Sewing · Reference
Choosing thread and needles
The rule is simple: the thread should be a little weaker than the cloth, and the needle should make a hole only just big enough for the thread. Everything below follows from that.
Step by step
Step 1
Lightweight cotton and linen
70/10 needle, 50 wt cotton or all-purpose polyester thread, 2.5 mm stitch.
Step 2
Quilting cotton and medium linen
80/12 needle, 50 wt thread, 2.5 mm stitch. The workhorse combination.
Step 3
Denim, canvas and heavy linen
100/16 needle, heavy-duty or topstitch thread, 3–3.5 mm stitch. Slow the machine down and let it walk.
Step 4
Knits, always ballpoint
A ballpoint or stretch needle pushes between the loops instead of cutting them. A sharp needle in a knit makes a ladder that appears three washes later.
Step 5
Test on a doubled scrap first
Two layers of the actual cloth, ten inches of stitching, then pull it. Adjust tension there, never on the real piece.
Step 6
Change the needle more often than feels reasonable
Every eight hours of sewing, or at the start of every project. A dull needle causes skipped stitches, puckering and thread breaks that people blame on their machine.
The Mercantile Letter
Notes from the workroom
Seasonal shop openings, new patterns, and what's rising on the kitchen counter. Sent quietly, never often.