How often do your change your machine's needle?

I was told to change it between each completed quilting project. But am curious about what others might have to say on this one :)

I'm bad. I tend to change when they break or when they start pushing the fabric down into the feed dogs. I know, I'm supposed to change it whenever I start a new project but I never finish a project so I'm always starting a new project.

But I do change to a brand new needle when I'm attempting to fmq. I need all the help I can get when it comes to quilting.

Yes, there is the "between each project" but one can go from a table runner to a king size quilt ... and a lot also depends on the type of piecing you are doing - little pieces (lots of seams), but pieces, paper piecing??

Other teachers will tell you after X hours of sewing, but of course the rules above will still differ to a degree what can be done in X hours. And the type of fabric, I think batiks are rougher on needles than a more open woven fabric. I'm not sure if heavy starch makes any difference or not - I guess it's possible.

So instead of counting hours and taking all of the variables into consideration ....

... I use my ear. I can hear the different sound an old needle makes as it pierces the fabric (soft thunk or pop) compared to a new needle (no sound or a very soft pfft).

I'm like DogHouse, depends, on if I am doing ME, and # of stitches, and density of design. The sound of the machine, and the apprearence of the stitch........cheaper to replace a needle than pay for a repair......calla

Every few hours - especially if I'm free-motion quilting, where the machine is running just about constantly between bobbin changes and repositioning.

The needle makes a thwap-thwap-thwapping sound when it's dulling, but I'd rather change it before it actually dulls.

i break all the rules in this area.....i change it when i break it from not moving my needle position back to normal when i change my pressure foot ;)

I agree with DogHouseMom. I can tell just by listening.

I also change my needle based on the sound the needles is making..

..or when I forget to change my setting on my Brother machine for needle placement and break one. UGH.

I mainly change it when it breaks.

This is what I do too. I can hear the soft little pop when the needle is getting dull. Then I change it.

When I hear a "popping" sound when the needle enters the fabric, I know it's getting dull. I change it.

That popping sound warns me too that it is time to change the needle. There is a definite change in sound when it's becoming dull.

Every time I start a new project

Go to www.schmetzneedles.com and look under Learning Center. There is a lot of excellent info about sewing needles. Also, a video showing how needles are made is very interesting.

I change mine before I start a new project then again before I quilt the project. You really should change your needle after 8-10 hours of sewing.

When they appear dull.

Depends what I'm making. Maybe every two big projects.
But if I will change my needle immediately after sewing micro-fleece
because the needles gets so dull. A good indication that the needle
needs to be changed is when the thread starts to break or nest for no
apparent reason. I so use leaders and enders when sewing.

Hi,

My Babylock dealer told us to change our needle every 8 hours of sewing, or at the start of a new project, use your good judgement. But, don't wait until it breaks or bends etc.!

I know with my embroidery I can tell when I need a new needle, my thread starts breaking, change the needle, problem solved.

Needles are cheap, machines and our fabrics are not.....

Bev

new project, needles aren't that expensive

I change mine when I start piecing a new project and then again when I am going to start fmq.

When I hear the pop - you girls who wait til it breaks are making me cringe - it could damage your machine or worse, fly up and hit you in the eye.

I change mine often; a dull needle not only makes a little popping noise, but it can misbehave, causing stitches to skip or shredding delicate quilting thread when FMQing. If I start experiencing thread or stitching problems anytime (no matter how "new the needle), I change the needle and problems are almost always resolved.

I use titanium needles from Superior Threads - they last forever.
Bob's website says 8x longer than regular needles
Mine's been in for over a year, Oct 09 I think.
I do not sew as much as most of you, but have done 2 or 3 tops with it.

after every quilt..

I'm another that usually only changes needles when I break them. I usually sew over pins and amazingly I still don't break that many. And if I hear the machine making a 'struggling' noise, I change the needle/bobbin. Definitely makes a difference.

I have been doing more embroidery than sewing lately, but I find I don't change as often as I should on the sewing machine. If I am embroidering towels, I change after I do several and I definitely do change needles before I start doing something with less thickness. Thanks, GAgal, for the info!

The neatest article appeared in our newspaper a couple of years ago about a man in his 80s who had always wanted a sewing machine. His wife wasn't interested in sewing so after she died he bought one and began making quilts. He lived in a retirement home and they told him he couldn't sew before 6a.m. or after 10 a.m because it bothered his neighbors. He had been sewing for a couple of years and finished several quilts. His comment was that he had 'just about worn out one sewing machine needle already'!

When it breaks.

LOL!!! Happens to me all the time!!! :)

As long as it is sewing okay, I don't change it unless I need a different size.

every 4 - 6 hours of sewing. If you think about it is the cheapest, yet most important part of the sewing machine. Without a nice sharp tip on your needle the quality of your stitches will not be good enough.

After every 8 hours of sewing or after every project whichever comes first. Not changing your needle can cause your timing to go out, resulting in skipped stitches, or what appears to be tension issues thus leading to costly service bills. Needles are cheaper then a service bill.

If I'm just sewing quilt tops, table runners, etc. I change the needle when the stitches start getting wonky. I always put a new needle in when I begin quilting several small pieces and/or a large quilt project.

On my Vikings, I change the needle after every 8-12 hours of sewing or embroidery.

I change it depending on the thread I'm using, but otherwise I wait til it goes "crunch"!

My machine says tick tick tick when the needle gets bad, I've gotten into the habit of waiting for that little noise. Probably hard on my little "Shasta". but I don't waste a lot of needles

That depends upon how big your "project" is. A bent or scarred needle with a burr can lead to wear on your thread and fabric as you piece it...not to mention lots of jams. I try to "listen" to my needle. It makes a certain noise as it goes into the fabric. When it gets dull or gets a burr, I can hear a different noise...a kind of quiet popping as it goes thru the fabric, as though I were sewing thru thin paper. Regardless, I usually change it every 10-15 hours of strong sewing. My machine just runs more smoothly. And if you are buying them at JoAnns with a half off coupon, they are really cheap compared to the hassle of a jam. If I have any kind of thread problem, putting in a new needle is the first thing I do.

When I hear it starting to make noise while penetrating the fabric. That is a different noise than a freshly sharp needle. Definitely at the beginning of any new project if it is a large one. Sometimes in the middle if I have hit something with the needle. If you buy your needles in bulk you will always have one ready to go when you need one. It is a real drag to have to drive across town for a needle.
John

When it breaks or when it begins to "pop" as it goes through the fabric.