Confused by needle types? Let me explain which one you should be using for what!

There are lots of different needle types for different sewig occasions, having the right one will make all the difference so I explain what they are, how to identify them and when to use them!
Book about needlemaking from the video:
Needlemaking, John G Rollins
Shire Publications Ltd
Ashford Colour Press Ltd
ISBN 978-0-85263-563-6
John James needles PDF download mentioned in the video:
www.jjneedles.com/needles-guide
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Are you an embroidery beginner? Or thinking about how to get into the hobby? Go to the 'Beginning Embroidery' page on my website to learn more:
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[@russells3444]

Sarah, you are my professor for all things having to do with needle and thread! I am so thankful for the work you and your husband do. The topics of your videos are so timely; it seems the week a question pops into my mind, y’all put out a video to answer and teach about the very subject I was struggling with! You and your husband are each a blessing.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Can you let me know what I'm doing next week please?! :)x

[@nancyshirley689]

Sarah, I’m a fan of your videos, and wanted to thank you. Your tutorials are excellent. You asked about “quilting” or “betweens” needles, and I can tell you that the short length helps to make very small quilting stitches. I am a quilter and I frequently use the size 12 for my hand quilting. I sometimes add tatting or embroidering on my quilts.

[@studiosurmayi906]

I came across your videos when I was looking for different kind of needles … so thankful that I found your Profile … totally loving the content ❤

[@gailbarnard3343]

Ball point needles are also used to make needle lace (or detached buttonhole fillings). Most often tapestry needles are used for this kind of work, but with fine threads a ball point needle is less bulky.

[@CaptainMidnight171]

So far I'm absolutely loving your videos. You explain things very clearly. I'm learning a lot from you.

[@sandramyer7081]

Sarah, thank you for you telling about needles- and more specifically, why we use the understanding now for embroidery. So helpful and more reason why. i always wondered about needles before metals- bones and wood(?) - maybe shells- so interesting to discover these and how they dealt without the lights or candles- long skirts and hard to do with what threads in 1799 or 1800’s ! Much more difficult than i never knew! Thank you! no sewing machine and when they were invented- is why they did this but during this industrial revolution- makes you wonder about pins, brooches, and what they used!- Thank you for your help us!- we know now! Thank you! Sandi💕

[@VeretenoVids]

Oooohhh that John James guide is indeed brilliant! Thank you!

[@danawegner9572]

I just ordered the Needlemaking book as I am always interested in the history of things. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. As always, thank you for your clear instructions and for sharing your knowledge.

[@debshelton4489]

I love Bohin needles!

[@katyb2793]

Thank you Sarah, so much confusion has been cleared up in this video! I also did not know a doll needle existed, and that would have saved me so much grief .. I need to go get one!

[@susie8083]

Thank you, a really helpful guide. I’m off to sort my needles tomorrow into their different types. What a great idea the sharps jar is 👍🏻 And I think this must be one occasion I’m pleased my hands are so dry… I don’t wreck my needles 😉

[@denisemountain4887]

Always good to have a reminder about the different 'tools of the trade'. Thanks too Sarah for the really helpful link to the needle guide, which I am off to download and print now - I was just about to buy one from a well known embroidery magazine!

[@ein1985]

Thanks for this very informative video Sarah, and for the link to the JJ needle guide-a very handy and useful tool! Seeing the “ancient needle” reproductions was really interesting too.

[@marleenoceanbreeze6510]

Very helpful, thank you :)

[@nataliemulina8595]

Sarah, thanks a lot for this video. It’s always a good idea to remind about having some options to work with ❤

[@carolineshelford3942]

At last - clear information about needles. Thank you!

[@rebeccat5738]

Thanks for all that Sarah. I had no idea there were quite so many different types of needle but feel really well informed now, I have always been completely mystified about what ballpoint needles were for too, but no more!. As regards how long a needle should last, I am most grateful for some clarity about that, because when I was busily opening my latest order from John James needles, my husband looked on exasperated and said "you've not bought more needles have you?", it turned out he thought that once you bought 'a needle', that was it, you didn't need to buy any more ever again!, so now I can explain it to him properly - at the time though I just smiled sympathetically, and deliberately in a very out of character way said "Aw... bless"!, we burst out laughing and needless to say he has never lived it down!.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

He should be happy it's needles you keep buying and not diamonds! :)

[@patriciagregg6516]

Thank you for the wonderful information about needles

[@Cooky_5580]

Very helpful thank you!

[@MariaMartinez-jb3zn]

This helps..it’s not like I pay attention to where I put the needles, once I use them..🤷🏻‍♀️ I do like the bees wax I got from you. It really helps my threading the needle. Needle book, yes! 🙏🏽🙋🏻‍♀️👍🏽Mia

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

You sound like you are getting organised Mia!

[@franckbald3750]

Crystal clear! Thanks!

[@heden1460]

This was very helpful as well.

[@retrocraftdreams]

Thanks for this! Just what I needed! I guess I always saw tapestry needles as being just the bigger ones, I never thought to include cross stitch needles in that category. And when I bought a curved needle, the store I went to only had packs with other odd needles, and I mixed up the identification. One has a triangular tip, and I wonder if that's the leather one. But now I know what to google for.

