Needle Choice Is Important

I’ve been doing a lot of finishing of WiP’s and UFO’s and other things found on the floor, in totes, but mostly pulling from the piles in my sewing room.  Binding has been my evening work and the only step keeping a project from being completed in many cases. I have rediscovered how important the correct hand sewing needle is.  The difference between a chenille 20 and 24 is not just about the thread being used ( I was doing some big stitch with heavier thread) but equally important is the fabric. The fabric was a batik in combination with a metallic cotton and silk dupioni.  The size 20 easily handled the heavy weight metalllic thread I was using and went through the metallic cotton and silk just fine. It would barely pierce the batik fabric and was wearing out my hand muscles quickly. Switching to a 24 chenille still handled the heavier thread but was so much easier to pierce the batik fabric.  The same thing was true when sewing on the binding which was the batik fabric. I found a “straw” needle was able to pierce the fabric easily as opposed to the “embroidery”, the “between” and the “quilting” needle. Yes, I tried all three in various sizes. Unfortunately I can not tell you what size I used as I forgot to look as I took it out of the storage cylinder but the difference really is in the diameter of the shaft of the needle. There was no thick and thin to the diameter and that is what made the difference in my mind. Another project finished, another reminder of the importance of all the tools used to complete a quilted project!

A few recently completed: