Tip Tuesday! Needle Size and Other Valuable Information at Your Finger Tips

"Tip Tuesday!" - Needle Size and Other Valuable Information at Your Finger Tips

I love learning new things and then sharing that knowledge with my quilting friends. So, every Tuesday (or most Tuesdays!) I'll provide some tips, hints, tricks, tutorials, shortcuts, etc. that I've learned over the years and share them here on the blog.

"Tip Tuesday" will be a collection of information about a wide variety of subjects garnered from a large variety of sources. I am not an expert by any means and do not take credit for being the great wizard behind all of these hints and tips. I will gladly give due credit whenever possible.

These tips will be archived and accessible to you just by clicking on the "Tip Tuesday!" tab above.

Read, enjoy, and be inspired!

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Have you ever been sewing and had your thread shred for what appears to be no reason at all? What about having issues when you are using specialty thread like metallic or rayon? If that happens to me, it usually doesn't take long before I realize that I have to check my needle size and probably need to change it to accommodate the thread with which I'm working.

Do you know about thread and needle sizes? Many people do not, and I am not ashamed to admit that I did not. I am also not ashamed to admit that I still have to look at my cheat sheet when I'm changing thread to be sure that I have the correct needle size and type.

So how do you know what size needle to use anyway? I know many people who have never used a needle different than the one that came with their machine. They simply buy exactly what they've always had, and that is fine if it's the correct size for the thread with which you are using and if you aren't having any problems.

One of the resources I use is from Superior Threads. It's a wonderful site and even though it is geared toward their products, the information they provide is relevant to most products.

Check out this article on needle size. It's well worth your time. And at the bottom of the article, there is a link to follow about what causes thread to shred.

Here is a direct link to their Education page and from their you can find information about garment and apparel sewing, bobbins, thread, needles, tension, etc. It is really a wonderful site! 

Like I said, I know there are many resources out there about thread, needles, etc., but I really like that there is so much information in one spot here. There is even a video tutorial on how to sew a French seam. That is priceless to me because I don't do it enough to remember and I always have to review this video when I sit down to do it.