The ONLY 2 Sewing Needles You'll Ever Need

Starting out learning how to tailor your own clothes can already feel really overwhelming in beginning. And that’s when you just consider the process of doing it. Add on the fact that you're bombarded with a TON of tools and materials that seem like they’re a MUST HAVE and most people just say “screw this”.

Well here’s the thing most of those tools aren’t “must haves” at all. One example is sewing machine needles.

Go check out a Michael’s or Jo Ann Fabrics you’ll see exactly what I mean.

I’ll tell you what you do need.

So many options…this sucks.

There’s WAY TO MANY Different Sewing Machine Needles

Here’s the deal: yes, there’s a ton of different sewing machine needles available. There’s jersey needles, ballpoint needles, overlock needles, etc. Like we’ve said in the past, sewing machines can do a TON of different things. But when you just want to make your crappy store bought clothes fit you better you really only need two. Those other needles have their place, but they also have their time as well. And in the beginning they aren’t needed yet.

Universal Needle

The universal needle is your basic go-to needle for literally almost everything. It's like the Swiss Army knife of sewing needles (as corny and generic as that comparison is, it’s true). It’s robust, versatile, and can handle a lot of materials. In fact it can most likely handle 99.9% of the garments that you have in your closet right now. They also say that 66% of all statistics are made up on the spot, so there’s that as well…

It can even technically handle denim in most cases, but its not gonna do the best job at it. When it sounds like your sewing machine is struggling to sew whatever stitch you’re making, that’s usually why. Just because it can doesn’t mean it should, ya know?

Adjusting all your baggy t-shirts, dress shirts, or even dress pants and chinos? The universal needle will be able to get the job done for you with banging results.

Denim Needle

When you start altering your thicker heavier materials like jeans, denim, leather, or canvas, the denim needle is gonna be what you wanna look for. It's specifically designed to pierce through tougher fabrics without breaking, ensuring that your alterations on heavier items are just as smooth and hassle-free as anything else is. It’s also designed to give you a cleaner more professional-looking stitch on thicker materials.

Then eventually get these.

A denim needle will go through these jeans like buttah baby!

It’s a Numbers Game

So there’s a million different sewing machine needles out there, that makes this hard enough. Now throw in some confusing numbers on the packages of said needles. Great!

Well those are actually pretty easy to understand as well. Needles are labeled with two numbers: one is the European size, and the other is the American size. The European size ranges from 60 (for lighter materials) to 120 (for heavier materials). And then the American size ranges from 8 to 19.

The European number comes first, Americans are in second place.

European sewing machine needle sizes.

American sewing machine needle sizes.

What they do is just combine the two numbers with the European number coming first. So for example, a needle marked as 60/8 is great for delicate materials like silk and linen, whereas a 120/19 is what you'd use for those thicker materials like denim or leather. A universal needle really kinda just sits right in the middle at around 80/12, making it great for a lot of different tailoring projects thick or thin.

Boom, here ya go!

Where Should You Cop You Some?

You don’t need to break the bank or visit specialty stores for your needles, and that goes especially in the beginning. Places like Walmart have a sewing section that I get the majority of my supplies from. They have needles for about $3 a package. Sure, stores like Jo-Ann Fabrics are an option too, but I have a love hate relationship with that place…mostly hate. Long story, don’t ask.

Walmart is actually pretty solid for DIY tailoring supplies.

Pro Tip: Needle Maintenance

Sewing needle maintenance is super important and people oftentimes overlook it, especially beginners. Regularly changing your needle is crucial for getting good looking results that you’ll be proud to wear. If you go on what I call a tailoring binge, where you alter several garments in a single session, make sure to change your needle afterwards. So let’s say you tailor 4 or 5 t-shirts or 3 pairs of denim jeans? Yup, it’s definitely time to change that needle. Needles aren’t designed to last forever, and a fresh needle will make a huge difference in how your tailored clothes end up looking on you.

Ask me how I know.

Remember, you don’t need every single type of needle out there—you just need a few. KISS, keep it simple stupid. Maintain your equipment, and most importantly, have fun with it. Tailoring isn’t just about saving money on clothes; it’s about creating some BOMB looking clothes that look incredible on you.