When I started sewing I had no idea that different needles were required for different applications in sewing. I soon found out that a universal needle was terrible for chiffon, or stretch fabric. I ended up buying a whole heap of different needles for different applications and now have my own collection of needles. Mine here in this picture are Schmetz brand just to show you what I have and how I have stored them. I purchased this little storage container from Wish.

Which needle do I use?

Here is a link to a brochure that explains the different types of needles and what they are used for.

I went to the Klasse website and have this link which explains the different types of needles to use when creating your projects with different fabrics. It’s a general guideline but I think it will help all the newbies in the sewing world a great deal. You can even print this out and have it handy by your machine or stick it somewhere in your sewing area.

I have used this link from the Klasse website to give you a more detailed insight into which needles you should use with different fabrics and projects.

Why is my machine skipping stitches?

There could be a host of issues with your sewing that is caused by the wrong needle being used, bent needles, or blunt needles, this link will help you troubleshoot these issues and give you a possible resolution. Here are some general tips for you to take into consideration when these issues arise, and the resolution. Sometimes the issue is tension, rethreading needed, fluff stuck in your bobbin case and the worst one of all is if your timing it out in which case its a trip to the sewing machine doctor for you. 9 times out of 10 it is a needle issue which is an easy fix.

Store your used needles….

The issue I had with storing older needles that were still ok to use again is that they would end up in my sewing box loose and after a week I had no idea which needle they were. See above how I now store my needles in my new pink voo-doo pincushion.

I then found this unique and brilliant tool at Rubyjam and it was a real game changer for me. I only started using it a week or so ago and already I have two needles in it. It’s the Voo-doo pin cushion dolls which are exclusive to Rubyjam Fabric. A great way to store your used needles. Simply put the type of needle in the spot marked with that type. Sometimes you haven’t used a needle for long and therefore it is still good to use at a later date for another project. I have one of these dolls and here is another picture of it in use. It’s truly the most innovative sewing tool I have found.

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To get your Klasse sewing machine needles, follow this link to Rubyjam website – Rubyjam Fabric. Tamara at Rubyjam has kindly sent me some supplies to complete this post about sewing machine needles. You can find the Rubyjam range here. I have tested the 4mm twin needle on my Janome DC2150 and adjusted my tension to 2-3 and it worked beautifully. To make it look even better I upped the stitch length to 3.5. The brand of needles I am featuring today is the Klasse brand and I have tested all the needles that Tamara gave me above, excluding the Leather one, and I must say they did work great for me.

You will need to test which brand is right for the model of your machine if unsure ask at your local dealer or sewing shop.

I can only tell you what I personally experienced with this product on my machine, please make sure you check compatibility with your machine. A great way to do that is by contacting Klasse website and send them a message directly to find out compatibility with your machine.

Please note that the Klasse needles and Voo-doo pin cushion doll has been sponsored by Rubyjam Fabrics. They have been kindly issued to me to try and use for the purpose of this blog post. The leather needle was purchased elsewhere but you can purchase it at Rubyjam Fabric.

Sponsored by Rubyjam Fabric.

If you need to get in touch with me you can use this link and it will take you straight to Facebook Messanger.  I will answer any questions you have please feel free to contact me about anything at any time.  I am here to help, and that is what All Things Sewing and Craft is all about.

m.me/allthingssewingandcraft

Sew you later

Katly

 

We are in an Internet age where everyone google’s what they are looking for.  So I decided to give you the 10 best online stores in Australia of where to buy fabric and haberdashery.  Some of these stores I have personally bought from so I will also give you my personal review.  The others I haven’t yet so will just list them here.  Happy shopping!

1. Super Cheap Fabrics  My dealings with Super Cheap Fabrics has been a great one.  The staff are very helpful and you can chat online whilst placing orders which is handy if you want some advice about a particular fabric.  They have 3 shop locations in Melbourne Dandenong, Brunswick and Fitzroy and they also have a Head Office – Collingwood.  This means you can go instore, shop online.  They have lovely dressmaking fabrics at very reasonable prices and the quality is really great.  Beautiful colours and prints in all your favourites like chiffon, knits, cotton and cotton stretches and much more.  They also have a haberdashery range of threads and sewing supplies and sewing needles.  There is free shipping on orders over $99.  They also have a rewards program where you buy and earn coins to then use at a later date in the form of a % off next order.

