Best hand sewing needles according to redditors

I just went to Amazon and searched for "ball point hand needles" and got a bunch of hits. Dritz makes them as does John James.
https://www.amazon.com/Dritz-Ball-Point-Sewing-Needles/dp/B002EZVY9A/ref=sr_1_5?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1492876182&sr=1-5&keywords=ballpoint+needle

https://www.amazon.com/John-James-Embroidery-Needles-Assorted/dp/B01EKC8U82/ref=sr_1_8?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1492876182&sr=1-8&keywords=ballpoint+needle

Hello all! I wanted to share with you my organizer for all my daily cross stitch stuff. I had been looking for an easy solution to store my stuff without having it all over my coffee table and be able to easily move between rooms to continue working on my projects. I finally found this little organizer on Amazon and it's PERFECT for what I needed. I thought it would be fun to go through my bag and show what supplies I keep in there. Not pictured are obviously my hoop this is my all time favorite and the grime guard that I am trying to learn to love.

Everything is stored in the Roll-up canvas organizer that I got from Amazon. It's made for crochet supplies, but comes empty so you can load it up with your own stuff. Lot of designs available, but most importantly, CATS!

Section 1:

-Dritz seam ripper

-Cottage Cutz 2-in-1 needle threader

-Basic travel scissors

-Embroidery Scissors

-Needle Minders - one homemade from a dichroic pendant from a local craft fair, one made from a Babypietattoo hand painted clay pendant

-Tiny magnet set - I used this as a "minder" before I got around to making new ones. I keep it inside my kit now to use for my needle threader. I usually stitch with the kit opened in front of me, so it's easy to just throw the threader down on the magnet and have it handy

-Needle threader


Section 2:

-Needle Twister - this thing totally rocks and I want one for each size of needles!

-Magentic needle case

-Assorted sewing needles


Section 3:

-Needle minder from Maggies Minders

-Hem clips - I got mine in a vintage sewing box from an estate sale. They are perfect for clipping back extra aida to keep it out of the way

-Clover fine tipped water soluble marker

-Snip-a-Stitch scissors


Section 4

ORT [Thread catcher] from Maggies Minders

DMC magnetic needle case

Dritz Fray Check with applicator tip

It doesn't really matter. All you need is a needle with a large enough eye for the yarn to fit through. There are metal ones. And there are huge packs of plastic ones, but plastic can break. You can also find plastic ones in smaller quantities of course. And then there are these which are pretty great for short tails, but don't spend this much on them bc they can be found for cheaper.

If you had fun and you're looking to dive further into it I'd suggest investing in the following:

• diamond awl like this
  
• diamond chisel(only really need the 2 prong and 5-6 prong) I use these
  
• good braided poly thread like this
  
• good needles John James
  
• Good skiving knife this ones a good starter
  
• Wing dividers I bought these
  
• Edge beveler Like this
  
• You'll also want a leather condition(neatsfoot oil is what I use) and a finisher(resolene, beeswax, snoseal, etc)
  
• Contact cement(Dap weldwood) helps keep things together before you sew them
  
• Dye if you want certain colors
  
  For ~$100 bucks investment and you've got most of the stuff you'll need to make good looking stuff, then you just need to buy leather. I highly recommend picking a project, watching some videos on it and then if you need a new tool for it thats when you buy it. My biggest mistake thus far is thinking I could bypass buying a hole punch, the quality using a punch is so much higher than trying to do it by hand.
  
  As for skills. Look up Saddle stitching, easy to learn and hard to master. With those chisels it makes it really easy to get a good looking product with saddle stitching. Wetforming leather, helps make those sheaths, holsters, etc pop out at you. I like watching Nigel Armitage and Ian Atkinson on youtube, informative and you pick up little tips here and there.
  
  You'll also need to learn to keep your knife sharp! So project 1 if you invest is make a strop and get some jewlers rouge to polish that edge to a razor!

Absolutely. I would recommend a few tools to get started - a cheap set of stitching chisels to get you started (these poke the holes for the needles to go in and out of), a cheap wing divider to scribe a straight stitching line, some waxed thread I linked Ritza Tiger 25 in 0.6mm because it's pretty much all I use, there are cheaper options, but this thread is wonderful to work with. Most of the other thread on amazon is going to be thicker and look too chunky with a 4mm iron IMO. Lastly, some needles. I use and like these. Then just look up a few youtube videos on saddle stitching. You'll have it down in no time. It's really not super difficult, there are a few tricks to making it look nice.

