Anatomy of a Needle – More than meets the eye!
Written by Carol Meyer (Sara’s Mom)
I got new tires on my car the other day and it got me thinking how marvelous they are to move a very heavy automobile at high rates of speed. Then I started thinking about the needle in a sewing machine that also moves at very high rates of speed, and can sew faster than you can blink your eye.
While sewing machines themselves are wonderful pieces of machinery, the needle’s specific design makes the sewing process happen. Liken it to tires on a car if you will. No matter how well the car or sewing machine runs, the car won’t go anywhere without tires, and you won’t sew anything without a needle. But do we know anything about the way needles are made and what they actually do?
The first thing we all learn about needles is that there is a flat side on the top part and that the flat side faces towards the back when you insert the needle into the machine; remember “flat to the back”. You may have never looked any more closely at a needle than that except to thread it. However, there is more to it than meets the eye.
The stitch forming process has a lot to do with the machine and everything to do with the needle. If you have never noticed before there is a long groove the goes down the front of the needle. You can feel the groove by running your fingernail, or something sharp like the pointed part of a seam ripper, down the front of the needle. I’ll bet most of you never saw it or knew it was there.
When the needle goes down though the fabric, the thread lays into that groove. The size of the needle and thread must coordinate so the thread fits appropriately into the groove. If the needle is too small, or the thread is too thick, it will not fit into the groove and the stitches will not form correctly. You may even think there is a tension problem.
As the needle goes down into the bobbin case area there is a part there called a hook (I like to call it the “magic stitch maker”) that has a sharp point which moves around the bobbin area. When the needle is at the lowest position the point of the hook is right there to grab the thread from the needle. It is not until the needle starts to move upward with the thread nestled into the groove on the front side, that a loop is formed on the backside which the hook catches. The hook carries the thread completely around the bobbin case. The top thread and bobbin thread are twisted around each other and a stitch is made.
On the back side of the needle around the eye is an indentation called the scarf. The scarf allows the hook to get closer to the loop of thread. It gets so close to the needle that it almost touches; there is an infinitesimally small clearance between the two. If the needle is bent, even slightly, the hook could miss catching the loop, resulting in skipped stitches.
The diameter of the shaft of the needle determines the size, and the appropriate size should coordinate with the fabric and thread. There are two numbering systems for needle sizes, the American system (10, 12, 14, etc.) and the metric system (70, 80, 90, etc). When the package says 80/12 it is referring to the same size of needle referencing both numbering systems. Which ever system you choose to remember is just numbers on a scale; the smaller the number the smaller the diameter of the needle, and the larger the number the larger the diameter. Size 80 or 12 is the middle size for average cotton fabric. Heavier fabrics use a larger size and lighter fabric can use a smaller size.
Home sewing machine needles will fit all brands of machines; however, not all needles are created equal. There are a number of minute differences in types of needles and point styles. Unless you have extremely good eyesight for seeing very small things you will not be able to see these differences without a microscope. Fine tooling makes some needles handle specialty threads better, or point styles that are specific for different types of fabrics.
It helps to have a system for knowing which kind of needle is in your machine. Some brands are color coded, but for the ones that aren’t you can color code them yourself with different colors of nail polish. A bit of color where the shank flares at the top coordinated with the same colored spot on the package is one way to know which needle is which after it is out of the package.
Where thread and fabric meet, it does not matter how much you paid for your sewing machine, if you do not use the right needle it will not sew well. Certainly if it is bent or broken you must replace it, but when you start a new project it is good time to start with a fresh needle. In terms of dollars, if you have spent $25 for fabric, thread and notions, spend $0.75 for a needle. If you have used five full bobbins for your project, which will be quite a lot of sewing, it is time again to put in a fresh needle. Like changing the tires on your car where the rubber meets the road, don’t wait until there isn’t any tread left to take care of the most important part of the journey.
© 2009 SewSara, Sioux Falls, SD. All Rights Reserved.
Kate Snuggerud – 2 Months
We have decided to upload pictures of Kate around the 27th of each month. With so many of you asking to see pictures and us not wanting to over take SewSara.com with her pictures, this should be a happy medium. 
Again, thank you for all your well wishes and gifts. They have been much appreciated over the last 8 weeks!
Happy 4th of July!
Helping Dad with the Heirloom Creations website.
Hanging out with mom.
Taking a walk at McKennan Park.
It’s only 6 Months ’til Christmas!
Did you know that on June 25 it is exactly 6 months until Christmas? Even though summer has barely arrived here in Sioux Falls, it is hard to start thinking about the holidays just yet. But with “Christmas in July” on our minds for next month’s Sewtopia Sewing Club topic, we ARE already looking at tree skirt patterns and great gift ideas.
Sewtopia Sewing Club – “Christmas in July”
Tuesday, July 14
10am, 2pm or 6:30pm
For us, we ordered 2009 Christmas fabric around December 15 LAST YEAR! Can you believe it! And it starts to arrive as early as April. But if you want the best selection before all the good stuff is gone, you need to start planning and shopping very early.
Below are a few ideas and links to inspire your holiday spirit. So heat up a cup of hot chocolate, put on your Santa (thinking) hat and continue reading…
FREE Patterns!
Did you know Heirloom Creations website has links to all the fabric companies FREE patterns? Click here to see the list!
Shown: FREE Pattern from Moda “Figgy Pudding”
Shown: FREE Pattern from Moda “Jingles”
“I Believe in Santa” by Nancy Halvorsen and Benartex Fabrics. Nancy Halvorsen is known for her great holiday project books ART TO HEART using all her fabric panels and fabric lines.
“Crazy Eight” is by Sandy Gervais and Moda Fabrics. We used one of Sandy’s patterns that borders her newest “Crazy Eight” panel. Patterns, panels and fabric are available through Heirloom Creations.
