I just finished collecting all the required needles for my new little Jane Nicholas stumpwork project. Suitable for use with Mouliné Special Stranded Embroidery Thread, Coton Perlé, Coton à Broder and many other embroidery threads.

My latest project involves metallic thread and size 11 seed beads on a cross stitch work and it has been taxing and needle breaking to say the least.These ensure that sewing and embroidery threads glide effortlessly through the groove and eye and are handled gently without tearing.

They have a smooth, gold plated eye that is larger for embroidery threads and they come packaged in a small corked storage phial inside a stylish box. They can also be found in sizes 15 and 18, with 15 being larger than size 18, and 18 larger than size 1.

For most embroiderers who add accent beads to their embroidery, a regular crewel needle in a size 10, 11, or 12 will usually suffice in place of a dedicated beading needle. Not only does your article on Embroidery Needles: How to Choose and Use…, your explanations fill in the holes (sort of a pun) not only to what I’m doing, but also what is going on with the fabric as I stitch. Tapestry needles have a large eye, a blunt round point and are designed for tapestry and cross stitch work. They are low-cost and you get 16 in a pack varying in size between 3-9, so perfect for standard embroidery. From this base thickness, the steel was measured in diminishing fractions such as 1/14″, 1/16″, 1/20″ and so on.