Brother International Isodore„ Innov-ís 5000 Users Manual - English - Page 48

CHANGING THE NEEDLE ■ About the Needle The sewing machine needle is probably the most important part of the sewing machine. Choosing the proper needle for your sewing project will result in a beautiful finish and fewer problems. Below are some things to keep in mind about needles. • The smaller the needle number, the finer the needle. As the numbers increase, the needles get thicker. • Use fine needles with lightweight fabrics, and thicker needles with heavyweight fabrics. • To avoid skipped stitches, use ball point needle (golden colored) 90/14 with stretch fabrics. • To avoid skipped stitches, use ball point needle (golden colored) 90/14 when sewing character or decorative stitches. • Use needle 75/11 for embroidery. Use ball point needle 75/107 for embroidering patterns with short jump stitches such as alphabet characters when the thread trimming function is turned on. Ball point needles (golden colored) 90/14 are not recommended for embroidery, as they may bend or break, causing injury. • It is recommended that a 90/14 needle should be used when embroidering on heavyweight fabrics or stabilizing products (for example, denim, puffy foam, etc.). A 75/11 needle may bend or break, which could result in injury. ■ Fabric/Thread/Needle Combinations The following table provides information concerning the appropriate thread and needle for various fabrics. Please refer to this table when selecting a thread and needle for the fabric you wish to use. Fabric Medium weight fabric Lightweight fabric Heavyweight fabric Stretch fabric For top stitching Type Broadcloth Cotton Taffeta Synthetic mercerized Flannel, Gabardine Silk or silk finished Lawn, Batiste Cotton Georgette Synthetic mercerized Challis, Satin Silk Denim Cotton Corduroy Synthetic mercerized Tweed Silk Jersey Thread for knits Tricot Thread Synthetic mercerized Silk Size 60 - 80 60 - 80 50 60 - 80 60 - 80 50 30 - 50 50 50 50 - 60 30 30 Size of needle 75/11 - 90/14 65/9 - 75/11 90/14 - 100/16 Ball point needle (golden colored) 75/11 - 90/14 90/14 - 100/16 Memo For transparent nylon thread, always use needle 90/14 - 100/16. The same thread is usually used for the bobbin thread and upper threading. CAUTION • Be sure to follow the needle, thread, and fabric combinations listed in the table. Using an improper combination, especially a heavyweight fabric (i.e., denim) with a small needle (i.e., 65/9 - 75/11), may cause the needle to bend or break, and lead to injury. Also, the seam may be uneven, the fabric may pucker, or the machine may skip stitches. 36