Hand Sewing Needles, Felting Needles and Magnetic Sewing Pins
Machine needles are covered in the YLI titanium needles guide; this guide covers the hand-work side of the needle drawer, plus the magnetic pin system whose cutting-mat sibling lives in the Sew Magnetic guide.
Hand Sewing Needles
John James Easy Threading Needles — John James produces the finest hand sewing needles available, and the Easy Threading design adds a self-threading feature for sewers who find standard needle threading difficult. The Easy Threading needle has a slot at the top of the eye that allows thread to be pressed in from the side rather than threaded through — a significant accessibility improvement. Available through United Notions at Linda's.
Felting Needles
Wool felting needles are barbed needles used to mat and compress wool fibres — essential for wet and dry wool felting and wool applique work. Available in multiple point styles and sizes:
- Felting Needles Assorted Sizes — 4ct — a mixed-size assortment for general felting projects across different fibre densities
- Felting Needles #36 Triangle Point — 4ct — the coarser triangle point for faster fibre entanglement in dense projects
- Felting Needles #38 Star Point — 4ct — the star-shaped cross section for efficient felting across a range of densities
- Felting Needles #40 Triangle Point — 4ct — the finer #40 for detail work and finishing on felted pieces
SewTites Magnetic Sewing Pins
SewTites Magnetic Sewing Pins use powerful rare-earth magnets to hold fabric layers together during sewing — no traditional pins, no pin pricks, no pins getting caught in presser feet. Particularly useful for longarm loading and machine quilting where traditional pins are impractical:
- SewTites Midi Mix — mixed size set of midi magnetic pins
- SewTites Ultras — the full-strength ultra-grip magnetic pins for heavier fabrics and multiple layers
- SewTites Super Mix — a comprehensive assorted set covering all project types
Shop Needles and Pins at Linda's
Frequently Asked Questions
How does an easy-threading needle work?
A tiny slot above the eye — pull the thread down against it and the thread snaps into the eye from the side, no aiming required. For anyone whose eyes or hands make conventional threading a battle, it returns hand-binding and hand-sewing to the evening routine.
What do felting needle numbers mean?
Gauge — higher numbers are finer: #36 roughs in shapes fast, #38 is the all-rounder, #40 finishes surfaces smooth. The barbs only work on the down-stroke, so felting is straight in-and-out jabs; bending the needle sideways snaps it.
Where do magnetic pins beat conventional pins?
Anywhere a pin can't or shouldn't pierce — cuddle and cork (permanent holes), bag layers too thick to pin, longarm leader attachment, and binding clips that never meet the needle. They hold from both faces of the fabric, which pins simply can't.