by Julie Mueller
julie-mueller@sbcglobal.net
Sewing Page: http://www.julies-acorn-press.com/6115.html
You may have thought that twin needles were only the domain of
heirloom embroidery; to make tiny pin tucks on baby’s fine fabrics.
Or maybe you recall someone saying that a twin needle makes a good hem
on knit garments, polar fleece or topstitching active wear. Perhaps
when you got a twin needle with your machine you looked at it, decided
you’d never use it and threw it in a drawer. Well, go look for it and
move over heirloom sewers, the embroidery world wants a piece of that
double needle action too!
Typically, a twin or double needle is characterized by two needles on
one needle shank. The needles come in a variety of sizes from 1.0mm
to 6.0mm with that size number the space between the needles. In
ordinary operation, the width of your selected design cannot exceed
the opening of your throat plate. So with a 7mm design you cannot use
more than a 2mm needle or the needle will hit the throat plate and go
flying! Most machines even have a button to press when using a twin
needle so you don’t exceed the size maximum.
Reading in your manual for the typical application of the needle, you
see that you need to use one bobbin thread and two top thread sources.
Put one spool on the horizontal pin and another on the upright pin
(or use a thread stand). Then, holding both ends as one, thread the
machine. One thread will go through the left needle and the other
thread will go through the right needle. Some machines recommend you
skip the last threading slot for one of the needles to prevent
tangling. Sorry, your automatic threader will not work with a twin
needle. Now when you stitch, two perfectly parallel rows are produced
on the top and a zigzag on the bottom.
Luckily, when we embroider we don’t have any of those needle width
restrictions because the needle just goes up and down, so we can sew
along merrily with our twin. Some of the more interesting
applications you can explore with the double needle are outlines,
quilting, red work and lettering (I’ve made a few samples of each of
these for you to consider).
Explore using the same color thread or different colored thread or
even variegated thread. Both give a new look to your embroidery. I
especially like doing lettering with a double needle and two closely
matched colors because it gives a shaded look and looks like you
worked a lot harder than you actually did . . . and we all want that!
This is a great idea.
Can’t wait to try it.
I have not had a lot of experience with this
and am still,still,still learning.
Thank you for this idea.
peggy
Excellent article. I have not tried the twin needle with machine embroidery but now I will. You made it sound easy and fun.
Jacqualin
I would love to try this, can you use any design with the twin needle? and how do you know which size twin needle to use.
Thank you for this idea. Sounds exciting.Today I hemmed jeans and am not happy with the zig-zag on the back. What am I doing wrong? Years ago I had great results hemming with the double. Have I lost my touch? I used my 960 Bernina. Thank you. Jean in Ohio
I am looking forward to trying this it sounds relly fun Thank you rose
Thanks for reminding me. I have not done any of these because of the width of the throat plate, but you correctly let me know that I don’t have to have a twin-needle design to use twin needles. Thanks,GramcrackerVicki
On the designer 1 when threading the machine you have to do it separately as one thread goes one side of the tension plate and the other the other side. Otherwise the threads tangle and can break the needle.
I’ve been wanting to try the double needle for some time now. After seeing how nice your lettering and designs turned out, I’m going to get that needle out and give it a try.
Thanks a bunch
Luanne
Thanks for the great idea. Never thought of trying that but will now.
Thank you for this article. I have used the twin needles for lots of things but never thought of using it with your ideas. Jean
What an excellent idea. I especially liked the effect of using one of the two threads to match the background fabric.
How terrific! Thank you. Being a newbee to all things embroidery, articles like this help take some of the fear away. I appreciate ideas like this. Thanks again. Linda
Great article. I have never used the twin needle before as I wasn’t quite sure what it was for or how to use it. Looking forward to trying it out and experimenting. Thanks.
Elizabeth
wow…have used the needel basically many times…but did not even think of embrodiery …thanks for another open door!!
Wow! what a great idea when doing “redwork”
Question is this the same as the WING NEEDLE that I see for some designs.
I would like to Thank You for talking about the mystery of the twin needle. I have even purchased a couple. Knowing that if I did try the needle not having a clue what I was doing I was going to break it for sure.
Thanks for the great information.
Pearl in RI
Great idea. Will try soon as I want to do a quilt with redwork designs and I love the way your work look. Thanks for tip.
Now, if someone would come up with “how” to thread a triple needle, I would be ever so grateful!
The double needle is very intersting. I tryed it once but did not like the results. I would like to learn more.
Alice
That sounds like a fun way to decorate quilts. I will try it soon. Thank you.
I have been embroiderying for about 10 years and I have never even tried to use the double needle. After reading your article I plan on trying it on something. I’ll just play around with it for a while until I know what I am doing but it looks very interesting.Thanks for the info.
Marjorie
I still haven’t tried using my twin needle. Kind of afraid of it I guess. lol But I will be trying it soon, now that I’ve seen your examples.
Thanks for the inspiration!
I would never though that would work.Thanks for shareing your good idea. ann
On my favorite “auction site” I found triple needles. I’m as eager to try some ideas with the triple needle as I am to try the twin needles in different widths. I consider myself an embroidery addict, believing there wasn’t much new to learn. Thanks for proving me so very wrong!
great article I have been wonderign about this after seeing it mentioned here and there I will have to see if my ME350E can do it!
