Most sewing machine needles are labeled in both the american system from 8 to 19 and the european system from 60 to 120 written on the package as 16 100 or 18 110.
What size sewing machine needle for vinyl.
Think of your stitching as if there were no thread in the holes created by the sewing machine needle those holes become a tear strip which will weaken the vinyl and make it prone to tearing.
Change sewing needle after every project.
Sewing machine needle sizes for different fabric types.
Additionally we feature all these tips and more in our video tips for sewing vinyl fabric.
This post will focus on the different types of sewing machine needles.
In this article we discuss everything from the foot to the needle to the stitch length.
Hand sewing needle vs sewing machine needle.
Stitch length for sewing vinyl.
What needle should i use for vinyl.
Many times the thread you will be using for your sewing project will also determine the type of needle you choose.
A good rule of thumb to keep in mind.
This is the american number system.
For the most common needles european metric needle sizes number needles from 60 to 120.
This is the sewing machine needle size and most sewing machine needles indicate the needle size in both european and american sizing.
For context a 12 80 needle is small and a 22 140 is a very large needle.
Thicker fabrics such as coat woolens drapery fabric and fake fur usually require a size 16 100 or 18 110 needle size.
You can use ordinary sewing needle for thin plastic and vinyl sewing.
Your stitch length when sewing vinyl fabric should be longer than you would use on regular fabric.
The trick to sewing vinyl is using the proper tools and adjusting your machine to the proper settings.
A sewing machine needle is solid at the top of the needle and the eye of the needle is located at its point.
Use tissue paper under and on top of the vinyl fabric to make sewing vinyl even easier.
Denim and canvas need a 16 100 needle.
Donot use leather sewing needles as it will tear into the material.
If you re not familiar with sewing needle types and sizes you might find this tutorial helpful.
A dull needle is not good news with this material.
Use a bigger needle typically a 90 14 leather needle or a 100 16 universal.
A needle used for sewing by hand in contrast will have the eye at the very top of the needle.
The most common sizes used among the universal needles are 12 and 14.
But for thicker vinyl use denim sewing needles.
European needles are measured 60 110 and american 8 18 so you will often see needles listed is sizes 70 10 80 12 90 14 etc it is one size just listed in two different measures.
The size of the needle you want should correlate with the fabric you are sewing.
For example when using a fine delicate thread be sure to use a smaller needle size.