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How To Change The Needle On A Sewing Machine

February 5, 2018 by Margaret 10 Comments

How to change the needle on a sewing machine

Skipped stitches, broken needle, thread breaking and uneven stitches, what do they all have in common? They can all be signs that you need to change your needle.

Whenever I'm having any type of issue with my machine I do two things:

  1. I check my needle
  2. I rethread it.

Seriously, those two things will take care of the majority of issues that come up when sewing. I'd say more than 50% of the time it's the needle.

How To Change the Needle on A Sewing Machine

Changing the needle on a sewing machine is quick and painless! If you have your owners manual refer to it.

  1. Place a piece of fabric or paper on top of the needle plate/under the presser foot
  2. Turn the hand wheel towards you until the needle is in the highest position
  3. Take hold of the needle with one hand and Use the screwdriver to turn the screw toward the front of the machine and loosen the screw. Remove the needle.
  4. The old needle should come out (take care when throwing away needles)
  5. With the flat side of the needle facing the back, insert the new needle all the way to the top of the needle stopper (viewing window) in the needle clamp. Use a screwdriver to securely tighten the needle clamp screw.

How Often Do I Need To Change The Needle?

If you've never changed the needle on your sewing machine nows the time. If you can't remember the last time you changed it, nows the time.

Most needle and sewing machine companies agree that after about every 8 hours of sewing you need to change the needle. The needle should also e changed if you notice any burs, nicks or it becomes bent. I also change mine after working with coarse fabric.

Never sew with a bent needle. A bent needle will easily break and may cause injury to you and the machine.

If you're not sure how to choose the correct needle for your projects then be sure to read our post: How to Choose the Correct Sewing Machine Needle.

 

Prevent skipped, stitches, broken thread and many other headaches by changing your needle. Lean how now.

Related Posts:

  • How to Change Out The Feet On Your Sewing Machine
    How to Change Out The Feet On Your Sewing Machine
  • How to Choose the Correct Sewing Machine Needle
    How to Choose the Correct Sewing Machine Needle
  • How To Use An Automatic Needle Threader
    How To Use An Automatic Needle Threader
  • How to Hem Knit Fabric with a Twin Needle
    How to Hem Knit Fabric with a Twin Needle
« How to use the Dritz Easy Hem
Ironing and Pressing: What You Need To Know While Sewing »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. imterrah

    March 13, 2018 at 7:35 am

    So crazy because last night I was wondering if I wanted to buy one in the near future to create some DIY

    Reply
  2. Kyla Matton Osborne

    April 16, 2018 at 1:56 pm

    A new needle every 8 hours of sewing? Wow, that seems pretty frequent! I had no idea. I will have to watch for that, as I generally only change it if it breaks, bends, or otherwise shows obvious signs of wear.

    Reply
  3. Julie Plagens

    April 16, 2018 at 2:02 pm

    Very helpful post. I used to sew but I haven’t for years now. It was kinda fun.

    Reply
  4. Yuen Mi

    May 07, 2018 at 8:44 pm

    I dont sew at all, so these sounds like some good tips to me!

    Reply
  5. ANITA ZYCH

    May 07, 2018 at 9:03 pm

    Thank you for great tips!

    Reply
  6. Alora Alexander

    May 08, 2018 at 10:18 am

    I'm really glad I found your blog because I recently bought a sewing machine to do some DIY projects! Awesome content !

    Reply
  7. Thelittlelai: Beyond limits

    May 08, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    I find it hard to use sewing machine, especially when you change the needle and with your tips, it looks like easier now.

    Reply
  8. wanderlustbykelley

    May 14, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    Really great tips, thank you 🙂

    Reply
  9. indu mathi

    September 03, 2019 at 3:42 pm

    I follow your site and its really helpful for all . Definitely great tips .

    Reply
  10. dianahkristine

    February 03, 2020 at 9:45 am

    What are the essentials of learning how to sow for the first time in your life?

    Reply

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