Yes! See: Needle - Large Spin N Bead - SWN5 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012H2789E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6.o8BbDZYD58H

The long needle and curve at the end makes life a lot easier. :)

Thank you. I just got size 10 delica beads. Before I tried size 11 toho beads but someone here recommended delica. And I figured slightly bigger beads might be a little easier. And I'm using Nymo size D. And these needles from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S8S5RBX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_a-5rDb4QP4SKH

I was taught to bead by an art teacher when I was around 10 years old. So I never really learned from a book. Right now I exclusively work with delica beads because they are more structured and I feel that they come in a lot of colors. But for a beginner, I would recommend working with seed beads at first because they are bigger and easier to work with.

Threads come in many sizes. You don't want to work with sewing thread because that is too thin. I use size KO thread with delicas and I'm sure it would be just fine for seed beads as well. Or perhaps D thread.

Use needles specifically for beading because other kinds of needles are too big and will break the bead.

As for instructional books - I'm sorry but I don't have any to recommend. I make my own patterns and usually browse my local bead shop for big decorative beads like the ones you saw in my picture. If you can find a bead shop in your area I would see if they have starter classes.

Usually in the past when someone wanted to learn how to bead, I would give them the materials and an hour of hands on teaching. I would tell them to keep practicing for a couple of days to get used to the idea and I would check back in with their project. :)

I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help.

So, the type of crochet you want to do is called amigurumi. You can find great free patterns and YouTube videos with just a google search. The best part about amigurumi, it is cheap to start and materials are easy to find. You should be able to find everything for about $20-$25 total. For hooks, go for something on the smaller side between a size E and size G (3.00 mm to 4.00 mm). For yarn you should look for a general worsted weight, aka size 4. The package will have a picture with a number like this. A good cheap option is Red Heart Super Saver; it can be scratchy, but it's cheap, has lots of colors and the stiffness is good for amigurumi. Next, grab a stitch marker, which is just a little safety pin looking thing so you can mark your first stitch on each round. You can buy them or just use a paper clip. Then, get some yarn tapestry needles, to sew arms and legs to bodies. Finally, you will need some stuffing for your project, like this.

​

You can find everything at your local Walmart, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or JoAnnes. You can pick up a kit on Amazon here if you prefer. Yarn goes on sale all of the time so you can look around.

​

I hope that helps. If you have any more questions, /r/Brochet and /r/crochet are great resources too.

best needles for stitching.(get the smallest size)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07477V1LG/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07477V1LG&pd_rd_wg=inIc1&pd_rd_r=7GJ8QT1CT13GBZ10644S&pd_rd_w=5aMup

Thread i use (size 632 ecru)
https://www.rmleathersupply.com/products/copy-of-fil-au-chinois-lin-cable-waxed-linen-thread-size-632

Scratch awl - just get a cheap one, it does various tasks, but no need to buy a expensive one just yet

Pricking irons - budget? get Wuta 3.0 or 3.38
got money? KS Blades 2.7 or 3
blanchard not worth, they dont even come sharp

that stitching clam is fine, its the one i use, you have to tighten it up upon arrival

instead of a that mallet, get a poly maul, any cheap one will do, i prefer harder nylon heads because it hits harder than rubber tip ones (which have a bounce)

any cutting matt will do, but the thick green clear one is best (and retains my knife edges better)
https://www.rmleathersupply.com/products/japanese-thick-cutting-mat-370-x-270mm

creaser, get a wing divider (looks like a compass tool)

get a nice japanese skiving knife, its soooo useful for thinning edges, cutting thick leather, and various other tasks. problem is they'll eventually get dull (after a watch strap project probably) so get a couple stones for sharpening
I suggest a cerax 1000 and a rika 5000 when the time comes.

you may also want a hole punch iron (i personally have a osbourne one)

if you get a plastic template it makes your life way easier, getting straight lines and curves consistently is a challenge.

good luck!

