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5 Important Things About Hand Embroidery Needles

Author: Anjana Malhotra
by Anjana Malhotra
Posted: Nov 30, 2016

A tiny needle is the basic requirement for a wonderful embroidery work. Thus, before starting with any kind of embroidery, you need to check if you are using the right kind of needle for the job.

Here are 5 crucial things you should know about a hand embroidery needle:

Types

Different types of needles are used for different embroidery jobs. The "crewel" needles are majorly used for embroidery work in which the needle needs to pass through the fabric, while on the other hand "tapestry needles" are used for canvas or drawn thread work. "Straw needles" are perfect for making bullion knots, French knots or any other embroidery work where the needle needs to pass through wraps of embroidery thread.

Relativity

The choice of an embroidery needle depends on its relativity to a particular type of embroidery thread. For example, silk thread will require a needle with a small eye; on the other hand, crewel fabric will need a needle with a big eye due to its coarse texture. The needle should let the thread pass easily through the fabric without any abrasion, but should be small enough to not leave noticeable holes around the embroidery thread.

Size

Embroidery needles are mainly numbered from 1 to 12, with 12 being the smallest! Tapestry needles are generally numbered from 18 to 28. Make sure to choose the needle size wisely to find the best needle for a particular kind of embroidery work.

Threading

You should never lick the thread while doing embroidery as it may rust the needle. A rusted eye of the needle may cause the embroidery thread to fray and diminish the quality of your embroidery work. Pass the needle through a strawberry or any other shape filled with emery sand to remove the dust formed on the eye.

The Eye

The needles used for machine embroidery generally have the eye bigger on one side and smaller on the other. But, such is not the case with hand embroidery needle. It has a smooth round eye and can be used widely for metal thread embroidery without causing any harm to the thread.

Now that you know about various important characteristics that define hand embroidery needles, make your pick judiciously to get that tapestry work done to the perfection. Check for the eye of the needle prior to buying so as to make sure that it is free of rust and let the thread easily pass through the fabric you are using for embroidery.

About the Author

Hi I am Anjana Malhotra and my interest lies in Shopping, kids furniture and Food. Get to know about the latest industry trends and much more by following my blogs.

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Author: Anjana Malhotra

Anjana Malhotra

Member since: Jan 09, 2015
Published articles: 7

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