Have you made one of these cute needle caddies yet? If not, you can find the FREE ePattern for the Big Needle Caddy at pieceocake.com, While you are there, you might be interested in the other FREE ePatterns. But you don’t have to make a needle caddy to be interested in knowing more about hand sewing needles.

I am careful to pair a needle with the kind of sewing I am doing, and the thread that goes with it. Since I do a variety of kinds of stitching, I like to have a variety of needles to choose from with me when sitting down to sew. This is how I filled my own needle caddy.

First, you need to identify each needle so that when you need more, you know which package to choose. Cut a strip of paper to write the needle particulars on, grab a pen or pencil, and gather your needles. Which needles, you ask? Why… these needles!

• #9 Crewel Needle by Bohin: This is a very versatile needle with a long eye and strong body. Use it with wool thread, perle cotton, and 30-40 wt cotton thread. Great for embroidery, big stitch hand quilting, and some hand sewing.
• #9 Piecing Needle by Tulip: An all-purpose needle good for a variety of hand sewing jobs, especially hand piecing. This needle is a little long, with a sturdy shaft. If you have trouble handling smaller needles, this and the crewel needle above might be good choices.

The next four needles will work better with fine thread like Superior’s 50wt/2-ply thread that only comes on prewound bobbins. Presencia’s 60wt/2-ply thread, Aurifil’s 80wt, and Aurifil’s 50wt/2-ply thread are also good choices with these needles.

• #10 Big Eye Appliqué Needle by Tulip: Tulip applique needles are smaller and finer than their size number would indicate. The big eye on this needle makes it easier to thread. It is longer than #11, but not as long as a milliner’s needle.
• #12 Black Gold Appliqué Needle by Clover: This needle is tempered and honed to a very sharp point. It is rigid, not bendy. I get a very nice, small stitch with this needle.
• #11 Appliqué Needle by Tulip: Very much like the previous needle, but this one is more flexible. I use them interchangeably except that sometimes my fingers have a preference. I don’t know why, but that’s true.
• #12 Gold-Eye Appliqué Needle by Clover: This is a very nice, affordable, serviceable needle that you can count on. And I did mention… affordable.

Note that when the package says “appliqué” needle, it is often a sharp. A sharp is a needle most often associated with hand sewing. It could also be a longer milliner’s needle which is associated with hat making. Look close and the package will probably tell you which it is.

One of the best features of this needle caddy are the little pockets, shown in the photo above. Mine pockets hold round wooden toothpicks, Leather ThimblePads, and 1-2 flat needle threaders like Roxane’s RX Needle Threaders. 

Each caddy has two bamboo felt “pages”. My 2nd page holds needles I use less often. Any of the first three listed below would be good with strands of embroidery floss.

• #10 Embroidery Needle by Tulip: Similar to, but finer than, the #9 Crewel Needle from Bohin.
• #24 Chenille Needle by John James (JJ): Chenille needles, with their big eyes, are designed to carry thick thread. They can get clunky but this one is finer than most. Good for a #8 or #12 perle cotton.
• #26 Chenille Needle by JJ: Same as above, but finer. I would use it with #12 perle cotton.
• #12 Black Gold Between by Clover: Use this needle for finer hand quilting. It is sharp, very short, and used for fine hand quilting thread.

These are applique needles that I sometimes use:

• #11 SuperGlide by Colonial: I almost never use this needle. It’s bigger than my preferred appliqué needles, but not as big as the #9 piecing. It is easy to thread!
• #12 Appliqué Needle by Mary Arden: This is an excellent, inexpensive needle. The eye is kind of big which is not a bad thing. The needle is a good size, fine, and sharp.

There are two more little inside pockets inside the back page on the other side. I will add a Domed Under Thimble with adhesive pads in one of them.

Click the names of individual needles above to find them on my site or go to Everything In My Needle Caddy, to find them all.

There are lots of good needles out there, these are the ones I use most. And I still recommend Sewing Needle Guide for Hand Stitching by Laura Wasilowski for a more complete and easy-to-slip-in-your-bag needle guide.