Deb B in SC
I have found that using “wooly nylon ” in the bobbin when using twin needles to do hems on any knit fabric works well (this tip came from someone doing a seminar at a craft show a few years ago )I found that , when using ordinary thread in the bobbin after a while & several washes that the top stitches started to break.Wooly nylon comes in many colours so it isn’t that hard to find a similar colour match.
Never used the twin needle – you make it sound easy and useful
Thanks
I had never thought about it. Wonderful idea!
Wow, now that sounds exciting. I have been in a sewing funk for the past few weeks, but now I am excited to get back in there. Thank you double!!
Can’t wait to try this.
I really liked your suggestions for uses and the instructions. I’m anxious to give it a try. Love your site.
Thanks, Julie. I’ve also been embroidering for mahy years but have never thought of trying this. Thanks for the inspiration!
I love twin needle designs but they are pretty hard to find. Do you have twin needle designs for sale? If so I would love to pruse them and buy some designs.
Excellent article with encouraging results for many of. I can see from the comments that you might have started a new craze. I have used the double needle but for other than embroidery applications. Guess the next adventure will be go try a couple letters or some red work.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
This is a wonderful idea! Will try it soon
This is something I never thought of, you get a gold star for this idea.
I bought a double needle years ago for a job I was going to do with an old machine I have (sewing only) & never got the job, so that needle has sat there for years, waiting for the time it may get used. Do you have to have one that suits your machine or are they all universal?… I suppose I will just have to try it sloowwllly & see what happens. I’d love to be able to do that, it gives such a nice affect. My dad once showed me some script writing & added a second line slightly beside the original lines to give it pizzazz (terrible speller). Anyway, will try it out, all these amazing new ideas are mind boggling… I’ll have to write a tips book for all these things I’m learning so I don’t forget them…Thanks a Million!!!
A triple needle is just like a double needle but “one-more-for-fun”. Uses and operation are identical. A wing needle has a big blade on the shaft and punches a big hole in the fabric. It has some other uses.
this double needle idea is something i will try tomorrow Thank you for the tip
YOUR DESIGN IS VERY PRETTY, IT CERTAINLY ADDS TO A STRAIGHT STITCH DESIGN, ADDS A LOT OF CHARACTER. I NEVER KNEW YOU COULD DO THIS
Great article! Thanks for sharing! I never thought of using a twin needle for embroidery. I learn something new everyday.
Check out twin needles at the yahoo needle coop site – they are very reasonable as are all their needles.
Thank you so much for the info. I didn’t know I could do this !! Can’t wait to try it. Thank you again for sharing !
Excellent. This is great! I’ve always wanted to learn more about how to use the twin needle.
This is such a great idea I can’t wait to try it.
Thank you!
Kathy
At a Bernina Club class we did a wing needle ornament in Dec. using organdy. Depending on the thread used in the bobbin, say perle cotton,rayon or a heavier glitzy thread, the bobbin thread and color shows through with a shadow like effect.
…does not work with Janome MC 9700…1 needle too much “off side” for embroidery foot-it would be hitting the foot itself…i would really, really like to try it out. any ideas how? thanks…rina
Janome machine info- the twin & wing needles will not work with the 300E & 350E as they have a single needle throat plate. The other Janome emb machines need the special left centered twin needle that Janome makes especially for embroidery. For better stability in embroidery, the needle swings to the left of the throat plate so it acts more like a single needle plate, therefore the need for the special twin needle. The shaft is placed to the left directly above the left needle instead of in the middle of the 2 needles like the regular sewing twin needle. The widest made is a 2mm the last I knew. Your dealer can order them if they don’t have them. I have done twin needle emb this way since the 8000 & it is a neat technique. With the primrose type flower design that comes in the Customizer & 2 colors it can look like a pansy. Pretty.
Rina,
there is a center needle twin needle and also a right align twin needle. Ask your Janome dealer for the right needle. Maybe a needle came with your machine! Check your box of goodies.
Great review…I am going to jump up and do a redwork pillow top that I was not too excited about. You’ve inspired me now.
What a great idea with twin needles. I will defnintely do it.
From Monica
South Africa
Well I have so many designs I want to try this with. SiCK has given me so many that would be excellent for this. Thank you so much for a new idea.
What a fabulous idea. I have sewn with twin needles for many years however I never thought about using one in my embroidery projects. I will hit my dealers tomorrow for a few new ones, because like Pearl, I tend to need a back up.. LOL
thanks to this article I have a new “need to ME”
I tried the double needle embroidery. There is nothing hard about it and It is beautiful. I wish I had thought of it first, Ha Ha
How or where can I select the twin needle designs you have. I would like to try it soon.
Thank you,
Maria
I am interestin trying with the tweenneedle some designs that I had buy with you but . I want to know if I could use it in my brother embroidrey machine.
Thankyou you are the first one that tells me you need 2 threads in the needles. I thought you would have to but I wanted to find someone who confirmed that. Thankyou very much.