- You will see many different twin needles at your local fabric store, each with a numerical size noted in two numbers. The first number identifies the size of the needle using standard needle sizing. The second number tells you how far apart the two needles are. Choose a wider spacing for heavier fabrics and a finer one for lighter weight fabrics. Install your twin needle as you would any other needle on your sewing machine. If your machine has two thread spools, place one spool on each, running one thread off the spool clockwise and the other counterclockwise. Thread the machine as you would normally, threading first one thread and then the next. Lengthen your stitch length and loosen your tension slightly for a good result.
- One of the most common uses of a twin needle when sewing at home is hemming knits. Hems in knit fabric need to stretch and give as the fabric does. While a zigzag or three-step zigzag stitch can provide this, it looks homemade. A twin needle produces two rows of even straight stitching, but the stitch has the stretch needed. Hems can simply be pressed into place, and then stitched. The final hem will look much like a professionally cover-stitched hem, but it can be produced with the sewing machine you already own.
- Twin needles can produce a variety of decorative treatments and stitches on fabric. Doubled topstitching is common on ready-to-wear garments and a twin needle is the easiest way to duplicate this at home. Choose a matching or contrasting thread for topstitching and work with a normal or slightly loosened tension. A narrow twin needle can pin-tuck fine cottons and batiste fabrics. Wider needles can produce tucks on heavy fabrics, including fleece. A pin-tuck foot is helpful. A variation on the twin needle, the wing needle, can create delicate heirloom hemstitching.
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