Features of quilting needles

Quilting and patchwork are not the same kind of needlework, but they are so often done in combination with each other that many people mistake them for parts of the same technique. But this is not the case. Patchwork is based on sewing a single canvas from pieces of fabric of the most diverse shapes (patch - a flap, a piece, patchwork - a patchwork sewing). Quilting, on the other hand, is the quilting of multilayer products by hand or machine (guilt - quilting). In both cases, the needle used plays an important role. How to choose it will be discussed in our article.

The original technique of needlework quilting is endless in terms of visual possibilities. You can quilt a quilt with the simplest ornament, or you can create a real masterpiece in the form of a landscape, still life, panel. In modern development, the combined use of quilting with several needlework techniques (patchwork, embroidery, applique, collage) allows you to get beautiful decorative compositions. The top layer of a quilt in a combined design is most often a canvas sewn using a patchwork patchwork technique.

It is the needle, correctly selected for installation in the sewing machine, that will ensure continuous operation and high quality of the stitch. The special hand-stitch needle is very strong, sharp and short, with perfect glide, ensuring even stitches and even spacing between them.

Modern quilting needles have many characteristics: ear configuration, groove shape, sharpening option, etc.Some of them are even invisible to the ordinary eye, but a common feature of quilting needles is an especially thin, slightly rounded point with a small eye and a special bevel, which easily penetrates the fabric without damaging the structure of the canvas. All these features ultimately affect the integrity of the stitch and the formation of high-quality decorative stitches without traces of punctures and skipped stitches.

Here are some examples of popular brands of quilting needles.

• Universal needles - universal needles with the widest range of numbers - from 60 to 120, suitable for almost all types of fabrics.
• Quilting needles - designed for sewing multi-layer sandwiches and heavy fabrics.
• Machine Embroidery Needles - suitable for using metallic or delicate decorative threads.
• Top stitch needles - super sharp, with a deep groove, available in different sizes (70-110), suitable for quilting and machine embroidery.
• Stepp-nadel quilting needle - have a special taper to protect expensive delicate fabrics from damage. Material - nickel, bulb marking - bright green.
• Sewing quilting needle Schmetz 130/705 H-Q has a particularly thin, slightly rounded nose. When sewing materials of different properties (for example, synthetic winterizer and tapestry), the stitches are formed very evenly and beautifully.
• The tools of the French company have proven themselves well Bohin, buyers leave rave reviews for them.

Recently, titanium coated needles for household machines have appeared on the market (previously they were only produced for industrial machines). These are expensive tools, but those who have decided to buy and have already tried such needles in work, note the long service life of these products.

The result of the work depends on the quality of the tool. Special quilting needles are ideally smooth, short and rigid, so that when hand sewing, you can easily pick stitches on the needle and freely pull the thread through the layers of the sandwich. To better determine which needle to quilt with, you need to try several options on small sandwiches and determine which needle is best for a particular product, since sandwiches are made from different materials. For this purpose, experienced craftswomen recommend purchasing sets of different needles. I must say that no matter how high-quality and expensive the chosen needle is, it should not be used longer than the period recommended by the manufacturer.

So that the decorative qualities of the finished product do not decrease, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the needle and replace it with a new one in a timely manner. Inexpensive tools can be purchased for beginner patchwork sewing makers, but they are less convenient to use and require more frequent replacement. It is not always possible to buy quilting needles if the city is small. Instead, knowledgeable quilters use leather needles, and if they are hard to find, use jeans or jersey tools. Knowledge of the characteristics, features and interchangeability of needles greatly facilitates the creative work of craftswomen in the quilting and patchwork technique.

In the next video you will find an overview of the quilting and quilting needles.