Updated at: 21-07-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Using the double needle on a sewing machine is a two-step process. For starters, we’ll go through how to set up this needle type and how to sew effectively with it. We’ll also talk about double needles and how to use them most effectively.

What about sewing machine needles? Do you know where to get them? If your machine breaks down, you’ll be prepared with needles if you use this guide to locate a supplier.

How To Use A Double Needle On A Sewing Machine Correctly

Step 1. Install the machine.

  • Learn how to change the needles on your machine by consulting the owner’s manual.
  • If you’re unsure, remove the needle from your sewing machine or research how to replace a sewing machine needle.
  • In the same way you would lift a regular needle’s shank, raise the twin needle’s shank higher on the machine.
  • If the shank does not contact the machine’s side at the flat area, it should be replaced.
  • When knitting with double needles, switch to a zigzag foot because it has a larger slot.
  • Thread the bobbin of your sewing machine in the usual manner.
  • Make sure to use the first reel of thread and thread the needle to the left when threading the machine.
  • The method is the same for the second needle, however this time the needle is on the left side.
  • If you don’t have two threads on your reel, you can manufacture a spare bobbin and attach it to the second reel.

Step 2. Begin sewing

  • When stitching a hem with one needle and a double needle, make sure you sew on the right side of the fabric and not the wrong side.
  • Place the machine after sewing the hem under.
  • Sew close to the edge of the fabric. Make sure that the needles don’t touch the foot before you begin knitting a project.

Can You Use A Double Needle On Any Sewing Machine?

You can use a double needle on any sewing machine if the machine has the ability to sew with zigzag stitches. This means that the double needle cannot be used with any sewing machine that can sew straight stitches. Double needles have two numbers on them: one for the distance between the needles and another for the dimensions of both needles. Keep this in mind when using them.

The needle-to-needle distance might range from as little as 1.8 mm to as much as 8.0 mm. Needles typically come in sizes 80-90, depending on the project. Since the needles for your machine and your project are both important, you must select the perfect needles for both.

What Is A Double Sewing Machine Needle For?

Hemming and finishing

When hemming a garment, a twin needle comes in handy. Double-needle cover stitch hems are one of the most efficient ways to use the double needle to hem. In this case, the two parallel lines are across the upper part of the garment and underneath are zigzag stitches that connect the two. The effect is more polished and resembles a shirt you’d see in a retail store.

Trims

Hemming projects call for the use of a twin needle. A cover stitch hem is one of the best ways to hem using a double needle. The upper half of the garment has two parallel lines, which are connected by zigzag stitches below. As a result, the shirt seems more polished and professional than if you were to buy one at the store, such.

Borders with decorative borders

Another method to maximize the twin needle’s potential is to use it to create beautiful borders. Twin needles make it easy to work with decorative stitches that aren’t as thick on thin fabrics. There are a few things to keep in mind, however.

How do you choose the right double needle?

Sewing with twin needles can be accomplished in a variety of ways, and it is critical to know how to make the best choice. When choosing a twin needle, there are three factors to keep in mind.

  • The neck plate’s widest opening
  • needle-to-needle spacing
  • Twin needles can be used to sew stretchy or universal fabrics.

Can You Use A Twin Needle With A Walking Foot?

Sewing using a twin needle and an inclined foot is possible. When quilting, this is a really useful tool. Sewing machine feet with twin needles can be used, as long as the hole is large enough to accommodate the needles and the foot.

What is the best foot to employ with twin needles?

The zigzag foot is the optimum foot for sewing machines with twin needles.

The requirements for making use of a double-needle and sewing machine

  • Stitch zigzag can be set by the machine.
  • To accommodate twin needles, this needle plate features a zigzag design
  • A total of two thread spools and two thread pins are required for this project.

Complete Guide To Sewing Knits with a Twin-Needle

On a conventional sewing machine, hemming stretchy knits can be a bit of a problem. It’s possible for seams to pop, twist, or expand, making them look less tidy and professional than you’d anticipated. Many of these problems can be alleviated by using a twin-needle procedure, provided the proper methods and tools are employed.

With the help of this guide, you’ll be able to hem thin, elastic knits with a double needle without becoming trapped in the “tunnel,” which is a common problem when using a double needle.

What is a twin-needle?

A twin-needle has two parallel needles that sew two rows of straight stitches on the upper side, while a zigzag-like pattern is generated on the underside of the garment. Even on very tight-fitting clothing, the zigzag stitch will stretch out smoothly, making it possible to hem them with a double needle and negative ease.

