What are the best needles for cross stitch?

[@valerieboechler1099]

Brilliant review!! The work and time you put into these videos is strongly appreciated. I've picked up a kit, given to me by my mom nearly 20 years ago, when the tips and tricks were only available in print form. I'm sure that you tube presenters, such as yourself have created a resurgence in the craft. Well done👏

[@catkinandlillie]

Thanks so much for your lovely comment and recognising the work that I put it; I love doing it and I absolutely love inspiring other cross stitchers 😊 It is truly fabulous to be able to access so much help on the internet now...I well remember only having print info and the support of my Mum!

[@MsRealYankee]

Thank you for the great review. I learned a lot. Happy stitching 😊

[@catkinandlillie]

You're welcome 😊 Glad it was helpful to you 😄

[@natalieb1295]

I used to use JJ exclusively but the first time I tried Piecemakers I knew I found the best needle for me!! Love them!!!

[@catkinandlillie]

Hurrah! It's so great when you find the needle brand that is the best for you...and of course, I am with you on the Piecemakers!

[@helenaMe325]

I have watched this again after a few weeks of my beginner stitching. I have bought Piecemakers and Bohin based on this review! The two kits I've bought, one completed, have JJ needles. I have found that by the end the thread was being stripped and broken quite a few times. I felt that the eye was rough, a burr perhaps and often split the fabric (14 ct black aida). I finally remembered my nice new packets and tried a Piecemaker. It was like magic. Like stitching with silk! Then, I started on my next kit and decided to try the Bohin and that is even better!! I take your point that it is also personal preference but this review really helped me choose 😊😊 I am sure you said in your latest Flosstube that you had bought GOLDPLATED needles but I see here you said that you didn't think they were worth it... So what has happened to change your mind in the last three months? Hmmm??!! (Just joking but curious!) 😁😁

[@catkinandlillie]

Ha ha...you caught me with the gold needles! You are quite right that I have never found them to be anything special but I though perhaps I hadn't given them a fair go and I do love to test test test! So I wanted to get multiple brands of gold needle and really put them through their paces to see if my original opinion (that they aren't worth it) still held or if any of them could change my mind. I'll be reporting back at some point!

[@yvonnevigil7489]

I love my Pat's Favorite and have many of them but are trying Colonial petite and enjoy them too.

[@catkinandlillie]

Oh I wish we could still get Pat's Favorite Needle...I think I have 1 or 2 left for a special occasion 😂 Good that you've found an alternative you like though 😄

[@tinabush3660]

Great review. It was quite funny that my two favourites DMC and Bohin were your 1st and last 😄. I am going to give the Piecemaker and Milwards a try now after watching this, thank you.

[@catkinandlillie]

It just goes to show how different we all are! I'll be interested to hear how you get on with the Piecemakers and Milwards 😄

[@solarwinds-]

Brilliant review! Piecemakers !

[@catkinandlillie]

Thank you 😄

[@agnesorourke]

Hi from Ireland. I loved this video. I'm relatively new to cross stitch and it was great to find that opinions formed in my limited experience, were vindicated by your observations. I bought loads of brands and I often select my inexpensive Milward needles, yet feeling I can't be right in thinking they are very nice to stitch with! I also choose Bohin needles regularly too. I have never come across Piecemakers and can't wait to try them. Thanks so much for all your videos 💚

[@catkinandlillie]

Thank you 😊 I'm glad this video was helpful for you and yup, Milwards for the win! I hope you'll enjoy Piecemakers too 🪡😄

[@margie6534]

Excellent video! Thank you!

[@catkinandlillie]

You're so very welcome 😊

[@dk5755]

Thank you for testing these needles! I’ve been wondering about this lately and have been confused.

[@catkinandlillie]

Great, so happy this was helpful for you 😄

[@janetrothwell4448]

When I got back into cross stitching last year, I ordered a kit and it came with a DMC needle and have used the same brand since. I have not had any problems with shredding but I do have a package of Bohin needles which I’m going to change to on my next project start, unless it’s OK to switch needles partway through a project.

[@catkinandlillie]

I don't think there'd be any problem changing needle part way through a project. It will be interesting to know how you find the Bohin compared with the DMC.

[@JeanetteManuelito]

@@catkinandlillie 26:37

[@dawnbarney2659]

I use DMC Ball tip #26 shorts. Have never had a problem with them. I stitch in hand most of the time. I don't prick my fingers with the ball tipped ones and finding the holes is a lot easier. Really enjoyed your program on the different ones.

