Sewing machine needles for quilting
 

Somewhere I've read that you should always use a size 18 sewing machine needle for quilting, because the eye is larger, takes any size thread, and passes easily thru all the layers. Sounds reasonable. My question is where can you buy this size only without getting all the other various sizes of needles that you don't want. I've looked on Amazon, and can only find those with a flat shank (both sides of the needle are flat). Not sure these will work in my Janome machines which are MC 6500P and a 1600P. Nearest Janome dealer is 30 miles away. Is there somewhere else to order from that I'm forgetting about?

I've never used a needle that size to quilt. Schmetz makes a quilting needle that has a larger eye and very sharp point and this is what I normally use. On some of my smaller quilts I will use a 90/14 regular needle. Then again I seldom use any thread heavier than a 30 weight. As for the Janome shop being miles away, I am sure they would mail the needles. I wish any machine dealer was 30 miles from me since mine are all over 75 - 100 miles away.

I use a Schmetz Micro Tex 90/14, it is sharper which I like because I quilt a lot of Batiks. Otherwise I use Schmetz 90/14 and I buy them from Wawak. I also buy thread and zippers from them.

That's for a longarm, which stitches a lot faster. 16 minimum, generally 18.

On a domestic, 90/14 is the usual recommendation.

Topstitch needles have a larger eye and are used by several professional quilters for all piecing and quilting.

My vote is a Schmetz needle for quilting (on my Janome). Works for me.

It will also depend on the thread you are using. If the needle eye is too big for the thread you are using, the thread is more likely to break. Aurifil recommends an 80/12 sharp/microtex/universal/quilting or denim when using their 50 weight thread.

yep, need a larger sized needle on long arms vs domestic machines. On my Bernina's and Viking's, I tend to use whatever needle is on my machine at the time which actually is an 80 universal as I purchased a box of 100 of them a while back and normally would be using sofine 50 or aurfil 50 as my thread. On my long arm my default needle is a 4.0 which is also known as a 110 or a size 18 depending on what numbering system you are using; I generally am using soFine 50 as the thread.

9 out of 10 quilting shops use Organ needles in the machines. They sell other brands but Organ is the top of the line. Superior thread needles are Organ brand. I would suggest reading about needles at Superior website. Lots of info there. I buy them all the same size in bulk at Amazon. Not expensive. I use Schmetz universal for my Featherweight. It is the perfect length for it. Other brand of needles are not the same length and will not give a perfect stitch on the FW. Learn this in every FW class maintenance class I have taken. Each time the instructor had everyone change needles in the FW to Schmetz before even beginning to troubleshoot and repair.