Well, I was browsing through my BLOG NOTES, a little book I keep handy to jot down things to share with you... and I'm getting near the bottom of the well of things I had noted, LOL, so if anyone has anything they think others would like to know about, please let me know - I'm always looking for inspiration!

This month's tips were inspired by a newsletter from my needlework guild (Quinte Needle Arts Guild, out of Belleville), and offers some tips about needles... here are some of the hilites of that article by Judith Best, along with some thoughts of my own:

There are different types of needles, as most of you know... SHARPS are used for embroidery, and have a sharp tip and long eye, allowing them to ease through tightly woven fabric, like cotton.  These are great for surface embroidery.  BETWEENS are similar to SHARPS, but shorter, while CHINELE are also similar to SHARPS, but shorter and thicker (they're good for heavier yarns, such as those used in Crewel work).

DARNERS are also like SHARPS, but they are longer, and the eye is not elongated.  Being longer, they are great for running stitches, or any 'darning-like' stitch.  QUILTING NEEDLES have sharp tips as well, but they are shorter, to resist bending over long periods of use.

TAPESTRY and CREWEL needles are also a bit thicker (like the CHINELE), but they have blunt tips.  I tend to use mainly a #24 or #26 tapestry needle myself.  When you're using linen or Aida, which is made for needlework, you actually want a needle that WON'T pierce the threads, but will fit in the openings left by the weave of the fabric, so most counted work, drawn thread, pulled thread, or needlepoint etc., are done with this type of needle.

There are even more kinds of needles, but those are the main ones you are likely to run across unless your doing specialty needlework (like the BODKINS used in Swedish Weaving).

Needles aren't (as a general rule) very expensive, so don't be afraid to toss them out!  I know stitchers who select a new needle at the beginning of every project.  But needles rust, so don't leave them in the face of your work for any length of time, and store them in a dry place.  Some stitchers create 'needle books', with felt pages, to keep the different sizes and types of needles together.

To choose a needle, try dropping it (point first) through an opening in the weaving of the fabric.  The needle should slip through with the eye barely moving the strands aside.  If you use too thick a needle it will make gaps around the base of your stitches, which will look unattractive... but if you're using thick floss (like tapestry wool), or several strands of floss (I like to use 3X myself), then you also want a needle that will make a large enough hole for the thread to pull through the fabric easily!  Do a test on an out-of-the-way area, or scrap, to ensure the needle you've selected is right for both the fabric and the floss.

Judith's final admonition is to always purchase good quality needles, LOL... happy stitching!