[@catkinandlillie]

Ah yes...I forgot that very obvious plus point to ball tip needles which is that you can't stab yourself! I just think it's fab when you can find a needle that really works well for you...and it sounds like you have 😄

[@judywarburton3085]

Thanks for the great video. It turns out that I have found the same problems with the DMC needles, and just love the Bohin needles that I tried next, and bought them in bulk. They are also noticeably more sturdy than the DMC’s, and I can’t confuse them. Your video confirms my choice! I may give Piecemakers a try, too, though I hadn’t heard of them. Cheers, Judy

[@catkinandlillie]

That's great that my video was helpful to you, and really interesting that you found similar things with DMC and Bohin. I've heard a lot of love from other stitchers for Piecemakers so I hope you'll enjoy those too 😄

[@mazestitching5182]

I use John James 26 and 28 for the most part but have ordered me a set of tulip and piecemaker needles now. I don´t know what is wrong with the JJ needles but its the only brand that I have so much problems with getting black and dull needles after a very short time of stitching. Although they stitch very nice. I like the petite ones more then the regular. Personally I think that needles from Japan have a much higher quality. And I rather pay more for my needles then having a lot more problems while stitching. DMC I never tried because when I got into stitching years back they already had so much negative reviews that I didn´t even bother looking into them further. I also recently bought a stitching kit from china and it came with 3 noname brand needles which I surprisingly liked very much. So if someone has problems finding the perfect needle it might be worth looking into asian needles in general and also noname brands. Because a named brand doesn´t necc. always mean that you will get high quality good needles. Thank you for another great tutorial @Catkin and Lillie. The time and effort you have put into this video leaves me speechless. I can not thank you enough. Needles - Hot topic indeed.

[@catkinandlillie]

Goodness, that's odd with only the John James needles tarnishing so badly...maybe the nickel coating on them is thinner than other needles so wears off more easily and exposes the steel core which is what will then tarnish. Very interesting regarding the Japanese and Chinese needles and maybe I'll get to try them one day! I very much agree that a high price and quality do not always go hand in hand. Thanks so much for your kind words about my video 😊 I do love researching and testing 😂

[@TinaW1294]

Thank you for this information! It confirmed what I found about DMC needles. My thread kept tearing but I originally thought it was the needle threader I was using. Then I narrowed it down to the needles so I no longer use DMC. My go to needles are now Bohin - but I also have Piecemakers, Mary Arden and John James (regular needles) but I don't use them as much. Just my preference. Thanks again for taking the time to make this video! Great information!!!

[@catkinandlillie]

Yup, it really seems a lot of stitchers are not loving the DMC needles and so sorry you had to suffer the thread shred but great that you figured out what it was! I'm seeing lots of love for the Bohin. So glad you enjoyed the video 😄

[@astar3849]

That's really interesting you found the easy glide with the ball the worst, I used this for my first linen project with a higher count than I've ever used and I found them a dream, I doubt I'll stitch with anything else now, found it so smooth to use and to count, and the eye caused me no problem to thread.

[@catkinandlillie]

Yeah, I know how much some stitchers like yourself love a ball tip needle which is why I included it but I just couldn't love it...for the reasons in the video. I'm glad you've found it helpful 😄

[@astar3849]

@@catkinandlillie I would like to see the cross stitch guilds gold needles reviewed, the claim is the gold doesn't come off, but then why are they sold in packs of ten?

[@catkinandlillie]

@@astar3849 Well, I guess that's a fair point! I am not sure they claim that the gold won't come off ever but more that it won't come off anywhere near as quickly because they put a much thicker coating on. They are pretty pricey bit yes, I'll definitely get some to test at some point!

[@jay_chang]

