Embroidery Needle Size report

Embellishing fabric dates back thousands of years and has seen many changes in the last years, but at least one aspect of embroidery remains unchanged. The quality of your embroidery depends on your skill and the tools you use. Whether you like machine embroidery or hand embroidery, the key is to learn how to choose the right embroidery needle for your project.

When people plan an embroidery project, they might spend lots of time thinking about the pattern design and what fabric and threads to use, but what about the needle? Using the wrong size of embroidery needle is one of the most common mistakes novices, even some experienced embroiderers, still make.

More than 100 needle variations and specialist needles are for every use. Read this post to learn more about embroidery needles. This guide covers embroidery needle sizes, differences between types of needles, picking the right needle size for your project, and much more.

Embroidery Needle Size Guide

The wrong size and type of needles can lead to needle breakage, difficulty working with the chosen fabric, and poor stitch quality. There will be greater enjoyment in the needlework because the project flows more easily with the correct needle. Remember that the variables of the needle are: point, needle eye, needle length, and needle diameter. You may find big differences between needles that are designed for various uses.

Embroidery needles have a long oval eye that is somewhat larger than a standard sewing needle. It makes it easier to use with multiple strands of embroidery floss. The end has a sharp point, making it great to use on fabric with a tighter weave for surface embroidery. Needles come in many different sizes and are sized by number. The large the number, the thinner the needle.

Sizes of 5 Embroidery Needle Types

The type of needle you choose for your embroidery project depends on what type of embroidery. There are five categories of embroidery needles that you should have on hand.

• Crewel needles have a medium-long eye, a shaft slightly thinner than the eye, and a sharp tip. They come in sizes 1-12, with 1 being the largest and 12 being the finest.
  
• Tapestry needles have a long eye, a shaft slightly thinner than the eye, and a blunt tip. This type is designed for cross stitch and comes in sizes 13-28, with 13 being the largest and 28 being the finest.
• Chenille needles have a long eye, a shaft slightly thinner than the eye, and a sharp tip. They come in sizes 13-28, and in large sizes (smaller numbers), the chenille needle has a thick shaft.
• Milliner needles have a smaller, roundish eye, a shaft that is the same thickness as the eye, and a sharp tip. Milliner needles are quite long compared to the other needles listed above. Milliners come in sizes 1-10, with 1 being larger and 10 being finer.
  
• Specialty needles are specially curved needles for those who do a lot of beading on their embroidery, beading needles. The size used for most fine embroidery threads is a size 10 curved beading needle.
  

Common Embroidery Needle Sizes

1. Size 2, 3, and 4 needles are suitable for medium to heavy fabrics.
2. Size 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 needles are suitable for light to medium fabrics.
3. Size 11 and 12 are suitable for fine fabrics or for creating small delicate stitches.

Conclusion

Needles come in many different sizes. A general rule of thumb is that the larger the number, the smaller the needle is, and the smaller the number, the larger the needle is. The rule applies to chenille, tapestry, and other hand embroidery needle sizes, but it does not apply to all needle types. Remember that a too thin needle will make it hard to pull the thread through the fabric, and a too-large needle can leave visible holes in the fabric.