The Importance of Needle Points and Number of “SPI”
Using the correct needle point and Stitches per Inch (SPI) can make the difference between a good strong seam and on the “tears along the dotted line”.
Needles come with several point designs, three of which are shown below:
All three have specific uses, but for stitching fabric, fabric backed materials, “side” (or “garment tanned”) leather or skived (reduced) edge materials, the round point is generally the best.
The reason for this, is that in stitching woven materials (fabric and fabric backed materials), with the Chisel Point of Tri-Point shapes generally threads get cut or broken as the needle passes through the material. This makes for a weakness in the seam (and a small “pucker” in stitched fabrics). Round point needles tend to “push” the individual threads out of the way, rather than cut them.
In non woven materials (Leathers, non woven backing materials, etc.) the sharp corners of the (needle) hole will create a weak spot where tears can start.
This is particularly true in stitch lines of tight (or short) stitches (14 Stitches or less per inch [2.5Cm]).
Good Stitching
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment