Sewing Machine Needle Types Chart: System, Point and Size

The short version: use the needle system your machine’s manual names (most home machines take 130/705 H, a flat-shank needle). Then pick the type by fabric and the size by thread. Start with a Universal 80/12 for medium wovens, a Jersey (ball point) or Stretch needle for knits, a Microtex for fine, tightly woven fabric, and a Jeans needle for denim and other dense wovens. Use a Leather needle only on leather, artificial leather and heavy nonwoven synthetics. The chart below lists each type with the sizes SCHMETZ makes it in.

All needle descriptions and sizes on this page come from SCHMETZ’s published guides. We have not run sewing trials.

Finder

Which needle fits your fabric and thread?

Pick the fabric and thread you are about to sew. The answer comes from SCHMETZ's own fabric-to-needle table.

Every option in this finder

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Pick	Best for	On Amazon
Microtex (Sharp) 60/8 to 70/10	SCHMETZ's fabric table lists Universal or Microtex needles in sizes 60 to 70 for chiffon and organza, Universal 60 to 80 for voile, and Microtex 60 to 90 for silk. A Microtex point is made for straight stitching on delicate fabrics and microfibers. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Microtex Sharp needles 70/10 and 60/8 Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Universal needles 60/8 to 70/10
Universal 70/10 to 80/12	SCHMETZ lists Universal needles in sizes 70 to 90 for flannel, muslin and seersucker, and 70 or 80 for shirts. A Universal has a slight ball point and is made for general sewing on woven and knit fabric. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Universal needles 70/10 and 80/12
Universal 80/12 to 90/14	The overlap of SCHMETZ's table entries is Universal 80 to 90: linen 80 or 90, suits 80 or 90, terry cloth 80 or 90, and fleece 70 to 90. Wool is listed at 70 to 100. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Universal needles 80/12 and 90/14
Quilting 75/11 or 90/14	SCHMETZ lists a Quilting needle in sizes 75 and 90 for patchwork and quilting, with a tapered shaft and slightly rounded point for layered material. It also lists Topstitch or Microtex in 80 or 90 as alternatives. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Quilting needles 75/11 and 90/14
Jeans (Denim) 70/10 to 110/18, sized to your thread	SCHMETZ's Jeans needle has a medium ball point and a reinforced blade and is sold in 70 to 110. Its table lists Jeans 70 to 110 for denim and twill, and 80 to 100 for corduroy. Work clothes are listed at 100 or 110. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Jeans needles 100/16 Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Jeans needles 90/14
Jeans or Universal 90/14 to 110/18	SCHMETZ lists Jeans or Universal needles in 90 to 110 for canvas and oilskin, and Universal 90 and up for coat fabrics. Check your machine manual for its largest allowed needle size first; a bigger needle does not raise what the machine can sew. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Jeans needles 110/18 Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Jeans needles 100/16
Jersey (Ball Point) 70/10 to 90/14	SCHMETZ lists a Jersey needle in sizes 70 to 90 for cotton knitwear and sweatshirt fabrics, and 80 or 90 for French terry. The ball point is made for knits and some stretch fabrics. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Jersey Ball Point needles 80/12 Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Jersey Ball Point needles 70/10
Stretch 75/11 or 90/14	SCHMETZ lists a Stretch needle in 75 or 90 for elastic materials, lingerie and stretch shirts. It has a medium ball point and a deep scarf designed to prevent skipped stitches. A needle does not make a straight stitch stretch, so use a stretch-capable stitch too. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Stretch needles 75/11 and 90/14
Microtex (Sharp) 80/12 to 100/16	SCHMETZ lists Microtex 70 to 110 for coated materials and foils such as vinyl, 80 to 100 for oilcloth, and Microtex or Universal 70 to 100 for soft synthetic leather. Holes in a coating stay visible, so test on an offcut. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Microtex Sharp needles 90/14 Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Microtex Sharp needles 100/16
Leather 100/16 to 110/18	SCHMETZ lists its Leather needle for leather, artificial leather and heavy nonwoven synthetics, in sizes 70 to 110 for home machines, and says not to use it on knit or woven fabric. Its fabric table lists thin genuine leather at Microtex 70 to 90 and thick leather or hard synthetic leather at 100 and up. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Leather needles 100/16 Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Leather needles 110/18
Topstitch 80/12 to 100/16 for heavy thread	SCHMETZ makes its Topstitch needle extra sharp with an enlarged groove for topstitching thread and heavy or multiple threads, in sizes 80 to 100. SCHMETZ's rule is to choose the size by thread thickness and the type by fabric application.	SCHMETZ Topstitch Sewing Machine Needles Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Topstitch needles 100/16
Metallic 80/12 or 90/14 for metallic thread	SCHMETZ's Metallic needle has an enlarged, polished eye to keep metallic and other specialty thread from shredding. It is sold in 80 and 90.	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Metallic needles 90/14
Embroidery 75/11 or 90/14 for machine embroidery thread	SCHMETZ makes its Embroidery needle for rayon and polyester embroidery thread, in sizes 75 and 90. Its fabric table adds a Topstitch needle in 70 to 100 for thicker or delicate embroidery thread.	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Embroidery needles 75/11
Check your machine's needle system first	SCHMETZ describes 130/705 H as the system used by home sewing machines, with a flat shank. Sergers, industrial machines and some others use different systems, and a needle that fits the clamp can still be the wrong system. Copy the system and the size range from your manual before you pick a type. Guide	Search Amazon for SCHMETZ Universal needles 80/12 130/705 H

Needle cards to keep on hand (As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.)

