How To Use A Curved Upholstery Needle
When upholstering furniture, you cannot use an ordinary needle. You need to make some stitches on curved parts of the furniture of the upholstery fabric. Most upholstery is done by hand. A straight needle will not produce the expected results.
To enhance the quality of your upholstery process, you need a curved needle. Curved needles are popular for the ease with which they get around corners in furniture. They are strong enough to sew all types of upholstery fabric.
How Do You Use A Curved Upholstery Needle?
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A curved needle is like any other needle, except it’s curved. It has a sharp point and an eye. It is best used for parts of the furniture that are hard to handle. For example curves at the shoulder of a seat.
Thread your needle with your favorite upholstery thread. At this point, you will find that the fabric is difficult to sew with a straight needle. Insert your curved needle through both pieces of fabric then push it out.
The curved needle will make a strong stitch on these fabrics easily. Once the stitch is made, you don’t have to go back.
Step 1. You will need your curved needle. There are different types of curved needles. Just like ordinary needles, you can have a small or large curved needle. Get the right curved needle for the project that you are working on. You will also need a thread, suitable upholstery fabric, and furniture.
Like in ordinary needles, different curved needles have different number labels. The larger the number, the smaller and sharper the needle. Also, the curved needle has a pointed edge and a needle eye through which you thread it.
Curved needles are easily available in craft shops. You can buy it as you buy your other sewing supplies.
Step 2. Thread your needle. You do it as you do on ordinary needles. Measure a piece of thread suitable for the project or part you want to sew. Straighten the thread and insert it through the eye of the needle and tie a knot at the end of the thread.
When using a curved needle, make sure to use the appropriate thread for your current project. When upholstering, make sure to use a thread that is suitable for the fabric you are sewing.
Step 3. With your needle threaded, you can start sewing.
Even though the curved needle is similar to the ordinary needle, you can’t use it as an ordinary needle. The curved needle needs more control to make sure that you get the kind of stitches you need.
The first thing you need to know is how to hold it. Don’t hold it like a straight thread. Hold it with two fingers at the back and thumb in the curved part. This gives you proper control over the movement of the needle.
The next thing you need to know is how to insert it into the fabric. Holding it with your three fingers, insert the sharp tip of the needle into your fabric. Then curve the needle to move it along the fabric as easily as it came in.
The longer the curve of the needle in the fabric, the longer the stitch you make. Don’t put the whole needle in the fabric unless you want long stitches. Once your needle is in the fabric, push it slightly and curve it back up to finish your stitch.
Step 4. The curved needle doesn’t go back to the point it came from. You only move to the next point on the fabric that needs sewing. This is why it is suitable for upholstery, especially on curved parts.
Step 5. When using the curved needle for upholstery, you will use it in the curved parts that may need hand stitching. A curved needle is strong enough to get through layers of fabric or a hard fabric easily.
Step 6. When upholstering you want to make a blind stitch with your curved needle. So, thread your needle. Then insert it at a corner on the part of the fabric you want to hand stitch. Lift the fabric slightly so that the thread is hidden when the stitch is made. Thus the name of the stitch, blind stitch.
When making hand stitches on upholstery, you will need a regulator. This tool helps to tuck in any excess fabric lifted from the furniture by the curved needle.
Step 7. When you have hidden your first stitch, insert your needle into the opposite side of the fabric. This is in the fabric on the inside part of the furniture. Make small stitches to compliment your blind stitch on the fabric outside the furniture piece. This stitch holds the stitch firmly onto the furniture. Repeat this stitch to the end of the furniture piece
Step 8. At the end of the part you are hand stitching, you can make a French knot. This ties your thread in the furniture fabric and hides it from view. You can do this easily with a curved needle. Make a loop with your thread and pass the needle through the loop as you are finishing hand stitching. Then, push the knot with your regulator under the fabric if it is slightly visible over the fabric.
Choose a thread that is similar to the fabric that you use to upholster the furniture. This helps to make the blind stitch and to make your work neater.
When To Use Curved Needles?
Curved needles are not commonly found in the sewing supplies boxes of many seamstresses. However, there are several instances where sewing with curved needles is the most appropriate thing to do.
First, when you want to sew two fabrics together like in furniture upholstery, you can use a curved needle. Make sure to use a strong needle as furniture fabric may be a bit stronger than ordinary fabric.
You can also use the curved needle when dealing with already mounted embroidery. If you have your embroidery on a hoop and would like to repair it, the curved needle is the best needle to use.
You can also use it to mend things like buttons and decorations that are falling off the garments they are sewn on.
Also, when you are sewing through layers of fabric, the curved needle is a good choice of needle for this task.
Make sure to use a strong needle for every task that you will use it for. Also, hold the needle properly to maintain proper control to avoid breaking it while sewing.
Can You Make Curved Needles For Yourself?
If you find yourself in a situation that requires you to use a curved needle when you don’t have one, you can make it for yourself. All you need is a candle, a lighter, a strong darning needle, and two needle-nose pliers.
Darning needles are strong and have a large needle eye. This means that they will make a strongly curved needle, and you can use it on hard to work on or heavy fabrics.
The first step to curving your needle is to light the candle. Hold your needle with the pliers on both sides over the fire on the candle.
As the needle hats up, it becomes lighter to curve. Using your pliers, fold the ends of the needle towards each other until you are satisfied with the size of the curve you have made.
Place your needle on a solid surface away from any fabric and let it cool. Blow off the candle for enhanced safety in your working area.
Once the needle has cooled, wipe off the soot in the area you burned. Thread it and start working with your curved needle.
Why Use A Top Stitching Needle?
Topstitching is the rows of stitching made on the right side of the fabric. Topstitching is for decoration. Further, it is best done with a sewing machine rather than by hand sewing. For the best topstitching results, always use a topstitching needle.
When you are topstitching, the most important things to consider are the fabric you are working on, the needle and thread to use, and the presser feet on your sewing machine. It is important to have the right skills and the right tools to enjoy the best results of topstitching.
The topstitching needle is the most important tool for this task. It is different from other needles because it has a large eye. Almost twice as large as that of ordinary needles. Making it easy to thread the needle. With the ease of threading, you can be sure that there won’t be frays on your sewing.
The topstitching needle has a strong shank. It can go through several layers of fabric easily. It also is coated with titanium nitrate making it stronger and more durable than ordinary needles. It also has a groove along the shank. This groove allows the thread to rest and straighten as it goes through fabric layers.
Crafting has always been a deep-seated passion of mine, one that has flourished and evolved over the years.
I've dedicated considerable time to both studying and practicing in the realm of fashion and sewing, amassing a wealth of experience and skills.
It brings me great joy to share these insights and experiences with you all, hoping to inspire and foster a similar passion for the art of sewing.
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