To sew knits, you’ll need special ballpoint needles, and that’s what we’ll be using in this guide. Stretch knit twin needles are meant to penetrate through the fabric without breaking it, and they can also assist prevent missed stitches, which is a common problem when sewing tightly knitted fabrics on a sewing machine.

Pick the right needle size

The 60-75 (8-11) needle range is best for delicate knits. You may need to go up to 90/14 for thicker knits or over elastic.

Twin-Needle width

The standard for stretch twin-needles appears to be 4.0 mm, however there is also a 2.5 mm alternative available. Using the 4.0 twin-needle width in this technique is what I prefer because it looks better and there is a greater danger of ridges developing when working with a smaller twin-needle, but experiment and find what works best for you.

Threading the machine

Place one thread spool or winded bobbin on each of the sewing machine’s two pins. Wind two bobbins and stack them on top of each other if your machine only has one pin.

As a last resort, examine your manual for any other settings on the machine. Before you begin sewing, check to see if your machine has a particular button for twin-needle stitching. Take extra care not to tangle the threads of the machine, as this could result in poor stitch quality. Make sure both threads are firmly held in place between the tension disks while you sew.

When threading the machine, remember to raise the presser foot to release the tension disks.

As a bonus, some sewing machines come with a pair of detachable thread guides above the needles, which can be used to keep the thread from tangling.

Sewing with a twin-needle

Make a typical straight stitch with your machine’s configuration dialed in (unless your machine has a special twin-needle setting).

Stitch length

A suitable starting point is a stitch length of 2.5 to 3 mm. Because there are fewer zigzag crossings with a longer stitch length, the fabric will have less elasticity and be less likely to stretch out. As a result, bear this in mind when choosing a stitch length.

Needle tension

The stitch will look flatter with less puckering and tunneling if you choose a lower tension setting.

Let’s have a look at some examples:

Although there will always be trade-offs, as you can see, The right side looks better with lower needle tension settings. On the other hand, the needle thread loops are rather noticeable on the reverse side.

When sewing with a twin-needle, I’m not particularly concerned about making a perfectly balanced stitch on both sides. Pulling on the seam allows me to see how it responds. The best tension, in my humble view, is one that has sufficient stretch, is free of popping, and exhibits minimal tunneling.

A word on back stitching

When sewing with a twin-needle, some people advise against backstitching. When I’m topstitching pockets, for example, I’ve never had a problem with backstitching over problematic locations. Because the threads are so easy to get tangled, it is extremely vital to pull the threads back before sewing and complete appropriate threading in order to ensure that the stitch doesn’t get messed up. However, if you have any other information to add to this, please do!

Troubleshooting common twin-needle problems

Stretched out fabric

Because knit fabrics are so pliable, a typical sewing machine feeds the upper layer slightly unevenly. There may be draglines (twisted fabric) along the edge as well as a wobble in the seam as a result of the uneven feeding.

The differential feed option on a coverstitch machine allows you to fine-tune the feed dog speed, which makes it ideal for stretchy knits. However, if you follow the following advice, you can at least mitigate this problem.

1. Use double-side washable tape or stabiliser

This is one of my favorite “hacks” for dealing with this problem. In order to learn more about the Wonder-Tape washable stabilizer, check out our entire guide. Check out this pocket I topstitched with washable tape if you doubt the efficacy of Wonder-Tape.

Although the fabric is fairly elastic and contains Lycra, notice how smoothly it lies. There are no shaky spots.

Tape yourself up with Wonder-Tape.

  • Wonder-Tape by Prym
  • Wash-Away Wonder-Tape from Dritz (Amazon affiliate links)

2. Feed the upper layer using an awl

Another one of my go-to methods, this one is so potent it’s nearly magical! Using an awl or other long and pointed implement, gradually push the upper layer toward the presser foot in a rhythmic motion. Because you’ll have to coordinate numerous things at once, this will take some practice, but it’ll be well worth it!

3. Use a walking foot

Because it feeds both the top and lower layers more uniformly than a standard presser foot, a walking foot accomplishes the same purpose as an awl. For hemming knits, I prefer the awl method since it allows me complete control over the feeding, although many prefer the walking foot.

Tunnelling when sewing with a twin-needle

Unintentional pin-tuck ridge appears between the two rows of the twin-needle, which is probably the most common complaint.

Because of the nature of the fabric, you cannot totally eliminate the ridges if you are sewing tight-fitting garments with the use of a thin, elastic Lycra jersey. Even if the fabric appears to be flat when being sewn, tunnelling will occur when the garment is worn and stretched out. It is possible to mitigate this problem, so let’s take a closer look at the choices.

