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Needle Guide

Choosing the wrong needle will make a project hard or even impossible.

It's frustrating to have trouble sewing when your needle selection is fighting you the whole time—and you didn't know it.  Here is a collection of the fabric manufacturer's recommendations that we have assembled for you in one convenient place.  Rockywoods Home
70/10
  • Polartec Micro Chamois
  • Polartec 100 single-sided
  • Coolmax
  • Polartec Wicking Interlock
Ball 80/12
  • Polartec 100 double -sided
  • French Terry
  • Thermal Knit
  • Sweatshirt Fleece
Ball 90/14
  • Ribbing
Universal 70/10
  • 70D Ripstop Nylon
  • Nylon Taffeta
Universal 80/12
  • Ultrex
  • Gore-tex
  • 2-ply Supplex
  • Crinkle Cloth
  • Superstar Tricot
  • Polartec Windbloc 1000
  • Snow Quilt
  • Polartec Thermal Stretch 2000
  • 200D Packcloth
  • No-See-Um Mesh
Universal 90/14
  • 3-ply Supplex
  • Polartec 200
  • Polartec 300
  • Boundary Waters Fleece
  • Polartec Shearling
  • Bi-polar Fleece
  • Berber Fleece
  • Wool
  • North Country Fleece
  • Pacific Tech Fleece
  • Leno Mesh
  • Coated, open weave Mesh
  • Jiffy Grip
  • Starter Satins
Stretch 75/11
  • Polartec Power Stretch
  • Polartec Stretch 200
  • Supplex Nylon Lycra
  • Hi Tech Supplex Lycra
  • SPANDURA
  • Heavy Weight Nylon Lycra
  • Nylon Lycra
  • Cotton Lycra Jersey Lining
  • Cotton Lycra
  • Poly-Lycra
  • Boomerang Stretch
  • Poly/Rayon/Lycra Blends
  • Stretch Velvet
  • Macro Mesh
  • Micro mesh
Stretch 90/14
  • Techsheen
Microtex 70/10
  • Polartec Skin Thermal Stretch
  • Lightweight Microfiber
  • Solarweave
Microtex 80/12
  • Sueded Microfiber
  • Ultrasuede
Jeans 80/12
  • 140D Coated Nylon
  • 120D Ripstop Nylon
Jeans 90/14
  • Denim
  • Canvas
  • Sunbrella
  • ToughTek 6000
Jeans 100/16
  • 400D Packcloth
Jeans 100/18
  • 1000D Cordura
  • Flannel backed Cordura
  • 1050D Ballistics
  • Vinyl

Sewing Success Tips

  • Always start your projects with a fresh needle.
  • The new synthetic fibers dull needles faster than natural fibers.  Change needles every four to six hours of sewing.
  • If you experience thread breakage, it could be to a worn-out needle eye.  Try changing your needle.
  • Dull or bent needles will cause skipped stitches, machine jams and puckering.
  • When sewing on coated fabrics clean your needle once in a while with alcohol.  Also, you may want to try a liquid Sewing Ease to help your needle and thread slip through the fabric.
  • When sewing on Lycra trim on Polartec be sure to change to a stretch needle.
  • Singer needles are best for Singer machines and no other.  Schmetz needles are best for European and other timed sewing machines.