Longarm Quilting Needles: Which One to Choose?
When it comes to free-motion quilting, having high-quality needles is essential for achieving smooth, even stitches. One of the best needle options available for quilters is Handi Quilter's line of quilting needles. These needles are specially designed to work with both domestic and long-arm quilting machines, offering durability and precision to elevate your quilting projects. We'll break down how to choose which needle you'll need when it comes to quilting your projects!
Handi Quilter offers a range of needle sizes and types to suit different fabric weights and thread types. Here’s a quick guide to some of the most popular options and the "needle package anatomy":
Needle Threads
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12 (80) |
Silk (100 wt.) 60 wt., monofilament, Mylar™™,cotton, polyester |
|
14 (90) |
Silk (100 wt.) 60 wt., monofilament, Mylar™,cotton, polyester |
|
16 (100) |
60/50/40 wt., monofilament, Mylar™, metallic, cotton, polyester |
|
18 (110) |
50/40/30 wt., metallic, cotton, polyester |
|
20 (120) |
30/20/12 wt., cotton, polyester |
NEEDLE POINT STYLES
- The R (sharp/standard) Point Style Needle: For general quilting using typical quilt fabrics and an array of thread types.
- The MR (multi directional/high speed) Point Style Needle: Engineered to handle the demands that longarm machines put on the needle – high speed, thick layers of fabric, and multi-directional use. The deep scarf and flexibility of these needles prevent skipped stitches, less puckering, and less thread breakage. We recommend using this system of needles when using the Infinity machine, micro quilting, or when experiencing thread shredding.
- The FG (ball point) Point Style Needle: This has a rounded tip designed to easily penetrate fabric with less damage than a sharper point. This can be preferable when quilting through tightly woven fabrics, batiks, knits, and t-shirts.
How often should you change your needle? Every quilt deserves a new needle! Needles are relatively inexpensive and a new needle goes a long way in ensuring the best quilting results.
Click here to browse all of Handi Quilter's Longarm Quilting Needles!
Want to learn more tips and tricks all about longarming? Join a community of like-minded quilters in our private Facebook group found here!
Find even more long arming content and videos in our Longarm and Loving It Education Central online portal found here! (Psssst! The entry level of these online courses is FREE!)