Needle-Sense
 

I went from someone who never changed a needle to someone who now has a collection of a gillion types of needles and I change them frequently, depending on my project. My problem is that I cannot read the needle head anymore to see what size I've put in the machine. I started noting the current needle on a sticky note next to my machine and then I thought...I know just who to ask about this!! Anybody have some good ideas on how to keep up with just what needle you've got in your machine so you can re-file it back in it's package when you've finished your project?

When I have a project with a certain needle, I usually put a sticky note or staple a sticky note to the piece of fabric used in the project and just stick the needle in it. Attach it to the pattern? whatever. Just like any other projects. Stick in a Ziploc.

I have a craft box from JoAnn's, I think they're for beads. Each slot is just big enough to hold needle packages. I have two machines and I use two different buttons and drop one in the slot for the needle that's in the machines.

I use a pin cushion tomato. It has sections around it and I mark the needle size in the sections with a Sharpie. I keep my used-but-still-sharp needles in the proper section and can easily find the size I want.

In sept there will be a quilt show in Meritta They have a really neat needle holder. You put a flower pin in a section indicating the needle you have in the machine. They sell it at the registration desk. It is a really neat way to identify the needles. You might search on the site for The Origional Sewing And QUILTINg Expo and see if they sell it on line.

So how do you tell what's in the machine a week later?

Magnifying glass............

Take the packet it came from and using a piece of double sided sticky put the packet on the side of your machine . Will stay in place while you use it and then you can replace and put new pa let there for a new size.

Now THAT is ingenious. And simple as can be. Thank you for a great tip!

This was made for me by sewdamncute in the Secret Pal swap. One of the best presents I've ever received! I use a coloured pin to indicate which needle is in my machine - one for my Janome and one for my Pfaff.

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Also, to read the needle size, buy a jewellers loupe from the likes of eBay for a few dollars. I don't really use mine much now I've got them organised, but occasionally I forget to move the pin, lol!