1. Reduce the needle tension

Flatter fabric will result, as depicted earlier on this page. On the flip side, though, it will accentuate the unevenness of the strain.

2. Stitch over the same amount of layers

However, because it is sewed unevenly, a twin-needle stitch that covers the fabric’s edge will also increase the amount of tunneling.

You’ll notice that the ridges only go over one layer because the higher needle only stitches over that one layer

3. Use fusible stretch interfacing on the folded hem

When it comes to preventing tunneling, this is quite effective. However, synthetic and ultra flexible Lycra knits will not function as well as cotton. Visit our fusible stretch interfacing guide for more information.

4. Experiment with the bobbin tension

Unless you have an extra bobbin to play about with, this is only recommended as a last resort. The bobbin tension can be adjusted to see if it helps remove ridges if none of the other options work. In most cases, you can change the tension by turning a small screw, but do so carefully, since a small adjustment is usually enough.

What about washable or tear-away stabilisers?

Most of the time, these are only a band-aid solution. It’s likely that the cloth will still have ridges when it’s stretched out after the stabilizers have been removed. Make a small sample and remove the stabilizers to determine if there are any tunnels in the sample.

Seams that pops

This is a simple problem to resolve. You can get extra stretch out of your twin-needle stitch by reducing the stitch length.

Skipped stitches

It’s a pain, but it’s all too common. As luck would have it, this problem can be remedied in various ways.

1. Use a stretch knit ballpoint twin-needle

For knitted textiles, the ballpoint tip will penetrate them more easily and lessen the danger of missing stitches.

  • Schmetz Twin-Needle Stretch Fabric by Schmetz
  • Twin-Needle Organ Stretch
  • It is a Groz-Beckert Twin-Needle Stretch (Amazon affiliate links)

2. Flatten uneven surfaces

Skipped stitches usually occur when the presser foot is elevated, such as when you stitch over bulky seams. You might try these approaches to flatten the surface.

3. Clip the seam allowance

Skipped stitches usually occur when the presser foot is elevated, such as when you stitch over bulky seams. You might try these approaches to flatten the surface.

4. Hammer down the seam

When the presser foot is lifted, as when stitching over thick seams, skipped stitches are more likely to occur. If you’re having trouble getting the surface to lie flat, try one of these solutions.

5. Use a height compensation tool

To stitch over uneven surfaces, use a gadget known as a hump-jumper, which inserts underneath the presser foot.

Invest in a height adjustment device.

  • a hump-jumper or button
  • Jean-Anthony-Ma-Jig (Amazon affiliate links)
  • The Bernina Height Adjustment Device (has three levels)

Make it look professional

What about a serger? Before using the twin-needle, I highly recommend overlocking the edges with a wide 3- or 4-thread overlock stitch. To keep the fabric’s edge from curling, use this method to make the interior seem stunning. In addition, I’ve found it to be a good deterrent to some tunneling. A serger and coverstitch are an excellent match for each other.

If you’re interested in learning more about coverstitching, you might also want to take a look at our guide to coverstitch machines.

Interested in learning more about twin-needle knitting? Take a look at this tutorial for a wealth of good advice.

Let us know what you think in the comments section below. Even on very stretchy knits, following the instructions in this guide will yield excellent results.

Learn the Tricks of Sewing With Double Needles

Using a double needle, sometimes known as a twin needle, while hemming knits is one of my favorite techniques. You’ll get two flawlessly sewn lines with just one stitch. Alternatively, for heirloom sewing, use the tightly spaced double needles, while for ornamentation, use the wide widths.

Double Needle Facts

  • When a needle is threaded from the front to the rear, a double needle can be used.
  • Sizes 1.6, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 6.0 are common for double needles.
  • The size is based on the distance between the needles in millimeters.
  • Some machines can’t handle the 6.0-inch width. Do not use a 6.0 if your machine’s largest zigzag stitch is 4.0. The throat plate’s hole is too small to accommodate this extra-wide twin needle.
  • A zigzag pattern appears on the fabric’s underside when the bobbin thread catches both of the top threads.

