gale

Our joann's has always only carried the full lines of Singer and I think one other company's sewing machine needles. I don't mind Singer for apparel but for quilting I didn't like them. The only Schmetz brand they carried were universal and denim. Well I went there to kill some time this week and they have a whole bunch of Schmetz needles now!! I was wanting to try switching to a 14 (from a 12) in the microtex line and they had those, and I was wanting to try topstitch needles for quilting and they had those too. Yay!! :mrgreen: They didn't have the denim/jeans in the size 12 that I've been using for quilting but if the topstitch work ok then I'll switch.

So I wonder if I have to figure out my scant 1/4" all over again with new needle sizes. I hate doing that.

jajudd24

That is great to know. Thank You!

Lady Crafter

I didn't know there was a difference between brands. Could you explain what you feel is different? Do the Schmetz sew easier? Last longer? What is the microtex line ? I have some Schmetz needles, but also have Singers. Thanks for your time .... and help.

thepolyparrot

Microtex is a name used by Schmetz for one of their needles - it's a sharp with a pointier point and a slightly larger eye, if I remember correctly.

Shmetz and Organ have acted pretty much the same for me as far as durability, so I tend to buy Schmetz for specialty needles (metallic) and Organ for everything else. I can get the Organ brand sharps or ball points for about $15/100 on eBay, so in addition to being long-lasting, they're cheap! :)

I try not to ever use Singer needles - they seem brittle and have quality issues that I don't have with the other brands. (burrs, bent, blunt, etc.)

I've also used Klasse' needles and they seem to be very good but they're a lot more expensive than Organ.

donnalynett

How odd? Our JoAnn's has always carried a full line of machine needles. I prefer the "sharps".

Rhodim

The topstich needles are great for quilting. Doesn't your machine have a 1/4 inch foot??? It is my lifesaver.....

AlwaysQuilting

Just FYI, if your Joann's store has an area inside that they rent to a sewing machine dealer, they have more needles in that area also. They ring up all sales on their own register but don't use Joanne's coupons though.

BellaBoo

Singer makes two quality of needles. I've never seen the best quality Singer needles in any store, only at the old Singer dealers. I haven't seen a Singer dealership store in years either. I have a few packages left and I'm saving them for my Featherweight and 301. Singer needles are a tiny faction different in length and that makes a big difference when using the older Singers. I switched to Organ Titanium coated needles for my newer machines. They are the best needles for the money. They stay sharp so long they save me money.

gale

Our Joann's is very small. They don't even have classes often because all they have is a tiny room in the back and definitely no space for a sewing machine dealer. I've been to a few different Joann's stores around here and have never seen one even close to the tiny size of ours.

My machine does have a 1/4" foot but I have to adjust my needle position to get the correct 1/4". I was just happy to find a place to buy needles where I could buy one pack if I wanted and not have to pay more shipping than the needles cost.

Rhodim

If you get on their mailing list they often have sales and a one item 40 percent off coupon.

smiles