Do you struggle to remember when you last changed the needle in your sewing machine? I recently read a tip (somewhere!) that an easy way to keep track is to remove your “used” needle at the end of your sewing project, and do not replace it. Then, the next time you break out your sewing machine for a new project, insert the appropriate type and size needle for your new sewing job into the empty needle slot. Brilliant idea!
How do you track how many sewing hours your needle has racked up?
Happy sewing!
Maris
i don’t get that – aren’t you just changing the needle for every project?
Oh sorry that wasn’t clear. Yes, you are changing the needle every time. But if you remove it and DON’T replace it until you start the new project you don’t have to wonder if you remembered to change it. Mostly a memory thing! Kinda shows my age, I think. 😉
Must admit the only time I consciously use a brand new needle is sewing silk or other super fine fabrics. Of course I change it for fabric type, but tend to re- use them for quite a while……. Changing the subject I did some of my faux flat felled seams today on a denim dress that I’m making and they worked a treat…. Stay tuned for some super nice innards pics…..
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. We will have to talk about your needle habits. 😉
Wheeee, looking forward to those pix!!
I do change the needle each time, (unless it’s a muslin) because after adding up the cost of supplies and time, why risk messing up with a dull needle? That’s a great idea, and that’s a good time to clean the dust out of the machine as well. At the beginning of a project I’m too eager to get started to do it!
You are a smart sewist!! 😉 I am constantly surprised by people who complain about the cost of needles and thread. Really? That is your issue?
I’m not concerned about the cost, but it feels like waste to throw away a decent needle (since most projects don’t take 8 hours of stitching). So I stick my needles in a small scrap of the project fabric and stick them in a teeny box (the fabric scrap also signals what type of needle they are, since I change types a lot). When a needle has 2 or 3 projects on it, I toss it.
I totally agree Daiyami – I only pitch needles when I think I have come close to the 8 hours or I have been sewing with a really abrasive fiber like polar fleece or silk.