A needle is a long, thin tool of hard material (previously bone, today mostly metal) with one pointed end. There are special needles and special points for different jobs and different materials. For most hand-sewing, needles are long and thin. Needles used for working with leather have triangular cutting points. Embroidery needles with a blunt point make embroidery on evenweave fabrics easier – the needle doesn’t split the fabric threads.
History: Probably, fish bones were the first tools used to connect two surfaces with a thread-like material. Later, needles were made of sharpened pieces of bone or horn – with an eye on the non-pointed end. It wasn’t until the 14th century that a needle was successfully made from metal wire.


Needles used for working with textiles

Crafts needles:

Doll-making needles: Used to sew dolls and teddy bears. Extra-long and with large eyes to sew through thicker pieces (arms, heads) and materials.

Leather needles: Used to sew leather and artificial leather. With sharpened points (e.g. triangular points) to sew easily through leather, without tearing it. These needles are not suited for sewing textiles.

Weaving needles: Extra-long, thick, and with blunt, slightly flattened points and large eyes – for heavier yarns. Also good for making beads from modelling compound (makes smooth, even holes).

Packing needles: A packing needle is used for sewing with rough, heavy yarns of hemp or jute. Packing needles may measure up to 8 inches (20 cm) long. They are very thick and have a large eye and a flattened, slightly curved, blunt point to prevent damaging the threads of the fabric being sewn. They are mainly used for sewing and closing holes in jute or rough linen sacks for products such as cocoa, coffee, etc. They are also used for sewing the filled sacks closed. The combination of one or two packing needles and a knife in a sheath are standard tools for warehouse workers.

Beading needles: Extra-thin and straight – to fit through the holes in fine beads and to hold very fine threads or nylon threads. These needles have long eyes and are very light and flexible. Use for threading beads and sequins and for other creative embroidery. On some beading needles, the eye is carefully pressed closed with pliers after the needle has been threaded. To prevent the thread from breaking in the needle’s eye when threading beads, the following should be born in mind: Choose the size of the needle to match the size of the thread. After threading, carefully press the eye closed with small pliers so that they needle and thread create no friction when they are run through the bead.

Mattress needles: Approx. 4 – 10 inches long (10 – 25 cm). Used for sewing heavy fabrics, such as those used for making mattresses, cushions, etc..

Darning needle: Used for darning with thin yarns or cotton threads. Also suitable for basting. Come in a variety of sizes for rough or fine darning jobs.

Sewing needles:
History: Sewing needles have been known since the paleolithic age. The existing needles from that period are made from bone and mammoth ivory. In today’s last few decades, needles have been made of various materials – in the 1960’s and 70’s, nickel, chrome, and alloys of other metals were used. Modern needles are numbered – the higher the number, the thinner and shorter the needle.

Longs: Standard needles for most sewing jobs. These needles are long and quite thin. A smooth eye makes threading easier and protects the thread. Many who sew prefer longer needles because they are easy to hold.

Betweens: These needles have the same diameters as longs of the same size, but they are shorter. They are often preferred by experienced sewers for more difficult jobs or for special jobs, such as quilting. Quilters prefer shorter needles because they are faster to run through the fabric.

Self-threading needles: Needles designed especially for people who have difficulties threading a needle, such as people with impaired sight. The thread is simply pulled into the eye from the top of the needle.

Jersey needles: Used for sewing knits, stretch fabrics, and synthetics and for loosely woven or knit fabrics. The ball-point tips of these needles carefully pushes fabric fibers aside, instead of splitting them.

Milliner’s needles: These needles are extra-long and have a rounded eye. They are used for millinery work and are also suitable for smocking or pleating.

Embroidery needles:
Embroidery needles should always be of a good quality and should be selected according to the fabric weave and embroidery thread being used and to the type of pattern and embroidery form. Embroidery needles are available with sharp or blunt points. Needles with blunt points are used for counted thread embroidery on evenweave fabrics and those with sharp points are used on fabrics with finer threads. Embroidery needles ususally have larger, longer eyes than standard sewing needles to prevent damage to the threads and to allow thicker threads (wool yarns and several strands of thinner threads) to be used. Embroidery needles are available in various materials and a range of sizes (from 14-28) – the larger the number, the finer the needle. The thinner the fabric, the thinner the needle that should be used. Needle threaders are available to make the threading of embroidery needles easier. Some embroidery needles have been designed especially for working with a particular type of fabric.

Pointed: Pointed embroidery needles are used for dense weaves and fabrics with fine threads.

Crewel needles: These embroidery needles are extra-thin and have a slightly larger eye. They are used, for example, for crewel embroidery (as the name implies), white work, or for work using 1 or 2 strands of thin yarn or thread. Some people use these needles for standard sewing jobs because their lengths and diameters are similar to longs, but they are easier to thread.

Blunt: Needles with blunt points are commonly used for counted thread embroidery on evenweave fabrics or canvas. They are suitable for sewing seams and hems on hand knits.

Tapestry needles: Large embroidery needles with blunt points and large eyes. As the name implies, they are used for making tapestries or wallhangings.

Needle photos: Prym