Needle and Thread Picker

Most stitch problems are a needle problem. Pick the fabric in front of you and the tool returns a starting point: needle type and size, thread, stitch length and the foot worth fitting. Always test on a folded scrap of the same fabric before you sew the real thing.

Needle sizing in one paragraph

Machine needles carry two numbers, European and American: 70/10, 80/12, 90/14 and so on. Larger number, thicker needle. The rule is to use the finest needle that will carry your thread through the fabric without deflecting. Too fine and the needle bends and skips; too thick and it leaves visible holes and can damage the fabric.

Change it more often than you think

A machine needle is blunt after roughly eight hours of sewing, and a blunt needle causes skipped stitches, thread breaks, puckered seams and a distinct thumping sound. Changing it is a minute of work and is the first thing to try whenever a machine starts misbehaving. There is more on that in what a service is worth.