Sewing machine needle
A sewing machine needle consists of:[1]
- shank - clamped by the sewing machine's needle holder
- shoulder - where the thick shank tapers down to the shaft
- shaft - a length suitable for driving the eye and thread through the material and down to the bobbin
- groove - cut in the back of the shaft to release the thread into a loop that aids the hook or shuttle to pick up the thread
- scarf - provides extra room for the hook or shuttle to pass close by
- eye - carries the thread
- point - penetrates the material by parting the threads or cutting a hole
Point types
Sewing machine needles each have one of three different point types:
- regular point, the finest point, for parting the threads of woven fabrics
- ball point, for knit fabrics; its round point minimizes cut threads by allowing them to move out of the way
- chisel point, for leather, capable of punching its own holes as it goes
Singer color codes
Singer colors its needles with a system of color codes which indicate the needle's type:
| Shank color |
Point type |
| red |
regular, for woven |
| yellow |
ball, for knits |
| blue |
heavy-duty, for denim |
| brown |
chisel, for leather |
| Shoulder color |
Shaft size |
| green |
9 (thinnest) |
| orange |
11 |
| blue |
14 |
| purple |
16 (thickest) |
Kenmore color codes
Kenmore colors its needles with a different system of color codes which indicate the needle's size:
| Shank color |
Shaft size |
Shaft size (europe) |
| blue |
11 |
75 |
| orange |
12 |
80 |
| red |
14 |
90 |
| purple |
16 |
100 |
| green |
18 |
110 |
Schmetz Color Codes
The colored band on some types of Schmetz needles indicates the needle type. [2]
| Shank color |
Type |
| yellow |
Stretch |
| blue |
Jeans |
| green |
Quilting |
| red |
Embroidery |
| purple |
Microtex (sharp) |
References