Updated at: 25-05-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Sewing machine needles for leather can range in size from 70/10 to 110/18 if you’re inquisitive. The topic of the leather needle and the use of a home sewing machine to sew leather will be discussed in this article.

Do you already know what the greatest leather sewing machine is? For leather stitching, you’ll need to know what tools and equipment you’ll need, as well as how to use them.

Sewing Machine Needle Guide

Keep in mind that leather sewing can be a bit tricky, therefore the right needle and sewing machine are essential.

What Sewing Machine Needle Size For Leather

It is best to use a sewing machine needle size of 70/10 to 110/18 for sewing leather. Because not all leathers are the identical, you have a wide choice of sizes to pick from.

However, these needle sizes are available for leather needles, the specific type of needle meant for stitching leather, imitation leather, and thick synthetic materials. Leather needles. If you’re still undecided, a good needle size to start with for leather is 80/12.

Different sorts of specialty sewing machine needles are included in the various sewing needle sizes for stitching specific textiles.

Deadly Staples

Needles with a sharp point are required to work with natural fibers such as linen, cotton, wool and cotton jersey. Now I’m not making light of the fact that they’re called “sharps.”

Jersey or Ballpoint Needles

When sewing with man-made textiles, such as poly cotton, polyester, and viscose, or other blends, the best needle to use is a ballpoint needle. Jersey needles are another name for ballpoint needles.

Ballpoint needles coated with a lubricant called stretch make it easier to thread through thicker textiles. The needle has a difficult time separating the fibers in stretchy textiles and sewing them properly. The outcome is a seam with puckering or missing stitches. Having stretch needles coated simply makes it easier for them to slip through the material and keep a tight stitch.

Toenail Covers

In order to aid in cutting the leather as the stitch is produced, leather needles have a spear shape. If you use a standard size 110 needle to sew leather or imitation leather, your machine will have difficulty. That’s why utilizing a leather needle will make sewing easier for the machine.

Needles for Machine Embroidery

A wide range of sizes are offered for use with the most advanced embroidery machines. Intricate designs may be generated at high speeds with these machines. In order for the machine to sew thick designs without snagging the cloth or damaging the needle, the needles must be used. Titanium needles have recently become more readily available. The rapid movement machine used to make these designs generates great heat, but the titanium needles are resistant to breaking, as would be the case with a “regular” needle. Embroidery needles, on the other hand, have wider eyes to accommodate the slightly thicker thread.

Sharps Microtex

All issues can be solved with these! As long as you’re stitching, embroidery, or using waterproofed fabric, this needle is your ticket out of jail!

Do You Need A Special Needle To Sew Leather?

Leather requires a specific needle for sewing needles since it is a strong material. In any case, it should be rather straightforward to identify the needle because it is known as a “leather needle”.

How to Choose Sewing Machine Needles | Bluprint | Craftsy

Leather needles can be distinguished by the style of point they sport. Round, diamond, twist and cross-point leather needles are among them.

Types of leather needles

Leather needles with a round tip leave a mark on the leather, whereas leather needles with a diamond point are more effective at cutting through the leather. As a result of this, the diamond point needle is ideal for leather that is either dry or thick.

A twist point leather needle is ideal for finishing leather since it cuts the leather diagonally to the stitching. Finally, you can use a cross-point leather needle to precisely follow the seams of your creations.

What Does A Leather Sewing Needle Look Like?

The leather needle’s wedge-shaped point can be found in a variety of point shapes. Using this method, the needle is able to penetrate the leather without destroying it.

Other heavy fabrics like suede and other thick materials can be sewn as well if they are not woven or knitted. Knit cloth can be damaged by the cutting tip of a leather needle.

When working with leather, it is imperative that you set your sewing machine up correctly and sew gently to avoid leaving holes. Finally, secure your stitches by tying the threads at the ends, as backstitching may severely damage the fabric.

What Standard Sewing Machine Needles Is Good For Sewing Leather?

When sewing leather, a 110/18 needle is not sufficient. It will still struggle if you use a regular sewing needle of this size.

Any regular sewing machine needle will break, create unattractive stitches, or make the stitching process more difficult if used to sew leather. Instead, learn how to change a sewing machine needle and use a leather needle of the suitable size for the type of leather you’re stitching on..

