At the bottom of the needle case, you will find 2 numbers eg. 70/10. These represent the size of the needles. On the left (70) is the metric size & on the right (10) is the imperial size. The higher the number, the thicker the needle is.

Some commonly used needles are:
Please view the image above and in order from Left to Right

  • UNIVERSAL used for sewing woven fabrics
  • JERSEY BALLPOINT used for sewing one way stretch fabrics.
  • STRETCH used for sewing two way stretch fabrics eg. lycra
  • JEANS a heavy gauge needle used for sewing thick denim
  • TWIN NEEDLE used for sewing hems on stretch fabrics that require stretch. It simulates the cover stitch you see on the bottom of your T-shirts. The numbers at the bottom represent the distance between the needles (4mm) & the size (75)
  • METAFIL used to sew metallic and embroidery threads. The eye is larger & allows the thread to pass through without shreading.