Machine for my Mum

[Iminei]

Some people change their needles after every project ...
Some people change their needles according to the material they are sewing ...
Some people only change their needle when it breaks or is bent ...

You will know when its needed

[Greybird]

I usually change mine per project. Although the needle may look OK, it can get very blunt. Some fabrics will cause this more than others. If I don't change mine when I should, I find that the machine will make a dull clonking sound as it tries to punch the needle through the fabric - can't be good for the machine. Cheap needles are false economy - use Schmetz - I get mine on Ebay.

[Ouryve]

A good rule of thumb is after 8 hours sewing. I'll probably get 2 or 3 simple t-shirts out of a needle but just one pair of joggers or shirt, particularly if the fabric is dense.


My overlocker is less fussy than my regular machines.

[So Chic]

Anthony, have a look of my post dated 25 January in Haberdashery which will tell you not what to do.  I second Greybird’s comment as I always use Schmitz which I usually buy from The Ironing Press Company and I think they sell through eBay or Amazon.

[HenriettaMaria]

If you force fabric through the machine while the needle is still going up and down the needle can be pushed out of the vertical and can hit the throat plate.  Result, burrs on the plate and a bent or broken needle.  Don't do it, is my advice!  A hump-jumper is your friend if you're planning those sorts of shenanigans.

Other than that, I switch needles at the end of a big project.  I am not too fussy about needle makes - Schmetz, Organ and the manufacturer-branded ones work for me.  Wouldn't use no-brand needles from Amazon, though, for all the well-known caveat emptor reasons. 

When I take a needle out of the pack to do a small job (eg, taking up a hem on jeans, say), I return it to the pack with the shank turned around so the flat side is outwards.  That way, I know it's been used a bit and if I have another small job to do at a later date, I can use the same one.  I keep empty needle packs (you could use match boxes if you use matches, of course) for old needles so they can be disposed of safely when the pack is full.

[Flobear]

I use tic-tac boxes to dispose of slim sharp objects then tape up the opening before throwing away. You can fit a lot of needles and pins in one box.

[Ouryve]

When I take a needle out of the pack to do a small job (eg, taking up a hem on jeans, say), I return it to the pack with the shank turned around so the flat side is outwards.  That way, I know it's been used a bit and if I have another small job to do at a later date, I can use the same one.  I keep empty needle packs (you could use match boxes if you use matches, of course) for old needles so they can be disposed of safely when the pack is full.

I do this, too. I'd do the tictac box thing but no one here eats them and have you seen the price of tictacs these days? 

[Tamnymore]

Yes I change the needle after every good sized project. I also change to the appropriate needle for tweed, lightweight fabrics etc. I've just finished a tweed coat so I'll be binning that needle. Great idea about turning the needle round and using tictac boxes @Ouryve and @Flobear .

When I was a student oh about a hundred years ago there was a Singer treadle in my student house so I used it and used it for the two plus years I was there and just used the one needle that was in the machine the whole time. Wouldn't do that now though...... 

[Bodgeitandscarper]

I have a "selection box" of different types of needles, so take out and use the appropriate one for the fabric each time, then put it back in.  I, as most people might guess, only replace them when they break - works fine for me!   

[Cazlyn]

I’m glad your Mum likes her machine.  I am one of the naughty people who only change my needle when I have to (it broke twice last week!). Having said that I am sewing with denim soon so have bought denim needles for that.

[Helen M]

When I take a needle out of the pack to do a small job (eg, taking up a hem on jeans, say), I return it to the pack with the shank turned around so the flat side is outwards.  That way, I know it's been used a bit and if I have another small job to do at a later date, I can use the same one.  I keep empty needle packs (you could use match boxes if you use matches, of course) for old needles so they can be disposed of safely when the pack is full.

Another one who does this. You can usually tell when to change needles as the stitching isn't as good and as said elsewhere you can tell by the noise.

If your Mum ever gets round to making curtains, you need to change the needles used to attach the gathering tape after each pair. The tape really blunts them and you need to use a size 16 as tape is dense.

[Ploshkin]

I use different needles for different fabrics but put them back to re-use them with a mark on the box.  I only put in a new one if starting on a major project.  I don't recall ever throwing one away unless it is damaged.  I did 8 pairs of curtains on the trot without a needle problem.  I've had my overlocker for about 8 years, it gets a lot of use and it still has its original needles.

[Ouryve]

The ramie trousers I made did a number on the needles and the blades in my overlocker. Those were tough fibres!

[Gernella]

I have a "selection box" of different types of needles, so take out and use the appropriate one for the fabric each time, then put it back in.  I, as most people might guess, only replace them when they break - works fine for me!   

Works for me as well @Bodgeitandscarper although I do have a proper Sharps box for the damaged needles.

[Ohsewsimple]

Blunt needles can snag your fabric.  I always change a needle if I’m doing something very special or using expensive fabric.  I ruined  a piece of silk once on a blunt needle.  Luckily I could recut.  Lesson learnt.