[@nataljakotova9947]

Thanks, very informative and interesting.

[@sharons7068]

That was really informative!

[@mandysmith1646]

Excellent video, brilliant info & helpful. I did sort my needles from your last video which I enjoyed to.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

They look nice all lined up ready to go don't they Mandy!

[@PASTORSHARON]

I use betweens because I am first and foremost a quilter, tho embroidery is next. I also enjoy making clothing. I use 10 and 12 betweens and I like the way they allow me to make tinier stitches. A 12 often curves if I am hand Quilting so I am forced to use a ten. When I switch to embroidery I struggle for a few minutes to adjust to the longer needles. Since 'discovering' you I have to tell you my embroidery gene has reactivated and I now find myself embroidering more than Quilting. I hope to travel to visit your shop when I finally retire from the ministry. Lol. I'm only 73 now so it's going to be awhile yet... Sharon from the land of Oz. Kansas USA

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Thaks for the info about the betweens Sharon! We don't have a bricks and mortar shop so don't rush to book your flight!

[@karenkaren9526]

Very informative

[@BassingirlCrafts]

Thank you so much!

[@denisehill7769]

If you're ever in the Redditch area, Forge Mill Needle Museum is a fascinating place to visit (honest!) :)

[@elizabethdunkley626]

There is also an interesting video on KZbin about the Forge Mill works. Worth a view.

[@denisehill7769]

@@elizabethdunkley626 Didn't know that, so thank you, I'll have a look!

[@lindabridges445]

Thank you!

[@solarwinds-]

Hi Sarah! Lovely to see you. Do you have a cross stitch start and end method, without turning your work over, for one over one on 25 CT? Pls share.

[@flamegremlin5918]

Brilliant

[@erinmccarthy9403]

I am teaching my 16 year old embroidery and she has mixed up all of my needles much to my dismay and I thought I was pretty well versed with needle types but I am stuck with a few, I think my Sashiko needles look exactly like these straw /milliners needles I got in a Brazilian embroidery kit(which was a disaster-does anyone else hate working with rayon threads??) So Now I'm utterly confused, John James chart helped a little bit but I'm down to these last two that I cannot sort, lol

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Put them on a spare page called 'misc' Erin! If they look like another needle it's possible they are actually the same and do more than one job

[@lindahoffman5794]

Hi Sarah, thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Are the milliners needles the same as straws? What are the best needles to use for embroiderying with metal floss?

[@sandyvaughn59]

❤

[@RoosjeEnTruffel]

I'm new to embroidery,but I've done a lot of crochet and amigurumi. When the needles I used for stitching pieces together got a bit blunt of I could feel the tip getting less smooth, I would use a piece of sandpaper and sharpen it. I recently got my grandma a needle sharpener, as it is a gift I have not used it myself. But what are your thoughts on needle sharpeners?

[@susanjeffries2615]

Just shows you are both human after all, when do such magical things

[@lindabridge7248]

Why did my husband laugh when I said I was off to sort out my needles ?

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

I don't know Linda, ask him to explain himself! :)

[@jillzerkle9368]

In the first stock photo with the button being sewn on, wasn’t that an embroidery needle, rather than a sharp?

[@Early100]

First class 👍 thank you x QUESTION - wondering are there any packs of needles that you’re aware of that contain each of the needles you mentioned rather than buying them all separately? I have seen the packs with multiple needles in them and I do have some of those but I’m not sure if any of them are any good x

[@Early100]

It’s ok, I followed the link to John James website and see they have the type of thing I meant, never heard of this company before, I’ll probably order a pack of the crafters needles and I’ll have a look at the “pebble” packs as well 🙂

[@dawsie]

@@Early100 John James is one of the best on the market, I use them and Tulip (Japanese) both of these last longer than most needles. Rule of thumb if the needles are dirt cheep don’t buy, it’s the old adage “you get what you pay for” I made this mistake a long time ago and they did not last five minutes. Some had sharp edges to the eye and so they cut the thread or damaged the thread, one of the cheap brands I bought where nickel plated and it started to flake off but also cause issues with my fingers (allergic to nickel that was a very hard lesson learned) I have real gold sewing needles, a couple of them are sharps the rest are cross-stitch/tapestry they were worth the money to buy I bought them at a quilt show many years ago

[@Early100]

@@dawsie most helpful - thanks x

[@tim1724]

Bohin also makes some packs with various assorted needles. They're.a very old French company (still making their products in France) and I generally prefer their needles over the equivalent John James products. (But I do buy John James needles in sizes that Bohin doesn't make, such as #12 crewel)

[@Early100]

@@tim1724 lovely, thanks x

[@tasanijanus7092]

Aw.... That leaves me about 7 needles. :)

[@mrsfreddo]

A good reminder to not hoard ALL needles, even when they're blunt/bent/blackened.... I'm off to do a cull🤭

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Thank them for their service and put them out to pasture Jane!

[@lisahodges8299]

No. I would just like to buy decent ones Bitdy