And there are, believe it or not, many more articles on Needle ‘n Thread about needles! You can find them by exploring the archives by date (in the left column of the website if you’re on a computer, or in the “hamburger menu” in the top right on mobile devices), or exploring the tag “needles” (unfortunately, not all articles are tagged, but many are!)

Looking for Reliable Needles?

If you’re looking for good quality, reliable embroidery needles, I recommend three brands especially:

John James (which are considered “English needles”) is probably the most widely available brand here in the States for a variety of types and sizes of needles that are affordable. Overall, they are good needles and you can feel confident purchasing them when you come across them in quilt, sewing, and needlework shops.

Bohin needles are French needles, and they are also fairly widely available in the US, in quilt and specialty shops. These are excellent needles. I offer these very convenient variety packs of Bohin Needles here in the shop. They provide you with practically every kind of needle you’ll ever need for your embroidery and hand sewing.

We offer a wide variety of Tulip Needles in the shop, too. These are what I’d consider the cream of the crop as far as hand needles go. They are superior quality, smooth, lovely-to-use needles. I know it’s hard to believe there’s a difference in “feel” between needle brands, but there is. These needles are more expensive than most and can be cost prohibitive, but if you are good at keeping track of your needles and you stitch a lot, you will appreciate the difference!

More ABC Archives

I’ve received a few requests for an index of the ABC Archives series that I’ve been running since last September. I’ll put that together for you soon, and I’ll permanently link it under Tips and Techniques in the main menu on Needle ‘n Thread.

Hope your week is going well!