Brother ULT 2003D manual About the Needle, Fabric/Thread/Needle Combinations

■About the Needle

The sewing machine needle is probably the most important part of the sewing machine. Choosing the proper needle for your sewing project will result in a beautiful finish and fewer problems. Below are some things to keep in mind about needles.

•The smaller the needle number, the smaller the needle. As the numbers increase, the needles get thicker.

•Use fine needles with lightweight fabrics, and thicker needles with heavyweight fabrics.

•To avoid skipped stitches, use ball point needle (golden colored) 90/14 with stretch fabrics.

•To avoid skipped stitches, use ball point needle (golden colored) 90/14 when sewing character or decorative stitches without the embroidery unit.

•Use needle 75/11 for embroidery. Ball point needles (golden colored) 90/14 are not recom- mended for embroidery, as they may bend or break, causing injury.

•It is recommended that a 90/14 needle should be used when embroidering on heavyweight fabrics or stabilizing products (for example, denim, puffy foam, etc.). 75/11 needle may bend or break, which could result in injury.

•A home sewing machine needle 75/11 is inserted in the sewing machine.

■Fabric/Thread/Needle Combinations

Fabric		Thread		Size of needle
		Type	Size
Medium weight fabric	Broadcloth	Cotton	60 - 80	75/11 - 90/14
	Taffeta	Synthetic mercerized	60 - 80
	Flannel,	Silk or silk finished	50 - 80
	Gabardine
Lightweight fabric	Lawn, Batiste	Cotton	60 - 80	65/9 - 75/11
	Georgette	Synthetic mercerized	60 - 80
	Challis, Satin	Silk	50 - 80
Heavyweight fabric	Denim	Cotton	30 - 50	90/14 - 100/16
	Corduroy	Synthetic mercerized	50
	Tweed	Silk	50
Stretch fabric	Jersey	Thread for knits	50 - 60	Ball point needle
	Tricot			(golden colored)
				75/11 - 90/14
For top stitching		Synthetic mercerized	30	90/14 - 100/16
		Silk	30

Note

•For transparent nylon thread, always use needle 90/14 - 100/16.

•The same thread is usually used for the bobbin thread and upper threading.

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CAUTION

Be sure to follow the needle, thread, and fabric combinations listed in the table. Using an improper combination, especially a heavyweight fabric (i.e., denim) with a small needle (i.e., 65/9 - 75/11), may cause the needle to bend or break, and lead to injury. Also, the seam may be uneven, the fabric may pucker, or the machine may skip stitches.

Index

Setting Up 1-45