Sewing Tips for Double Needles

  • Use two spools of thread on the top of the machine, place them so the threads unwind in different directions. In order to avoid tangling the threads, do so here.
  • Set up the machine with two spools on top of each other so that the threads unwind in different directions. This keeps the threads from tangling.
  • Check to make sure your machine is set to a straight stitch before continuing. For example, the needles could swing out of the presser foot opening if the zigzag option is used. What could happen if it happened?
  • Stitch now! The set-up is where all the details are hidden.
  • Both threads are accommodated in the bobbin. It’s enchanting!
  • An ornamentation can be made by using twin needles.
  • Tighten the top tension a tad to give the illusion of height. The cloth tunnels on the wrong side of the fabric because of the stronger thread tension.

All my favorite sewing tips are in one book.

  • Notions for Sewing
  • Confidence in your sewing machine
  • It’s Serger’s Day!
  • Patterns
  • Facts about the Material
  • Basics of Sewing
  • What’s Next?

FAQs

What is the function of double needle machine?

What’s the Point of Having Two Needles? Double needles can be used for creating pintucks, parallel rows of topstitching, a simulation of a coverstitch hem (found on T-Shirt hems) and decorative stitches. In addition to free motion quilting, it can be utilized with this.

What is the difference between single and double sewing machine?

What is the purpose of having two needles instead of one? Using double needles, you can make decorative stitches, pintucks, parallel rows of topstitching, and a mock coverstitch hem. For free motion quilting, it is also a good choice

How many episodes are there of Mosaic?

Those are twin needle stitches. After folding both edges over, the chain-stitch twin needle machine is used to stitch over the entire piece of fabric. … With a flat felled seam, a single needle seam is identically stitched twice. Inside the cloth, there’s a single stitching row that’s hard to see.

What is the speed of double needle lockstitch machines?

  • Grades are assigned automatically after a test is taken.
  • a maximum stitch rate of 3,000 to 4,001 per minute
  • At least 5mm in Stitch Length
  • It’s a fresh start
  • You must buy at least 1 to qualify for free shipping

Why does my twin needle skip stitches?

It’s typical for double needles to skip stitches when they’re worn out or the upper tension is too low…. Special twin needles are available for a variety of materials, including knits, wovens, denim, and decorative stitches in embroidery. Unwinding in opposite directions of each other is necessary at times.

Can I use a double needle with a walking foot?

Puckers can be avoided if your work is kept flat. The walking foot’s additional benefit is that it reduces the stress on the twin needle. As we sew, the weight of the quilt can cause one or both needles to bow. The needles could be damaged or even broken as a result.

What is the difference between chain stitch and lock stitch?

Two or more sets of threads, known as needle thread and looper thread, are used to create a chain stitch. In order to make a lock stitch, two sets of thread, known as needle and bobbin, must be used.

What is a blind Hemmer machine?

The blind hemmer creates its stitch by the needle moving from side to side rather than up and down which a conventional sewing machine would do. … There are two types of household blind hem machines: those that utilize the same needles as home sewing machines and those that use specialized bent needles.

What are the 3 types of sewing machine?

The needle of the blind hemmer moves from side to side rather than up and down as a typical sewing machine would…. In contrast to an industrial blind hem machine, which utilizes bent needles, a household blind hem machine uses regular sewing needles.

  • A Sewing Machine That Uses Mechanics.
  • Sewing Machine Powered by Electronics.
  • sewing machine that can be controlled by a computer.
  • Machine for embroidering clothes and other items.
  • A serger or overlock sewing machine.

What are the 7 types of sewing machine?

Sewing machines come in a variety of varieties.

  • Sewing machine for the home.
  • Sewing machine of the industrial type.
  • Sewing machine operated by a human hand.
  • Treadle sewing machine.
  • Sewing machines with mechanical needles and threads.
  • It is a computerized sewing machine
  • Sewing machine with a computer.
  • A variety of small sewing machines are available.

What are the 2 types of sewing machine and differentiate them?

Domestic sewing machines and industrial sewing machines are the two main types. Domestic sewing machines, as the name implies, are ones that are generally found in the homes of sewists.

What is the function of lockstitch?

The take-up mechanism of the lockstitch sewing machine is primarily responsible for creating a stitch, together with the needle and the bobbin hook, by guiding the fabric through the machine. A variety of software applications can be used to fix the issue.

What is a double needle?

In order to create zig-zag-looking interlocking stitches underneath two rows of parallel stitches, a twin needle or double needle is employed. If you’re looking for something that’s more than just a pretty hem, this is the cloth for you.

Conclusion

It’s as easy as that! Sewing with twin needles has been a topic of discussion in the past. The process is very similar to setting up a machine with a single needle. It is possible to use a twin needle, but only if the machine you are using is capable of zigzag stitching and has the same type of foot that can hold two needles.

We hope this information has been useful to you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.