Shown: FREE Pattern from In The Beginning Fabrics “Wintergraphix”
With so many wonderful holiday fabric lines arriving, be sure to come in early to have the best selection!
And before you know it, Easter fabric will be arriving in November – go figure!
Can I Use Any Bobbin In My Machine?
Did you have any idea there were so many different kinds of bobbins?
Sewing machine accessories, like bobbins, seem to have a way of being held over from machine to machine. Often a box of bobbins wound with various colors of thread finds its way into a new sewing machine’s bobbin collection. If your machine has more than one style of bobbin with it, take a moment to find which the correct one for your machine is, and discard the rest.
The size of a bobbin must match precisely with the machine’s bobbin case. Just because a bobbin seems to be a similar size, the slightest difference can wreck havoc for its owner.
A sewing machine’s bobbin case tension set properly is based on the machine’s correct bobbin type. If a machine uses light weight plastic bobbins, the tension will be set differently than for a machine that uses a metal or heavier bobbin. Switching between plastic and metal bobbins will result in an unbalanced tension.
Bobbins that are too tall will interfere with the stitch formation especially for some machines with drop in bobbins. When a stitch is taken, thread will not be able to clear the top of the bobbin resulting in a wound up mess in the bobbin area.
Bobbins that are too small can fall out of the bobbin case of front loading machines as you are inserting it into the machine…the bobbin falls to the floor and runs away saying, “catch me if you can!”…very annoying!
To avoid unnecessary headaches, ALWAYS use the bobbin specified by the sewing machine manufacture. If you are unsure, which bobbins are the correct fit for your machine, stop by our service window with your machine’s make and model, and a sampling of your bobbins. We will sort them for you and show which the correct ones for your machine are.
Hate running out of bobbin thread in the middle of a project?
Check out the SideWinder! Never be without a full bobbin again! And the best part, you don’t have to unthread your sewing machine to wind a bobbin. The SideWinder comes with a plug in electrical cord or use optional batteries.
Once you have wound extra bobbins, store them in a Bobbin Saver.
Bobbin Savers keep filled bobbins neat, tidy and secure. The thread ends won’t unwind and become tangled. A Bobbin Saver full of filled bobbins travels well and they will not spill out, even when turned upside down. It is also easy to keep different weights of threads organized, like embroidery bobbin thread and regular sewing threads. Or if you have more than one brand of sewing machine, keep the bobbins separated with different colored Bobbin Savers, available in red, blue or lavender.
© 2009 SewSara, Sioux Falls, SD. All Rights Reserved.
Iron Cleaning Sheets
There is nothing worse than an iron with gunk on its sole plate! Maybe it was from the last time you used some fusible web and you have been meaning to clean it off before the next project. But you forgot and now it is burnt on and starting to smear onto the next project – ugg! Time to pull out your secret weapon!
Getting anything off the bottom of an iron can be an ugly task. Who wants to stop their creative wheels to clean an iron anyway?
Now there are new Iron Cleanin Sheets by Bo-Nash to the rescue! They are quick, easy to use and leave us with no excuse for messy irons. Take one sheet, heat iron and clean!
They kind of look like dryer sheets!
To use the new Bo-Nash Iron Clean sheets:
1. Heat iron for 1 minute on a high setting.
2. Lay IRON CLEAN sheet on top of a paper towel on the edge of the ironing board.
3. Wipe base of the iron over IRON CLEAN sheet on the edge of the ironing board until the residue is removed.
4. Wipe base of iron with clean paper towel.
If several months of buildup has occurred, repeat the process until clean.
Bo-Nash Iron Clean $4.99
10 sheets per package
Available from Heirloom Creations – 605-332-4435
My New Favorite Bag – The Miranda Day Bag
It is a great feeling when one takes the time to sew a special bag and it instantly becomes a new favorite! That is what happened to me recently, and my new favorite bag is the Miranda Day Bag by Lazy Girl. I made it with plans to use it as Kate’s diaper bag. Once we started to make small trips away from home, it soon became clear that its style, size and the inside pockets are perfect for the variety of on-the-go baby items needed.
The bottom base is 6” wide and 12” long to give an idea of its size. The sides are firm and it sits upright without falling over. This is especially helpful when looking through it one-handedly while holding a small squirming child.
The Miranda Day bag’s moderate yet roomy size easily doubles as a “personal assistant” with the many inside pockets to keep everything organized. For baby they keep wipes, pacifier, diaper cream, and bottles all in plain sight. I have used the extra pockets for my own wallet and keys when I don’t need to take another purse.
No Baby? Did I mention the inside pockets? File folders, magazines, cell phone, note pads and pens all fit nicely into tidy pockets that are easy to see. Never loose a necessary item again!
The Lazy Girl patterns are known for full color pictures and easy to read instructions. It is easy to see their professionally made patterns have been tested many times, and they are well-written, even for the beginner sewer.
Take a class: Heirloom Creations is offering the Miranda Day Bag class on Thursday, June 25, 2009 from 6:30 – 9:30pm. Call to reserve your space! Click here for a supply list…
For our store sample of the Miranda Day Bag, we increased the height of the bag by 2”. Come in and check out the newly adjusted size.
The Lazy Girl pattern company is also the supplier of our much loved Bag-E-Bottoms. Bag-E-Bottoms are 1/8” thick acrylic bases available in several sizes to give their most popular bag, purse and tote patterns a sturdy bottom. Click here to see all available sizes.
Many of the Lazy Girl patterns including the Miranda Day bag and Bag-E-Bottoms are available from Heirloom Creations. Call 605-332-4435 to have a pattern set aside or mailed to you.
To see other Lazy Girl bag patterns, click here.