advanced quilter

Know Your Needles with JUKI

July 8, 2023June 12, 2023by sewinwithjuki3 Comments

When creating, you may wonder, what needle should I use on my machine and project? Today we will give you a lesson on needles and what you need to know before you start sewing your next idea. Understanding what needle you need will help you create without the mess of skipped stitches, a thread coming loose, a pucker in your fabric, and so much more. Let’s start from the bottom and work up to picking the right needle.

How do you read the needle size?

Depending on your fabric, you’ll want to find a needle that can puncture the fabric well but not tear it when you are sewing.

The needle size ranges from small to large, and each sewing machine needle will have two numbers etched onto it. Usually separated by a slash, these numbers determine whether it is a heavy-duty needle. 60/8, for example, is a lightweight needle suitable for cotton. At the same time, 90/14 is a heavyweight needle good for vinyl.

Now what do those numbers mean exactly? The first number is measured in the European/Number Metric (NM)/International system, for example, the 60 in 60/8. The metric number usually increases by 5 or 10 when you need to size up your needle for heavier fabric. Home sewing machine needle’s most common metric size is between 60 and 130.

The second number is measured in the American/U.S./Singer/Imperial system, for example, the 8 in 60/8. For your home sewing machine, the most common imperial size needed is between 8 and 21, and the needle sizes usually increase by 1 or 2.

How do you choose the right needle?

There are a few brand options for sewing machine needles, but today we will discuss Organ needles. When choosing a needle, our best recommendation is to pick the smallest one possible for the fabric you’re working with. Needles will leave holes in your fabrics as it goes, so you want to minimize the view of them.

Now know you’ll need to find the right needle for your fabric, we’ve compiled a list of fabrics and the recommended organ needle size to use when creating.

Fine Fabric: Silk, chiffon, and lace

Silk 55/7; Microtex 60/8 and 70/10

Lightweight Fabric: Cotton or spandex

Universal 80/12; Jersey 70/10 or 75/11; Super Stretch 75/11

Medium-Weight Fabric: Linen, fleece, velvet

Universal 80/12 or 90/14; Jersey 90/14; Super Stretch 90/14

Heavyweight Fabric: Leather, canvas, denim

Jeans (blue shank) 90/14 and 100/16

Very Heavyweight Fabric: upholstery or heavy denim

Titanium 90/14; Jeans (blue shank) 110/18

For all needles, including Organ needles, these are things to keep in mind:

Universal Needle is the most commonly used needle on a home sewing machine. It can be used on woven fabrics, synthetics, and knit fabrics. A universal needle should use polyester, cotton, or silk threads.
Ball Point Needle: with a rounded tip on the needle, this is commonly used for rib knits, interlock, cotton knits, fleece, double knit, and most knit fabrics. This is because the ballpoint pushes the fabric fibers apart rather than cutting them, preventing stitch runs.
Stretch Needle: with a scarf tip, this needle allows the hook to pass by and prevent skipped stitches when working on fabrics like stretch knits, silk jerseys, or spandex.
Jean Needle: You might have noticed above that Organ recommends a jean needle when working on denim material; this is because the very sharp point on the Jean needle can handle that firm fabric and cleanly pierce through. You can also use this on heavy canvas fabric or home décor linens. This is a perfect moment to study your thread too! If you’re working with threads like 100% polyester or heavier top stitching threads, this needle will help you create easier.
Sharp Needle: Quilters might know about this one. A sharp needle can penetrate through multiple layers of fabrics, like for quilting creations that involve several layers of cotton and padding. Helpful for preventing skipped stitches and needles breaking, a shark needle is an excellent needle to have no hand.
Quilting Needle: Quilters can also get the traditional quilter needles created for penetrating several layers of fabrics in projects. You will notice that quilter needles are a little shorter than Sharp needles. Choose the best needle size for your needs!

Remember, the thread you’re using for your sewing project will also determine the type of needle you choose! For example, if you’re creating with a fine thread, you’ll want to use a small needle size to reduce the thread from falling out the eye of the needle. Also, remember that the lighter the fabric, the smaller the needle size, and the heavier the fabric, the larger the needle size.

We hope this helps you create your next project as you use the right needle on your creation! To learn more about Organ needles, visit here.

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It’s The July Sewing Spectacular!

July 1, 2023June 12, 2023by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

Don’t miss your chance this month and visit your nearest JUKI dealer to learn about our HZL-G220 special! Save $200 this month only and discover all the amazing projects you can begin creating with this series.