Good question, and it pains me a bit that I have a small box of unused tools that were purchased when I began. I'm sure I missed a few things, but here you go:

• Lamp I love this thing, and it's silly how much it improved my craft.
  
• Utility knife (Stanley) with many replacement blades. I flip then toss these frequently.
  
• Shovel knife
  
• Beveler
  
• Burnishers
  
• Microfiber clothes
  
• Granite block
  
• Stitching pony (handmade and based upon http://www.instructables.com/id/3rd-Hand-Leather-Stitching-Clamp/)
  
• Awl
  
• Diamond Awl
  
• Wing Divider
  
• Pliers
  
• Craft scissors
  
• Thread snips
  
• Bone folder
  
• Mallet
  
• Cobbler hammer
  
• Ruler
  
• Cutting mat
  
• Detail brushes
  
• Needles
  
• Tokonole
  
• Glue
  
• Glue brushes
  
• 50/50 neatsfoot oil and beeswax (double-boiled)
  
• Heat gun
  
• Ritza Tiger thread
  
• Chisels I use these as pricking irons because they leave a massive hole
  
• Dremel
  
• Bulldog clips
  
  If links weren't provided then I already had the item.

just look for stainless steel sewing needles

this may be perfect for you


There would be little reason to nickel plate a stainless steel item... I don't think i've ever heard of nickel plated stainless... if you even can.

Putting a sock over your mic as a pop filter really won't work very well.

Pop filters work be dispersing air from a concentrated punch (directly from your mouth) into a much more dispersed spread that, when/if it hits the mic, will cause less of an impact. The greater the distance between the pop filter and mic, the better the plosive resistance.

That being said... if you want to DIY it, get yourself something resembling these: item one, and item two. Figure a way to mount it in a position you want, and you'll be good.

All this being said, /u/13lueChicken is perfectly right. You really don't need one if you use your mic correctly.

Big eye needles are great too.

My hobbies are beading (making earrings/necklaces and such), writing, and art (an example of the last can be found here)
For beading...this would be cool
For writing, this
And for art, this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001K53MBS/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These popped a shield off in 2 seconds a side last night. You just have to be careful because they're small and I'd assume, fragile. It's all about using their sharpness with good technique. You go as flat as you can to just try to pry/flick the clip out with almost no pressure.

Both those pieces are great, even the first one unfinished. A couple things I can think of to try that might help: maybe trace the edge of the felt with some kind of ravel stopper like this https://www.amazon.com/Dritz-674-Liquid-Sealant-0-75-Ounce/dp/B0019KBWA2 like maybe just put it on the cut edge, or a little way in on the under side of the fabric? It'll be hard to stitch through so a thin line to keep the edge clean but you'd kind of loop the stitch over it, if that makes sense?
Second, you might use a base fabric with a wider weave, like looser space between thread (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0771RF2QR though you can probably find something halfway between this and what you're showing in the second pic). Then you might try separating out the floss so you're only using 2 or three strands instead of all six, and use a smaller, VERY sharp needle (look for needs called 'sharps' these might be small but something like this https://www.amazon.com/Clover-Gold-Eye-Sharp-10/dp/B001K53MBS) . This will put a smaller, neater hole in the felt so there's less fraying. And the looser weave fabric means that even with paint you won't have to press as hard to get it through all the layers.
I hope some of this advice ends up useful. Good luck! I can't wait to see it finished.

Hmm can't really find any dull needles, suggestions?
Or is this something Im looking for? https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01N2NLQV8/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484242449&sr=8-1-spell

Also still can't find a simple diamond awl... Are there any other good european stores?

Thanks for the answers so far!

Is this the Amazon version? https://www.amazon.com/AllAboutEmbroideryUA-Embroidery-Adjustable-Needlepoint-Tapestry/dp/B07K1Y5C7S/ref=mp_s_a_1_32?crid=57HFU96DKSYN&keywords=embroidery+table+stand&qid=1556160502&s=gateway&sprefix=embroidery+table+st&sr=8-32

Here is the link to the kit (Electop 31 Pcs Leather Sewing... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07998XNQK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)

The needles suck though and I got this as well (Jdesun Wooden Needle Case with 40... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MKK1R85?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)

Sew it back on with an upholstery needle