Sewing machine needles come in an assortment of types and sizes. Using the correct needle is important to achieve a successful outcome to your sewing project. The wrong size or type of needle can cause breakages of either needles or thread. Uneven or skipped stitches, and snags or holes in the fabric are also symptoms of the wrong needle. You should choose your needle firstly according to the purpose/project, the fibre-type and fabric construction, then the fabric weight.
I had a client in for a one-to-one tutorial this week who was having trouble altering her T-shirts. She was quite short in the body and needed to take up most of her tops or they were more like mini-dresses. She’d bought a new sewing machine last year, and came to me for help convinced that the tension was wrong. The top she had recently altered had several breaks in the sewing of the hem and there were lots of skipped stitches.