To learn more, visit our website here and contact your nearest JUKI dealer today.

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

National Account Spotlight: Pass By Austin Sewing!

June 24, 2023May 24, 2023by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

Meet Austin Sewing! A sewing and quilting shop that helps creators like you find their perfect machine. From JUKI accessories and machines to the notions you love and fabrics you need, Austin Sewing is ready to help you start creating today.

Austin Sewing, first opened in 1953, and is one of the oldest Sewing Shops in Central Texas. Bob and his wife, Ruth Clark, have kept the store family owned and operated ever since, with Mike Smith, son-in-law, and his wife Robin currently running it. Having moved several times and having multiple active storefronts at one point, Austin Sewing has settled in Round Rock, TX. Visit them in the Renaissance Square Shopping Center and learn more about what to expect below!

Follow along below for a full transcript of our interview with Mike from Austin Sewing!

Hello, I’m Mike Smith with Austin sewing machines here in Round Rock Texas. So Austin sewing machines was first opened in the 1950s, but our family my father-in-law and mother-in-law purchased the store in 1987, when it was down on 9th in Red River in Austin, Texas about five years ago; Robin and I took over the store and are now running it at this time.

What JUKI Machine can a customer find at Austin Sewing?

So the JUKI machines that we have in stock here at Austin sewing is basically every JUKI QVP model that JUKI makes plus we have some non-QVP models in our shop, so there’s quite a few of them. We have accessories for every one of those machines that we stock quite a large selection. Obviously, we can’t keep them all the time but we do try to keep most of the more important, most wanted accessories in stock for you.

What are the benefits of being an Austin Sewing Customer?

So after you’ve purchased a machine at Austin sewing machines we try to take care of you after the sale, we know it’s not just here’s the box and off you go. So once you purchase the machines, we are a service center, we do all the warranty work on your machines here in shop for you. We also have classes for you, after you’ve done the purchase all the machines, so we’re trying to make sure that as a customer after you purchase from us it doesn’t stop there. Then we’re going to continue to try to support you after the sale. It’s very important to us to make sure you’re happy as well after the sale.

What other services are provided at Austin Sewing?

Okay, so as far as classes that go on, we try, like customers a lot of times that bought the machine somewhere else and they end up having problems with their machines or something, we do have a quick bench where if you bring your machine in we’ll be glad to try to just troubleshoot it real quick. Maybe it’s just something you didn’t know, like how to thread the machine, that you that you purchased somewhere else; we’ll be glad to help you with that just take a quick look. We do classes,like 101 classes, Tessa my store manager, also our teacher, she does classes in the store where if you purchase your machine somewhere else and are having trouble and can’t figure it out; it’s more of a one-on-one how-to use your serger or how to use a different sewing machine that you may have.

What makes Austin Sewing Unique?

So I guess, trying to say what makes Austin Sewing machine unique is that we have a 10,000 square foot store here. In the store there’s plenty of room, so if it gets crowded in here there’s plenty of room for you to move around. My staff is a young staff that is very knowledgeable in sewing machines and can help you with pretty much any question you have. We have over 3 000 bolts of fabric in here as well for you to shop at, and we have like I said 108 different sewing machines in here.

How can customers contact Austin Sewing?

So how you can reach us at Austin Sewing machine we’re located at 1601 South IH-35 Suite 300 Round Rock, Texas. Make sure that you add Round Rock Texas to your Googling or anything so that you end up in Round Rock and not in Austin. We have a social medias, you can reach us at Austin sewing.com and you can also reach out on Instagram and Facebook using Austin Sewing as a reference to get to that.

Find their website here!: https://austinsewing.com/

Visit your nearest JUKI dealer by visiting us here.

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

National Account Spotlight: Come Down To The Sewing Machine Shop

June 17, 2023May 26, 2023by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

Join us in meeting Dan Schoenberg, one of the owners of The Sewing Machine Shop located in the greater bay area of California!

Offering creators like you the full JUKI Line, sewing accessories, notions, and more, The Sewing Machine Shop is ready to help you find the right machine for your next dream project.

Follow along below for the transcript version of our interview with Dan Schoenberg, one of the owners of The Sewing Machine Shop.