I kind of did it as self challenge initially but ended up making my own sewing needles. Handmade needles. By far the smoothest needles are brass, with stainless steel needles kind of a close runner up. Both are hypoallergenic needles since most I am kind of allergic to nickel and the perspiration from hand tend to corrode the plating very fast. The trouble is most good brands like John James, Regal, Tulip only have nickel plated steel needles. So I actually tailor made my needles to my favorite size needles. Brass tapestry needles can be expensive to buy and medieval sewing needles handmade from brass tend to have a round hole for needle eye. Handmade needles are more expensive than Tulip which is on the expensive side for premium sewing needles. I am personally inclined towards longer needles that's milliners and long darner needles, so my custom made tapestry needles is closer to upholstery needles in the 75mm range just with a rounded point instead of going fully sharp. The needles eyes is processed with a needle eye saw and flossed with metal polish if necessary, but most of the time I floss the needle eyes when testing the needles I made. So the performance of the needles is just refined until they feel right in the hand. This is a video of me making a brass long darner needle, the process is same for stainless steel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJXRpK2ggbmsabcsi=8pTs4XchxLGvYcc1 This is a selection of stainless steel needles which I illustrate the use of needle eye saw to make elongated needle eyes. The smallest is 0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.9mm and thickest being 1.2mm thick with a set of commercially available needles I using as comparison benchmark (some have gold plated eyes) just to see the sizes of those needles I made. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKucl5eqaLibY5Isi=uxzMUSeTtGwyK7ZZ

[@catkinandlillie]

Wow, that is some serious dedication to needles!! I am so impressed that you made your own and the videos are fascinating 😄

[@solarwinds-]

Wow

[@rosaliepingree4198]

Thank you for this tutorial! I use the Peacemakers and the Bohin needle. I'm going to try the Milward! Pittsburgh, PA USA

[@catkinandlillie]

You're welcome 😊 It never hurts to have a few brands you love to use so I hope you like the Milwards too 😄

[@sharonfennell2932]

Very interesting video. I love ball point for my full coverage pieces, but can’t use them on other stitching. However my favourite needle for all other stitching is a piece maker.

[@catkinandlillie]

Thank you 😊 That's interesting that you use different needles depending on the project...makes sense though if different needles suit each better 😄 There's been a lot of love for Piecemakers in the comments!

[@The.monogamous_cross.stitcher]

Great video Kat, I’m in the middle of testing needles not so much for likeness but to see how long the needles last I have super acidic fingers so needles tarnish very quickly I’m still in the process of testing so far when I get results I’ll post a video to my channel, my faves so far are the pony with the coloured eye, ball tipped and the piecemakers

[@catkinandlillie]

Looking forward to hearing your findings! I had another comment on here from someone with the same issue and they said Piecemakers were their faves.

[@xxELK]

Would love to see all video on this. I have some currently which I think are DMC and they are tarnishing quickly for me. The sensory feeling of a tarnished needle and the smell gives me goosebumps and completely ruins my stitching experience so currently on the hunt for some that do not tarnish so eaily for me.

[@The.monogamous_cross.stitcher]

@@xxELK I’ll certainly do a video on it soon so far the pony needles with the coloured eyes last me 3 weeks that’s stitching 5+ hours daily

[@elizabethkrafnick5466]

This was fabulous! Thank you so much for your thorough research. When I first got into cross stitch I thought there were only DMC. They would bend after one small project and I was constantly replacing them. I found out about Bohin and right now my favorite is. 26 Bohin. But based on what you said and some girls at my last retreat, think I’ll give Piecemakers a try. And ball tip needles are from the devil. LOL

[@catkinandlillie]

Wow, that's really not good with the DMC needles 😱 And I'm glad it's not just me that can't get on with ball tip needles; loved your comment on those 😂 I hope you'll enjoy Piecemakers but if not, you still have Bohin to fall back on. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video; it was fun researching and testing it all 😄

[@lindafeinauer5634]

I love piecemaker for hand quilting. If I can find them for cross stitch I will try them.

[@catkinandlillie]

I hope you find them good 🤞😄 A lot of other cross stitchers have said they are also their faves.

[@elizabethmurray4821]

Thank you so much for this Kat. I am with you with Pat''s favourite needles, still have some. I cannot get too many brands so have to chose from Bohin and John James. I too don't like the ball point needles but other stitchers I know love them. I find it a nuisance to change needles to end off running through but I am a tight stitch.

[@catkinandlillie]

I think I have one Pat's Favourite Needle left! Sounds like you have at least a few good choices there with Bohin and John James. Those ball tip needles are absolute Marmite...you either love them or hate them 😂

[@h82read]

Real cool episode. Thanks!

[@catkinandlillie]

You're welcome 😊

[@helenaMe325]

As a beginner, once again, your videos are so informative 😀😀👍👍

[@catkinandlillie]

Thank you...always good to know my videos are useful 😄 I have so much fun researching and sharing my findings!

[@daisyrea7219]

Very interesting video. I use John James tapestry needles and have been using them for years. Will try the milward ones and see what I think. Other tapestry needles you can get are Tulip size 25. Clover and Prym. I have used the gold ones lol they do nothing for me. You can polish needles with a jewellery cloth makes them shine and slick.