How Thick Of Leather Can A Sewing Machine Sew?

When it comes to sewing leather, the sort of machine you have, the type of leather, and how many layers are being sewn all play a role. When sewing with a home sewing machine, you should adhere to garment-weight leather that is similar in thickness to denim.

In any case, most home sewing machines can only work with leather needles up to 110 mm in size and T70 bonded nylon thread. As a result, if you plan to stitch thick leathers on a regular basis, you may want to consider purchasing an industrial sewing machine.

Can I sew leather with a normal sewing machine?

It is possible to sew a garment-weight leather with a standard sewing machine, however it is recommended that you follow the following guidelines:

  • Use a bonded nylon thread and a leather needle of the suitable size.
  • To avoid slipping, use a Teflon foot instead of the regular presser foot.
  • Passed stitches can be prevented by sewing leather gently.
  • If you need to sew quickly, use lengthy stitches to keep the needle from getting stuck in the leather.
  • Binder clips can be used instead of pinning leather to keep the material in place and avoid makings.
  • To avoid clumsy leather hems, reduce the seam allowance by half the whole width.
  • When finishing the hem of leather, use a double topstitch.

What Is A 110 18 Needle Used For?

Heavyweight materials benefit from the use of large needle sizes, such as 110/18. As a result, it’s a popular choice for those who sew leather.

Remember that as your fabric gets heavier, you’ll need a larger needle. For stitching denim, canvas, and upholstery, size 110/18 needles can also be utilized.

Even so, you’ll need to play about with a piece of fabric. If you’re using a needle that’s too huge for the cloth, it can cause it to pucker.

Which needle type is best for leather sewing?

Leather is a beautiful material that is available in a wide range of colors and thicknesses. As compared to stitching with polyester or cotton, working with leather is a completely other experience altogether. If you’re using a feed dog on your machine, you’ll notice that leather provides additional bite and resistance. Using the appropriate needles for leather is essential. Different types and sizes of sewing needles are required for various sewing projects.

The ounce is the most frequent unit of weight measurement for leather. The oz measurement is used to determine the thickness. A 16-ounce piece of leather, for example, is 1/16′′ thick. It is 1/8′′ thick for an 8 oz piece of leather. The thicker the leather, the more oz it is. The majority of upholstery leather is only 12 ounces in weight. Because French seams are regularly used to join pieces of leather, this is what you’d expect to find. Heavy (thick) pieces of leather are difficult to stitch together because of the low flexibility of leather. As long as the Groz-Beckert needle is under 4 oz., the R point Groz-Beckert needle is excellent for leather. As a “sharp” point, the R point is capable of cutting through a wide range of materials with ease.

We recommend using a cutting point needle when stitching on leather that is thicker. The letters “DI,” “S,” “LR,” “LL,” and “D” are used to identify these needles. In order to slice and penetrate materials with minimal resistance, a TRI point needle has a unique point and form. When stitching or decorating on thicker leather, needles in any of these designs are a common choice.

Groz-Beckert needles for leather sewing and stitching are available from us. High-quality needles with a great reputation for their ability to sew well in high-speed and high-friction conditions have been used in this product. Don’t worry if you don’t know what kind of needle you need for your sewing project. Groz-Beckert has put together an excellent needlepoint guide with his assistance.

The quality of the thread is an important consideration when it comes to getting even stitches. High-quality thread, needles, and material are more important than any machine tweaks for a great sewing experience.

Sewing Needle Guide: What to Use and Why - WeAllSew

Why do Needles Break?

needles shatter because they don’t fit the purpose for which you’re trying to use them. In order to stitch denim, you’d need a needle with a size 70. A denim needle’s end is slightly slanted to allow it to penetrate the fabric at a slightly reduced angle rather than a 90-degree angle, so reducing the amount of stress applied to the cloth as it goes through the layers.

How often should I change my sewing machine needle?

After six hours of stitching or the completion of a project, needles should be changed. The first thing you should do if you ever have a sewing issue is change your needle.

Conclusion

It’s done! For leather, the needle size ranges from 70/10 to 110/18, which we learned just now.

If you’re unsure, you can start with 80/12. In order to avoid harming the material or causing the needle to break, it is important to use a leather needle.