Hi, my name is Daniel Schoenberg I’m the owner of the sewing machine shop here in Walnut Creek California. We’ve been in business for 35 years and we specialize in the sales and service of household and Industrial sewing machines. We carry a lot of related accessories and supplies like thread and needles presser feet scissors etc. and yeah that’s about it. That’s what we do; we don’t do vacuum cleaners, we don’t do alternative appliances, we’re just sewing machines only.

What Inspired You To Open The Sewing Machine Shop?

I actually started out of college; my older brother was a commercial sewing machine technician and he wanted to start a shop when I finished College. He gave me a job offer and the rest is history. We started in 1987 and have been growing ever since.

Why Do Customers Love Visiting The Sewing Machine Shop?

We have a very good reputation now built up over many years. We carry a variety of sewing machines, different brands, models, types; so everyone can come and sew on these machines and compare models with a fairly unbiased view of what we like.

What Machines Can A Customer Find At Your Shop?

When customers come here, first they’ll see that big selection of machines. We carry four different brands, and they can get machines from as little as 200 going all the way up to our top-of-the-line machines in excess of fifteen thousand dollars. We carry a lot of specialty machines; we carry long arm quilting machines like you see here on the right, and we carry embroidery machines, multi-needle, for commercial and semi-commercial use. We have a very very good staff here that are all accomplished sewers themselves so when you get a demonstration on machines you’ll be able to get a professional opinion and you’ll be able to ask all your questions that you have, all your concerns should be answered very honestly and straightforward.

What Are The Benefits Of Being A Customer?

So once a person purchases a machine from us they’ll get great service beyond the sale. We have extensive classes, usage classes to learn how to use the machine, all the way up to more advanced classes to learn how to create garments, create quilts. We have three full-time technicians here so we do a lot of servicing and repair work, including any warranty work that our customers might need, and customers can just drop in sometimes anytime for minor things like fixing a needle threader. We can diagnose the machine in front of them many times, we can get them going right away, we don’t need them to leave their machine if it’s something simple that we can fix on the spot and many times we don’t even charge any money for that

Why Did You Start Carrying JUKI Machines?

Yeah, we started carrying JUKI machines many years ago. We started even before they introduced a full domestic multi-stitch machine. So the machines we focused on with JUKI were the machines that bridge the gap between household sewing and Commercial sewing. Our most popular JUKI machine is their TL series, which they’ve had for many years, and that is a semi-industrial straight stitch only machine that can sew quite high speeds up to 15 – 1600 stitches per minute. It can take all standard, common industrial sewing machine accessories and it’s a huge seller among not only our quilting Quilters who like speed and a larger throat area, but our garment sewers, and tailors, and dressmakers, and designers as well.

What Makes The Sewing Machine Shop Unique?

I think what makes The Sewing Machine Shop unique is our staff and our people and the vast knowledge that we combine as a group. So between me and the rest of our technicians from the technical side, we’re talking about about a 100 years combined of experience working on machines, and our staff we have another, I would say another 100 years of combined sewing experience. Whether it’s quilting or garment making, or embroidery which is a big aspect of what we do, so I think the selection of the machines having five different brands that you can compare side by side combined with our staff with a vast experience is what sets us apart from other sewing machine dealers.

Having a place where you can actually try the machines before you buy the machines in a no-pressure environment is a very important thing, especially now with the internet and being able to buy so many things online and not getting to touch it, to try it, to listen to the sound of the machine, to ask all your questions in real time; I think that is what I would like to express my customers.

Come into the shop and just take a look around. Talk to our staff, just browse, sew on the machines if you want; if you don’t want to that’s okay too, see what supplies and accessories and notions we have here so the next time you’re in need of anything that has to do with sewing or sewing machines you’ll know what we offer.

How Can We Contact The Sewing Machine Shop?

thanks for listening to this video and I just invite everyone to come on down to the sewing machine shop the best way to really stay in touch with us is to go to our website sewing machine shop.com and you can sign up for our newsletter and our email on our email list um you can also follow us on Facebook but I think we’re sending out weekly informational articles promotions future classes and events so uh go to sewing machineshop.com sign up for our email list and you’ll be able to stay in touch with us

To learn more about The Sewing Machine Shop, visit their website here! Thank you for joining us today in getting to know RDan Schoenberg, one of the owners of The Sewing Machine Shop. We hope you get a chance to visit the next time you’re in the area!

