On my longarm, I change before each project. However, on my Janome when I'm piecing, I change when it breaks or makes a funny noise. It kind of makes a popping sound when it's going through the fabric, so I figure it's gotta dull. I think I probably should change it more, but haven't really had a problem.

I can't imagine what you all are doing to break needles. I change mine pretty regularly. I can tell when the needle gets dull by the way my machine is sewing and I change it.

Okay here's another question. If you switch between embroidery one day, piecing the next, do you change needles? That's what I'm doing and I just forget!

I change sewing machine needles when:

The needle seems dull or snagged - the machine just sounds different

When the fabric is different from what I had been working with: Example - Hemming denim jeans to sewing lace on nylon tricot - I go from a denim needle to a small ballpoint needle

I try and change with every 8 to 10 hours. I also change needles for various jobs, embroidery, piecing, quilting. It really does make a difference if you use new,job specific needles. Think about it, a needle is really the cheapest part of sewing, compared to buying a sewing machine, fabric, thread. And yet, people will keep the same needle in forever and then wonder why their machine is just not working right. A sewing machine repair person once told me that it's amazing. People will come into his store because the machine is not working, he changes the needle and the machine works fine. As sewers we really need to change the needle more frequently.

8-10 hours, as mentioned above I can hear the difference when it's getting dull.
Why be a cheapskate about a needle when we have ten billion dollars invested in fabric? :)

Such an interesting subject. I think most of us use our needles until our sewing starts changing, i.e. skipped stitches, frayed thread, etc. I always change when something is not "normal". I always change when going from sewing to embroidery. My problem is changing to the "right size" needle. If there is an 90 in it, it is a 80 I use. I have recieved free needles with orders from Nancy's notions - Klase. These I do not like. I used 3 in 2 days making a small wall hanging.

I agree!!! I change needle after each project.....having invested lots of £££s on my Janome 7700 I have no intention of damaging it for the sake of a few pence!!

I'd like to say I change after each project, but since I'm working on 3-4 things at a time that wouldn't work for me. I usually have piecing to do, applique to be sewn, and quilting to be done. Once I finish with the quilting and binding of a quilt (cuz I'm too lazy to do it by hand) I take my bobbin case out, clean the whole machine and change the needle so I can start with a "clean slate".

On my sewing machine, I'm like MICHELLEOC in that I have several projects going on at the same time and sew for different lengths of time....sometimes all day = sometimes for a few hours in the evening.

If it's a customer's item I'm working on, I put in a new needle automatically. I may continue to sew on my own projects while using this same needle. Then if there's a quality issue or if the stitching 'pops', I change the needle again and the problem is solved. So overall the needle is changed quite frequently.

On the longarm machine, however, a new needle is put in with each quilt. :thumbup:

Nan - IN