Schmetz needles
#1
Junior Member
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 246
Schmetz needles
Somewhere I read that when quilting you should be using 75/10 and 90/14. One was to be used for piecing and one for fmq., but for the life of me, I can't remember which one should be used for what. Does anyone have any ideas?
#2
It really depends on the thickness of the thread. For general piecing I use a 80/12 (these are Klasse) and usually 90/14 for quilting. I usually only go smaller for paper piecing or appliqué and the use a Microtex or Sharp. I've recently been using Titanium needles and quite like them.
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Morris Plains, NJ
Posts: 1,803
It really depends on the thickness of the thread. For general piecing I use a 80/12 (these are Klasse) and usually 90/14 for quilting. I usually only go smaller for paper piecing or appliqué and the use a Microtex or Sharp. I've recently been using Titanium needles and quite like them.
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
Typically thread manufacturers will tell you what size needle to use on their websites. It's entirely dependent on the thread weight, fiber & ply. That said, you then need to have an idea of what weight of thread that is appropriate for what you're sewing.
For piecing quilters cotton or flannel, you generally want to work with a 50wt thread. I buy Aurifil 50wt/2 ply cotton thread & use a size 70/10 Microtex needle for piecing. I have used the same for quilting, but I now typically prefer to use Aurifil 40wt thread & I switch to a size 80/12 needle -- either Microtex or Quilting -- for that. If I really want a particular design to show up a lot in my quilting, I use 28wt thread & will then use a size 90/14 Top Stitch needle (that's also usually the ideal thread/needle for making Jeans quilts). When I do microquilting designs or am piecing with silk or linen, I switch to a 100wt silk thread & then use a size 60/8 Microtex needle.
If you are not accustomed to doing FMQ, I would strongly recommend a Quilting needle to start with. Quilting needles are designed to take curves well. They have a rounded tip that will reduce the likelihood of fraying your fabric while doing FMQ.
PS -- If you prefer, you can use a 90/14 Top Stitch needle for everything. It will sew through anything you could possibly put on your machine. The only issue is that it makes the largest holes. If you aren't using a heavy weight thread, the holes will be larger than the thread. They do shrink up some in the wash, but there will always be a tiny gap between thread & holes so I wouldn't recommend doing that either for competition quilts or heirloom quilts.
For piecing quilters cotton or flannel, you generally want to work with a 50wt thread. I buy Aurifil 50wt/2 ply cotton thread & use a size 70/10 Microtex needle for piecing. I have used the same for quilting, but I now typically prefer to use Aurifil 40wt thread & I switch to a size 80/12 needle -- either Microtex or Quilting -- for that. If I really want a particular design to show up a lot in my quilting, I use 28wt thread & will then use a size 90/14 Top Stitch needle (that's also usually the ideal thread/needle for making Jeans quilts). When I do microquilting designs or am piecing with silk or linen, I switch to a 100wt silk thread & then use a size 60/8 Microtex needle.
If you are not accustomed to doing FMQ, I would strongly recommend a Quilting needle to start with. Quilting needles are designed to take curves well. They have a rounded tip that will reduce the likelihood of fraying your fabric while doing FMQ.
PS -- If you prefer, you can use a 90/14 Top Stitch needle for everything. It will sew through anything you could possibly put on your machine. The only issue is that it makes the largest holes. If you aren't using a heavy weight thread, the holes will be larger than the thread. They do shrink up some in the wash, but there will always be a tiny gap between thread & holes so I wouldn't recommend doing that either for competition quilts or heirloom quilts.
Last edited by Bree123; 08-28-2016 at 07:05 AM.
#6
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 12,861
Your needle size is dependent on the thread being used. Visit Superior Threads website. They have great free information sheets that explain the different threads ( types & sizes/weights) and the correct needles for the threads/ projects. They are a great resource.
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