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

National Account Spotlight: Meet NorCal Sewing and Vacuum

May 27, 2023May 12, 2023by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

On today’s blog, we got to sit down and interview owner Richard Montrouil from JUKI National Account shop NorCal Sewing and Vacuum in California! Learn about how NorCal came to be, and what customers like you can expect when shopping at one of their two locations.

Follow along below for the transcript version of our interview with Richard Montrouil, owner of NorCal Sewing and Vacuum Centers.

Hi, my name is Richard Montrouil and I’m the owner of NorCal sewing and vacuum Centers located in Elk Grove California and we also have a store in Visalia California

What Is The History of NorCal?

Yeah, so I grew up in the industry; my family started in the 60s about 1965 and started as Kirby salesman, went into Singer sewing machines, I came into the business in 1990 when my brother owned a few stores in Elk Grove and Sacramento, and basically I was working through college and I kind of fell in love with the family business and went off to do other things but then came back and this location here my wife and I took over in 2011, and then we got into quilting machines about 2014. So we’ve been doing it for that long.

What Can Customers Expect When Shopping At NorCal?

So when you come into our store, number one the we we treat customers grea,t we treat them like family; you come in we make you feel welcome, we take care of you, we support our customers. If you have any questions we’re always there to help. We always guarantee and warranty all our repairs so if you bring repairs in we we fix them on a timely manner and we take care of you, and then we always give free lessons, free training after purchase. So when you purchase a JUKI from us we’re gonna sit down make sure you know how to use it correctly and we’re always there for you.

Why Did NorCal Choose To Start Carrying The JUKI Brand?

We saw a lot of JUKI sewing machines started coming into our store for repair, and we had a demand; well we were new to quilting in general so we had a lot of people asking about the quilting machines, the sewing machines, and then as soon as I was at VDTA one year and I could get a hold of a JUKI representative I wanted to carry JUKI; just so we could support our local customers because there was no one in the area that took care of JUKI. So we then we were able to get parts and fix long arms and sell long arms and that’s how we did it!

What Classes Can Customers Attend At NorCal?

So we do free one-on-one classes, and then a few times during the year we have these events where you can come. If you purchase from us, it’s free classes; we do hands-on events in our store about three to four times a year teaching you ruler work, different things and then of course you always have free one-on-one support; you just have to call and set up a time and then we’ll we’ll be here for you and do a one-on-one lesson.

What Makes NorCal unique?

You know what, we’re probably the only dealer in probably all of California, at least Northern California, that will actually go to the customer’s house and fix their machines there. So that’s really unique, I don’t think too many other dealers do tha,t they don’t have the staffing. I have seven technicians and we travel all around California and Nevada and fix long arms. We also, when you purchase machines from us, we do free setup and delivery; so that’s unique too. A lot a lot of guys will charge you twelve hundred dollars to deliver a long arm we do it for free.

What Do You See For The Future Of NorCal?

You know, I have three young daughters, well not young; I have a 15 year old, a 21 year old, and a 27 year old daughter. The future of NorCal is we’re a family business and I dream and pray that someday my girls take over but we’re going to be around for a very long time and you know we’re here for you guys.

How Can Customers Contact NorCal?

We have two locations to serve California; we have our main store is Elk Grove California, it is 8705 Elk Grove Boulevard, Elk Grove, California 95624 and our telephone number there is 916-714-0904.

We also have a store in Visalia California, the address is 3340 South Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, California 93277 phone number is 559-372-7200

Our website if you want to go and look at products or email us through there is norcalsovac.com.

How Can Customers Find NorCal?

Whoever wants to come, if you can’t make it to the stores in Elk Grove and Visalia to try out the JUKI quilt machines, commercial quilter here or the SAI 8 needles multi-needle, you can come and see us a few times during the year at quilt shows.Ssome of the big ones are Cal Expo in Sacramento in March, we’ll be in Roseville in August, and then in October we do the Pacific International quilt festival and you can come and try out JUKI longarms, come and meet us. So come and see us at quilt shows, come and try JUKI’s we’re ready for you!

To learn more about NorCal Sewing and Vacuum Centers, visit their website here! Thank you for joining us today in getting to know Richard Montrouil, owner of NorCal Sewing and Vacuum Centers. We hope you get a chance to visit the next time you’re in the area!

Tag: advanced quilter

National Account Spotlight: Pass By Austin Sewing!

National Account Spotlight: Come Down To The Sewing Machine Shop

National Account Spotlight: Meet NorCal Sewing and Vacuum

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