SCHMETZ Universal assorted sizes, 10-needle card, pack of 2 : the general-purpose type for medium wovens.
SCHMETZ Quilting assorted sizes, 5-needle cards, pack of 5 : 75/11 and 90/14 for piecing and quilting through layers.

Check the system on the package (130/705 H for most home machines) against your manual before you buy.

How the finder decides

The finder follows the fabric-to-needle table in the SCHMETZ Needle ABC (the 2024 edition), which lists a needle type and size range for each fabric, and SCHMETZ’s rule that thread thickness sets the size while the fabric sets the type. It shows the home-machine range SCHMETZ lists for your fabric group, not one exact size, because SCHMETZ itself says materials vary and to test on spare fabric first. Heavy, metallic and embroidery thread add a second card for the matching specialty needle. Fabrics are grouped, so a fabric not named in the list may be better matched by a different row in the SCHMETZ table.

Look up the system before the point type

At the cutting table

Needle system, type and size lookup

Copy the needle system from your exact manual first. Then look up a single-needle type for the fabric or thread job. The primer’s sizes do not establish your machine’s size limits.

Example selection: a 90/14 Jeans needle appears in SCHMETZ’s home needle primer. Machine permission is still required. Numbers shown are editable examples. Your entries stay in this page.

Enter your measurements to calculate.

This lookup uses the single home-needle size lists in the SCHMETZ primer , checked October 15, 2026. It intentionally keeps that source’s scope rather than combining sizes from different product ranges. A size absent here is not a claim that no such product exists. The tool never certifies an industrial or serger needle, a twin needle, or a package variant your manual does not allow. Check the exact package system suffix and the machine’s minimum and maximum sizes before a scrap trial.

Needle types chart

Needle type	Point or feature (per SCHMETZ)	Use it for	SCHMETZ sizes
Universal	Slight ball point	General sewing on wovens and knits	60/8, 65/9, 70/10, 75/11, 80/12, 90/14, 100/16, 110/18, 120/19
Jersey / Ball Point	Ball point	Knits and some stretch fabrics	70/10, 80/12, 90/14, 100/16
Stretch	Medium ball point, specially designed eye and deep scarf to prevent skipped stitches (system 130/705 H-S)	Highly elastic knits (Lycra, spandex) and synthetic suede	75/11, 90/14
Microtex / Sharp	Sharp point	Straight stitching on delicate and microfiber fabrics	60/8, 70/10, 80/12, 90/14
Jeans / Denim	Medium ball point, reinforced blade	Denim and other thick, dense fabrics	70/10, 80/12, 90/14, 100/16, 110/18
Quilting	Tapered shaft, slightly rounded point	Piecing and quilting through layers	75/11, 90/14
Embroidery	Designed for embroidery threads	Rayon and polyester machine embroidery	75/11, 90/14
Topstitch	Extra sharp, enlarged groove	Heavy topstitching thread, dense fabrics	80/12, 90/14, 100/16
Metallic	Enlarged polished eye to prevent shredding	Metallic and other specialty threads	80/12, 90/14
Leather	Cutting point	Leather, artificial leather, heavy nonwoven synthetics; SCHMETZ says not to use it on knit or woven fabrics	70/10, 80/12, 90/14, 100/16, 110/18

Twin versions exist for several types (Universal, Stretch, Jeans, Embroidery, Metallic). Check, as SCHMETZ advises , that your machine and throat plate support a twin needle before you buy one.

How to read a needle package

System. SCHMETZ describes 130/705 H as the system used by home sewing machines: the needles have a flat shank and a scarf. Copy the system from your manual. A needle that physically fits the clamp is not necessarily the right system, and sergers and industrial machines often use different ones.
Size. The first number is the metric size, which is the blade diameter in hundredths of a millimeter (75 means 0.75 mm). The second is the US size, so 80/12 is one size, not a range.
Color bands. On SCHMETZ needles, the upper color band indicates the needle type and the lower band indicates the size.

Picking the size

SCHMETZ’s rule is to choose the size by thread thickness and the type by fabric. Heavier thread needs room in the eye and groove, which is what the enlarged groove on Topstitch needles and the enlarged eye on Metallic needles are for. If thread and fabric pull in different directions, for example heavy decorative thread on a fine fabric, sew a sample before the real project.

A bigger needle does not raise your machine’s capacity for thick seams. If the machine strains at a seam crossing, stop and check threading, the presser foot and the material bulk before moving up a size.

Three common cases

Jersey T-shirt hem. Start with a Jersey needle. If you get skipped stitches on a very elastic knit, switch to a Stretch needle, whose deep scarf is designed to prevent them. The needle does not make a straight stitch stretchy, so use a stretch-capable stitch too. Our ballpoint needle guide compares packs.

Denim hem. Use a Jeans needle (SCHMETZ makes them up to 110/18) and test on a folded scrap that includes the seam crossing. The reinforced blade helps with dense fabric, but your machine’s limits still apply.

Faux leather. SCHMETZ lists the Leather needle for artificial leather and heavy nonwoven synthetics, but says not to use it on knit or woven fabrics. Check what the backing of your “faux leather” is. If it is a knit or woven base, a Leather needle’s cutting point is the wrong choice. Test on an offcut, because holes in a coating stay visible.

If a setup that used to work starts skipping or shredding thread, replace the needle first. The needle-change planner covers wear and replacement.