Let's talk about needles!

Sewing needles that go in your household sewing machine are, for the most part, universal. Some machine brands will tell you that you need only their special needles. This is to sell you more of their product. I personally use Organ Needles in my machines. Now there are different needle sizes to consider. These sizes are based on what you are sewing, not on the brand of your machine. For example, if you are sewing thick fabrics like denim, pleather, or many layers of cotton, you need a 16 or 18. If you are piecing a quilt or working with lighter fabrics, a 12 or 14 will be just fine. These are the most commonly used sizes; they also go larger and smaller. Using a smaller needle on more delicate fabrics reduces the size of the hole each stitch leaves. If your machine has a needle threader, that feature won't work on a 16 or higher due to the large size. 

There are specialty needles for different fabrics; they have different shaped tips to work best with your fabric, such as jersey knits, denim, etc. If you find you are breaking your needles frequently while working on a project, check your needle! Also, change your needle every 8 hours of sewing, don't wait for it to break if you don't have to! Another reason needles break is when your machine is out of time, which means the hook on the bobbin case and needle are not moving in sync. If a machine is out of time, it needs to be set by a professional sewing machine mechanic. 

Happy Sewing!