Here's the lowdown to help you
choose the right needle for your repair.
Ballpoint/Fine Tapestry (Sizes:24-28)
Ballpoints have a rounded/blunt point so that the needle does not damage fibres when passing through stretchy fabrics, which can snag easily.
*For stretch jeans use Sashiko or cotton darning needle.
Suitable for:
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darning, patching or embroidery
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mending light-medium weight stretchy, knitted fabrics e.g t-shirt, cashmere cardigan, leggings, sweatshirt, workout clothing, jersey dress (anything with Lycra/elastane stated on the clothes label).
Chenille (Sizes:16-22)
Chenille needles are ideal for mending thick fabrics and sewing in loose ends- they have an elongated eye for repairing with thicker thread and a sharp point.
Suitable for:
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darning, patching or embroidery
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mending medium-heavy weight fabrics e.g denim jeans
Crewel/Embroidery (Sizes:1-12)
Crewel (Embroidery) needles are the same as a sharps needle but have a bigger eye so you can mend with thicker thread. Another option for mending some types of stretch fabrics.
Suitable for:
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patching and embroidery
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mending light-heavy weight woven fabrics e.g a cotton dress, or light-medium weight stretch fabrics e.g. a t-shirt.
Short Cotton Darners (Sizes 1,3,5,7,9)
Cotton darning needles have an elongated eye for thicker thread and a semi blunt point to avoid snags when weaving through the fabric - perfect for mending smaller areas.
Suitable for:
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darning, patching or Speedweve darning
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mending light-heavy weight fabrics e.g. cotton dress, linen top, sweater/hoodie, corduroy trousers, denim/jeans or a blanket.
Long Cotton Darners (Sizes 1-9, 15 (4/0) & 17 (2/0)
The extra length of the long darners make it quicker and easier to sew a straight line of stitches over larger areas.
Suitable for:
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darning or patching larger areas or when sewing long lines of stitches.
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weaving on a mini Speedweve type loom.
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mending light-medium weight fabrics e.g cotton dress/skirt, viscose blouse, or linen trousers.
Sashiko
Sashiko is a simple but beautiful form of Japanese embroidery using the basic running stitch to create a patterned background. Originally, Sashiko was used as a form of darning to repair or add strength to worn areas of clothing or to create insulated double-layer coats. In the Western world it is now a very popular type of visible mending.
Sashiko needles have:
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a larger eye for sewing with thick cotton Sashiko thread
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a sharp point to make sewing thick fabrics or multiple layers of fabric a little easier.
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are thicker which makes them less likely to bend when loading lots of stitches on the needle before pulling the thread through
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and are longer which makes stitching faster and straighter.
Sharps (Sizes: 1-12)
Sharps is the name for general-purpose hand sewing needles - they are short with a small eye and sharp point.
Suitable for:
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patching small areas, sewing on a button, or fine sewing e.g. hemming or stitiching a seam.
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mending light-medium weight woven fabrics e.g cotton dress, linen trousers, brushed cotton shirt, polyester trousers, or silk blouse.
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hand sewing with Gutermann Sew All sewing machine thread or up to 2 strands of embroidery floss (dependent on needle size).
Wool /Yarn Darners (Sizes:14-18 or 2/0-5/0)
Similar to cotton darners but these needles are much thicker and have a larger eye so they are suitable for mending with yarn/wool.
Suitable for:
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darning or patching larger areas or when sewing longer lines of stitches.
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weaving on a mini Speedweve type loom.
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mending knitwear or heavy woven fabrics such as denim.
Here's the low-down on one of those mending essentials.
We want to do everything we can to help make mending a JOY and it all starts with choosing the right needle for your repair project.
