Let's Get Right to the Point

When I walk into a quilt shop or fabric store, it's so easy to get caught up with the "shiny."

You know what I'm talking about...the beautiful fabric, the pretty quilting thread, the neat embellishments, the clever patterns.

The shiny - the stuff that everyone sees first when they're making a quilt.  It's easy to get wrapped up in all of that and forget the not-so-shiny stuff.  Let me explain what I mean.  Think about Walt Disney's Cinderella.  Do you remember what Cinderella's dress looks like?

Yeah.  I do, too.  Never understood why glass slippers though.  They would be so uncomfortable to dance in.

Now do you remember what her ugly step-sisters wore to the ball?

I'll give you a minute....

Didn't think you did.  To be honest, I don't either.

They were very ordinary. We tend to ignore the ordinary, everyday stuff.  We just simply take it for granted.

Like hand sewing needles.  We grab one and get to the task, whether it's applique or sewing on binding.  Almost every quilter will at sometime or another, no matter how machine-oriented we are, have to undertake some hand sewing. 

But having the right needle can make all the difference in the world.  Ignoring some specialty needles (such as the ones used in doll making and beading), needles come in sizes 1 through 12.  The smaller the number the larger the needle. So the number 1 needle is way bigger than the size 12.  Most quilters use the ones that fall in the middle somewhere -- the betweens, the sharps, and the quilting needles.

And there are lots of brands of needles.  One thing I would encourage is to try the different brands and see which one you like best.  I personally like the Roxanne needles for both quilting and applique.  The eyes are slightly large, which makes threading them easy, but they glide through the fabric wonderfully.  I use the Roxanne's for both hand sewing and hand quilting.  Roxanne's are found primarily at quilt shops.  I've never seen any at a big box store, but that doesn't mean that there's not one out there that carries them.  If you can't find them at the local quilt shop, they are available on-line.  They come in a sweet, clear canister with a seashell glued to the top.  Most big box stores and quilt shops carry John James needles, and they are also very good needles.  Other needle brands are Richard Hemming, Foxglove Cottage, Mary Arden, Colonial, JP Coats, Boye, S. Thomas and Sons, Clover, Bohin, Dritz, and Piecemakers.

Don't go for the cheapest unless they work really well for you.  Handwork often isn't as visible as the choice of fabric and it's easy to decide to save a few cents by buying the cheapest brand since it's not really seen.  Do yourself a favor and don't.  Needles aren't that expensive to begin with and the right needle that slides in and out of the fabric without you struggling with it is well worth the extra pennies.

It's also very important to use the right needle for the right job.  I mean, you wouldn't try to grill a steak on your blender, right?  Nope.  You're gonna fire up the George Foreman and save the blender for your morning smoothie. 

Same thing with needles.  It's really not good to use a quilting needle for hand applique.  Quilting needles are smaller (usually the 9's or 10's),  The smaller the needle, the  easier it is to slide it in and out of the top, batting, and backing.  I've tried using smaller needles for quilting, but I only end up breaking the needle or bending it when I try to stack my stitches.  I like 7's for applique, because I like smaller needle.  I can handle it better and manage my stitches easier.  Try the 6's - 8's for hand applique. In a pinch, I've even used a 9, although that is typically a quilting needle.

Like nearly everything else, needles have a limited life.  If the needle usually glides through fabric easily and begins to snag or be difficult to guide through the material, look at the needle through a magnifying glass. The plating on the outside of it could be worn thin or it could have a burr.  Needles can be bent.  The acidity in the perspiration off your fingers can affect it.  The point of the needle can be dulled.  If any of this happens, throw it out and feel no guilt. 

So there are no pretty pictures in this blog posts, just lots of good information. 

I promise to make it up to you next week.

Love and Stitches...

Sherri