The Importance of Needles - Part two using the correct size needle.
Welcome to Part Two of the Importance of Needles, using the correct size needle for your project. I find the majority people who use overlockers/sergers never really stop to think about the size of the needles in their machines. Most domestic machines use sizes 75/11, 80/12, 90/14 although if you use the ELx705 system they only come in sizes 80/12 and 90/14.
The higher the number, the larger the needle thickness. When choosing needles for your machine you just need to stick with the correct system for your machine but be aware of the size you are using in relation to the fabric type. for example if you are trying to roll hem on a light fabric such as silk or an open weave fabric with a size 14 needle you may find the rolled hem pulls away from the edge. This is often due to the needle being too thick for a close stitch length on a light weight or fine fabric, it is basically perforating the fabric. See the pic below.
The same applies for heavy weight fabric, for best results you need to use a size 90/14 needle on fabrics such as denim and fleece. trying to overlock a bulky or intersecting seam in heavy weight fabric using a 75/11 will most likely result in breaking or damaging the needle.
Another thing to be aware of with needles is changing them regularly, not just when they break ! Overlockers/Sergers sew around 1500 stitches a minute. This means your needles are working super hard and over time become dull or blunt. As a result you are basically punching holes in your fabric, instead of the point going through the fibres of the fabric. Needles should be changed every 6-8 hours of sewing or if you are seeing pulled threads in your fabric, skipped stitches and they sound like they are working hard to get through the fabric. The pic below shows a new needle on the left vs one that has done a considerable amount of work.
One of my handy hints I share in class is to have a needle holder on your machine, some models come with magnets or foam sections to store your ‘in progress’ needles in. What I mean by ‘in progress’ are the ones you are currently using and maybe changing from a 4 thread overlock to a 3 thread rolled hem, when you remove the needle where do you store it ? If you put it in the packet with the new ones you won’t know which are new and which are used, you need to keep it handy to place back in the machine when you are ready to go back to 4 thread overlocking. If you don’t have storage built in, a square of fabric like felt or fleece, placed on one of your spool holders works so well to keep track of your ‘in progress’ needles
Needle holder to help keep track of the needles that need to go back into your machine.
I hope these hints about needles have been helpful, using the correct system, size and changing them regularly will result in a more joyful overlocking/serging experience.
Happy Overlocking, Kate
