Starting at the “blunt” end is the shank, which usually has a flat side to help position it properly in your machine. Standard domestic sewing machine needles are comprised of several standard parts. In the grand scheme of sewing, needles and pins are some of the cheapest consumables we use, so it makes sense to buy quality suited to the job at hand, and don’t hesitate to discard them when they’re past their best. Needles were also made from unexpected sources-the ancient Mesoamerican people of Teotihuacán cleverly used the central spike of the maguey cactus and its attached fibers as a ready-made needle and thread!įor modern sewists, however, the best reason to pay attention to your needles and pins is that using the right type and weight for each project can not only raise the quality of your sewing, but also prevent skipped stitches, ruined fabric, and ultimately lots of frustration. Later, as metals were developed, copper, iron, and bronze needles also followed, allowing fine embroidery to be added to clothing, in addition to functional seams. In prehistoric times, their earliest incarnations were carved from wood or bone with animal fibers or sinew used as the thread to hold hides together. Sewing needles have existed for nearly as long as humans have.
Considering that all of us use either machine- or hand-sewing needles in every project, and the vast majority of us use pins to hold our fabric together too, perhaps we should start paying more attention to these unsung heroes of the sewing process. After that initial excitement has worn off, I’ll then start to think about what notions it might require-will I need to buy any special zippers, buttons, or elastics? Do I already have a matching thread in my stash? It’s usually only when I sit down to start sewing that I look and see if I’ve got a suitable needle, and I only really notice my pins when I pull out a bent or dull one midway through sewing. At the start of a new sewing project, I get really excited about the fabric I’m going to use and what pattern or style it’s going to be made into.
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