Sewing Needle || Parts || Point Types

Functions of Needle:

The main functions of the needle are:

• Make hole in the fabric material
• Carry the needle through the fabric material and form a loop
• Pass it through the loop

Parts of Needle:

• BUTT
• SHANK
• SHOULDER
• LONG GROOVE
• SHORT GROOVE
• EYE
• NEEDLE POINT
• SCARF
• BLADE

Sewing Needle Parts Description:

Shank:

It is the upper part of needle having cylindrical or flat size. It is generally larger in diameter as compared to the rest of the needle due to strength reasons.

Shoulder:

Shoulder is also called as shaft. It is intermediate between the shank and blade.

Butt:Butt is end of the needle. It helps in determining the length of the needle when it is inserted fully into the needle bar of the sewing machine.

Blade:

It is present below the shoulder of the blade till the eye of the needle. It is the longest part in the whole needle. It accommodates the eye, groove and scarf. The fabric resistance is reduced by the blade when needle along with eye passes through the fabric material. It has got great amount of friction.

Short Groove:

It assists the formation of loop in the needle thread and generally extended a little above and below the eye in the needle.

Long Groove:

For smooth stitches the long groove must be long enough to “cradle” thread. Long groove provides a protective channel through which the thread is drawn. Good protection to the thread can be achieved with correct shaped long groove of depth matched to thread diameter.

Scarf:

It is above the eye of the needle and has concave shape. It helps in eliminating the skipped stitches by allowing the hook to loop thread more easily.

Eye:

Eye is generally the hole in the end of the needle. Thread is passed through this hole. It is located below the scarf. The shape and size of the needle depends upon the needle size.

Needle Points:

There are different types of needle points which can be used as per the fabric we are stitching they are as follows:

• Set/Spear point – Generally used for the woven type of fabrics. (SLIM SET POINT, SET POINT, HEAVY SET POINT)
• Ball point – These type of point is genrally used for knitted fabric and has rounded tip as it works smoothly on the knitted fabric. These type of needle for knitted fabric reduces the chances of fabric laddering. (LIGHT, MEDIUM and HEAVY BALL POINT)
• Wedge point – These points are mostly used fir the plastics and leathers as they penetrate very nicely through the fabric generally used to cut holes.