Onebyone

I buy needles I use to piece in bulk of 100 at a time at Amazon for about $9. Organ brand is the industry standard so that is good for me. I change every two bobbins. I use prewound bobbins so they last a little longer than machine wound. I looked at a needle tip under a microscope after sewing for four bobbins and I was shocked it had no tip anymore and was flat. Being so tiny it isn't noticeable but the needle is sewing with no tip. I tested different brands of needles. The brand didn't make any difference, the tip was gone.

Lena1952

It is recommended you change your machine needle every 8 hours of sewing. Usually it takes me that long to completely finish a large sofa sized quilt. A baby quilt would be much less time. So you can’t always use the rule of after every project. I will say that I clean out the bobbin area each and every time I put in or change the bobbin. But that’s a subject for another discussion.

Iceblossom

At least after every project. Bonnie Hunter I usually use 2... and then of course an entirely new needle/different size for the quilting.

I buy in bulk and I buy on sale. $1 per needle is super cheap as opposed to the cost of my time and aggravation. Even new needles can have tiny flaws and some just do break the same thread more often than others. So if things were going well and then not so well after the new needle, I just toss it and start over with a fresh one.

The pooka pooka sound happens when your needle is beyond dull. Instead of cleverly sneaking among the threads, it is punching holes in your fabric.

Austinite

I change it before each project, yank the old needle, pull up the bobbin plate, clean it all out, fresh needle, rethread, considering all the other costs like fabric, thread, time, my 60 cent needle (calculated on what I paid for the pack like 3 years ago) is lost in the noise.

for small projects like little mug rugs or scrub hats, i'll listen for a change in how it sounds or change after every few.

bearisgray

What do you do with your used needles?

Do you discard them right away?

Do you save them, just in case?

If you save them, how do keep them?

Onebyone

I don't have a use for old needles. I toss the needle in the trash bin.

JanieW

I save a few and use them instead of nails to hang pictures, wall hangings, etc. The others go in an old prescription bottle and into the garbage.

GingerK

I also save a few. And I use an old Kraft Parmesan shaker to dispose of used blades, needles and bent pins. When it eventually gets full--probably not in my lifetime LOL--I will tape it closed and put it in the trash.

QuiltE

At the back of my sewing table, I have a piggy bank replicating a postal mailbox.
Because of that, it has a much larger hole for the mail/money and in this case sharps, than a piggy bank normally would.

Easy to drop in needles and pins when I send them on their way!
Better still with that large opening, the rotary blades have more than enough room to slide on in.

It's getting quite heavy already and I know it's a long way before it'll be full.

Snooze2978

I change usually when I've broken the needle or I start to skip stitches on both my regular machine and quilt machine.