[@catkinandlillie]

Good to know I'm not the only one that finds gold needles a bit 'meh' 😂 I'll be on the look out for those other brands you mentioned...ready for part 2?!

[@lizzerlou2042]

Thanks for this info! 😊

[@catkinandlillie]

You're welcome 😊

[@conniecaldwell1330]

Thank you!

[@catkinandlillie]

You're welcome 😊

[@lauramiller1495]

I found this video very interesting as I have never considered differences between brands. I think all my needles are either John James or DMC (from kits or subscription boxes). Will look for other brands now. I have one of the needles with the eye in the middle but I have not tried it yet (fearing stabbing myself more than usual 😂)

[@catkinandlillie]

I'm glad this was interesting to you and yeah, it's definitely worth trying some different brands and noting how you feel about them.

[@Roxywilde82]

I guessed piecemkaers and bohin would be the top 2! I'm curious about the Tulip brand neddles. They are from Japan and quite pricy but the few stitchers who use them, swear by them. Perhaps a review from you?

[@catkinandlillie]

Yay! Good guessing 😄 I did wonder about the Tulip needles but they are hard to get hold of and very expensive. I still might just do it at some point as I'm very curious about them too!

[@marionanthony1530]

I have been using Bohin Crewl-Embroidery #9 needles.And found them OK.. I have noticed they fray the floss and sometimes the hole is hard to locate. Slowing me down.Thank You for this information. I am going to shop tomorrow so I can try tapestry. One question. do you use #26 for all thread counts? I imagine. not.

[@mazestitching5182]

26 size is a good allrounder. You can use them on the most common fabric counts no matter if aida or linen/evenweave. But as always it all boils down to preference. So in case you don´t know which needle size you prefer for which fabric or count I recommend buying each a pack of 24, 26 and 28 needles and then trying them out on your fabrics.

[@catkinandlillie]

I definitely think you'll find a tapestry needle easier to use for cross stitch than a crewel needle. I use size 26 for most of my projects as I mostly use 16 or 32 count, but they are great for 14 or 28 count also. I'll go to a size 28 for 18 or 36 count and I also like a size 28 for backstitching. I made another video all about sizing though which will give you loads more detail and info on this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJaofZ5ugLuimtEsi=agkvTjs0ctsQP7vw I hope that helps 😊

[@marionanthony1530]

@@mazestitching5182 Thank you. I have finally purchased Bohin In the three sizes you mentioned.Now I have to try them out.

[@LilyRoseKnits]

Stupid question from a new cross stitcher - do you have to replace needles often? I'm primarily a knitter and knitting needles last basically forever. I assumed cross stitch needles would last a long time too (except for losing them!)

[@catkinandlillie]

This is an extremely good question and in fact I'm working on a video to answer this because it's not a simple answer! They do need replacing but figuring out how often is a tricky one. Watch this space 👀😄

[@Mamgus_attic]

I’m sorry to say John James have discontinued the petite needles now. I heard direct from John James 😢 I love them.

[@catkinandlillie]

Oh no...that's very sad since not many manufacturers make them 😞

[@maricelfogarty4013]

Bohin, John James and Piecemaker

[@sunnykat2762]

I didn’t see any benefit from gold plated when hand piecing for quilting so I did not bother trying it for cross stitch because of this. I use Bohin 28 will go through most of my petite beads. The holes are not all consistent in MH beads so a few out of every pack will not let it go through.

[@catkinandlillie]

Well as you can see...Bohin were one of my faves and I have 28s on hand for beading and also 18 count fabric...not that I tend to pick that very often! Interesting that the gold needles didn't seem any better for quilting either.

[@sunnykat2762]

@@catkinandlillie I agree!

[@tinyspaceliving]

The worst one for you is the only branded tapestry needle available locally 😢

[@catkinandlillie]

Oh no, that's not good 😞 Would you be able to order online?

[@musketeersplus2]

I feel a little vindicated because some people have given me a hard time about my preference for Piecemakers. I buy them in bulk because my body chemistry eats needles and I kill them so fast. (And no, gold ones are no better, I just kill more expensive needles just as fast! LOL)

[@catkinandlillie]

That's a bit rubbish...both the needle tarnishing and then getting a hard time for your needle preference 😞 We all like what we like and in fact, I've heard a lot of other cross stitchers finding Piecemakers really good to use too 😄