Awhile back I was searching for the perfect needle for big stitch quilting. There wasn’t much information available on what type of needle to use and which brand performed the best. Several suggestions I found were to use “big stitch quilting needles” which were not defined in type or size. So, I set out to find my favorite needle. Because I like to quilt with perle cotton size 8, I needed to find a needle that had an eye large enough to support the weight of the thread and had appropriate sharpness to go through the layers of a quilt. As for the type, I settled on embroidery (crewel) needles ranging in size 3, 4, and 5. (A general note about embroidery/crewel needle sizes: the smaller the number = the larger the needle. In a multi-pack 3/9, size 9 is the smallest needle and size 3 is the largest needle)
I chose popular brands that are easy to find in local or chain stores, and a couple brands that I needed to order from the internet. I tried out at least one needle from each of Bohin, Clover, DMC, Dritz, John James, and Richard Hemming & Son. I found that most embroidery needles come in a multiple size package. The downside is that it is a bit of a mystery when choosing your needle size from the pack. Some brands are clearly identifiable; while other brands have only subtle differences between needle sizes in a single package. Clover was the only brand to identify on the label how many of each size are included in the package. Once you know what you are looking at by reading the label, it is easy to differentiate the needle sizes. As for the other brands, I selected a needle to test that was at the extreme end of the size range (ex: My Dritz package was size 1/5 so it was easy to select the smallest needle and know it was a size 5). When testing these needles I did realize that even millimeters difference can make or break your sewing experience. After reviewing these several brands and sizes, here are my personal reviews on the needles I tested.
Size 5
In this size I chose to review 4 needles. I felt like most people prefer the smallest needle they can find to support their project. A smaller needle gives more flexibility for maneuvering. I also felt the most available and affordable perle 8 threads would endorse the use of a size 5 needle.
DMC size 5 was my least favorite needle I tested of all manufacturers and sizes. The needle is chunkier than all the other brands. Because of the short length, it was difficult to load more than 2 stitches at a time on the needle. I also felt that the point and tip were not graceful. The thickness of the needle was not tapered well to create the tip. This caused a “popping” feeling when pushing through the quilt layers.
Dritz size 5 is very available and can be found at most chain craft and fabric stores. It was fine for stitching and loaded the thread and stitches better than the DMC size 5. However, I have found Dritz to be more likely to have a dull needle or a burr included in a single package.
Clover size 5 was the longest of the size 5 needles that I reviewed. This made it very easy to load 3 stitches at a time. It also has a larger eye that makes it easier to thread than some of the other size 5 needles. I found it to be very thin and sharp so it passed through the quilt layers quickly and easily. If you are looking to stick with a size 5, I would highly recommend this needle.
Richard Hemming & Son size 5 was also a very nice sharp, thin needle. It did not consistently load 3 stitches every time because of the slightly shorter length. Also, it was a little harder to thread because the eye was smaller. However, I would still recommend this needle if you are working with thinner brands of perle 8 (see perle 8 reviews). I do think I would prefer this needle if quilting with a size 12 thread.
Size 4
I chose to review two needles in this size. Size 4 seemed like an awkward, hard to find size, but it covers the middle range between the smaller size 5 and the “sometimes too big” size 3. It also seemed like some of the multiple size packages only include the odd number sizes (3, 5, 7, and 9, or 1, 3, and 5). Of course, this was just me guessing since the packages did not necessarily identify what was included.
John James size 4 was the first needle I tried in this size. I actually chose to repeat my test of this needle (with another needle of the same size and brand) because I wasn’t super happy with it after the first test. Unfortunately, it still didn’t perform as well as I had hoped. The needle was a great length and it was easy to load stitches. However, I found it very difficult to thread because of the narrow eye. The eye was also rough when pulling thread through.
Clover size 4 was surprisingly difficult to use. Even though the size 5 from the same package was an excellent needle, I struggled with this size 4. It was very long which made it hard to maneuver when loading stitches or changing directions. I think the proportions of the length and it’s thinness just didn’t sit right with me. It also took many passes through the quilt layers before I felt it was pulling through smoothly. Overall, my recommendation is to stick to Clover needles that are size 5 for big stitch quilting.
Size 3
I chose to review two options in size 3. This is actually my favorite size needle for big stitch quilting. However, it can be a bit cumbersome if you are stitching through a lot of seam allowances. It may not be the prefered size for people who want more maneuverability. The results of my tests even surprised me!
Bohin size 3 was definitely the largest needle that I reviewed. It has been my go-to needle recently for my big stitch quilting. Generally, the eye is plenty large enough to support the thicker perle 8 thread brands (see perle 8 reviews). And the needle is very strong and long to consistently load at least 3 stitches at a time. It is super smooth and has a very proportionally tapered point and tip to glide through the layers of a quilt. However, Bohin is a French company and it is fairly expensive and pretty hard to find. I ordered my package from a small business in Australia. I would have loved to test size 4 and size 5 in Bohin; unfortunately, the lack of availability prevented that. I would still recommend this needle and brand because of it’s top notch quality. However, you may want to try a smaller size.
Richard Hemming & Son size 3 ended up being the overall winner from all my needle tests! This was actually not a brand I was planning on testing when I started this journey but it kept showing up when I did online searches. So, it is generally very available if you are willing to order from the internet. This needle was very graceful. It’s length and thinness were proportional and allowed both smooth stitching and consistently loaded 3 stitches every time. Because it is a larger needle, being size 3, the eye supports the thicker brands of perle 8. I very highly recommend this needle for anyone wanting to explore or improve their big stitch quilting.
Happy stitching!