2. Darn Cheap Fabrics I have also been shopping at Darn Cheap Fabrics and their quality is fantastic, the staff at their 3 stores are very helpful and you can phone the stores directly if you have any questions about what you have seen on their Instagram or Facebook as some items may not be on their online store, however you can purchase via phone orders.  There store locations in Melbourne are STORE LOCATIONS, Glen Huntly, Port Melbourne, Heidelberg.  They give Free shipping for orders over $175 for within Australia.  They ship internationally too.  They have fabric in prints, plain’s, special occasions, patchwork, knits, designer, haberdashery and trims.

3. The Fabric Store This store has a huge range on offer and they ship Australia wide and Internationally.   Free shipping worldwide for orders over $200NZD.  Their prices are not the cheapest but they do offer a vast range of fabrics, styles, and even have organic cotton’s and bias binding and thread matching for Merino range and using Gutterman thread.  There are just too many to list here.  They do have a Loyalty club where you can exchange points for vouchers. Bonus there.  Check out their website for full details and range. Australian store locations.

4. Tessuti with over 20 years being open Tessuti has stores in Sydney, Melbourne and of course their online store.  Here is their Shipping/Returns information. They have designer fabrics from local and international designers of fabric.  They offer sewing classes at all three stores and have patterns available also.  Great range of cotton, knits, laces, linens, stretch and more.  They offer gift vouchers too.  They have designer fabrics from some famous designers such as Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Missoni, Zimmermann, Manning Cartell, Cue, and many more.  If you are after some exquisite fabric Tessuti have what you want.

5. Rathdowne Fabrics Rathdowne has been in Brunswick for a long while and has lots of beautiful fabric and supplies, you can contact them and find the location here.  You can see their shipping costs.  You will love going to this store as they have their discount tables where you can get some bargains and pretty much everything you will need for sewing.  I have purchased several things from Rathdowne and they are awesome.  Knowledgeable staff, great products at great prices and all the bits and bobs you need to sew up a storm.  Great place to shop with great bargains.

6. If you are looking for a local business that ships Australia wide and internationally then you can’t go past Rubyjam.  I am a new customer at Ruby Jam and I can honestly say they have gorgeous fabric, I purchased some cotton lycra and it was gorgeous quality.  Knits, prints, cotton/lycra, French Terry just to name a few.  They have fantastic customer service and flat rate shipping in Australia $9.95, you can see the full range here.  I highly recommend this supplier as they have more than just fabric, haberdashery and they sell Maxi-Lock thread too, even bag hardware.   Did I mention the great customer service and I think we should all support local business?

7. East Coast Fabrics This store has a great range and some haberdashery too.  They have two locations in Queensland however you can also order online with Australia wide shipping.  They do have great prices too.  I haven’t purchased before but they seem to have a really great range of fabrics.  You can find their locations here.

8. Lush Fabrics have fabulous prints/plains with luxurious quality that sewers everywhere would appreciate. They have a wide selection of knits, woven, faux leather & exposed elastic & trims.  Also, have gift certificates.  Shipping is standard flat rate $10 and they offer Zip Pay and Afterpay.  Contact.

9. Annie Lane Australia has a wonderful array of printed fabrics, Poplin, Cotton etc.  I just love the prints available, florals and themed prints.  The shop is on Etsy and AnnieLaneAustralia comes out of Central Coast New South Wales.  They have $8 Shipping Australia wide.  They are a small business run by Lenni and Brooke.  Check out their fabric which is gorgeous.

10. Wattle Hill Fabrics – Another great store.  They have so many designers available which are too many to list here.  Check out their website and see for your self.  They also have many types of fabric, Cotton, Organic, knits, flannel, modal, trims & notions, elastic and loads more.  They have Afterpay and Zip Pay and PayPal and LayBy.

These are my picks for fabric and haberdashery stores for you to check out next time you have a project you want to make.  If you have other stores that are in your area feel free to comment below with your selections.