Parts Of A Sewing Machine Needle: A Quick Guide

threadistry.com

It’s easy to not pay much attention to your sewing machine needles, other than making sure they’re the right way around.

But they actually have a few clever design features to make sure your sewing machine runs smoothly. Let’s look at the parts of a sewing machine needle and their purpose.

The point is the sharp tip of the needle that pierces the fabric while sewing. The shape of the point varies for the different types of sewing machine needle, such as sharp, stretch and ballpoint.

Point/tip

The shank is the widest part of the needle and its base. It’s the part that connects the needle to the sewing machine.

Shank

The scarf is a small indentation above the eye of the needle on the back. It allows the bobbin hook to pass closely without hitting the needle, preventing skipped stitches.

Scarf

The groove is the narrow channel on the front of the needle. It helps to align the thread with the eye of the needle.

Groove

The blade is the part of the needle extending from the shank to the point. The thickness of the blade determines the size of the needle.

Blade

The shaft is the long, narrow part of the needle that extends from the shank to the point. It contains the scarf, blade, and eye of the needle.

Shaft

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