Hand sewing needles in general should be fine enough to slip through the fabric yet strong enough not to break or bend. Needles are available with different eye shapes (long, round, etc.), come in different lengths and come with different points (sharp, round, blunt, ball-point, wedge). The larger the number on the size indicates the shorter and finer the needle.
see related articles: Sewing Tools
| General Hand Sewing Needles | ||||
 Ball Points sizes 5-10 Like a sharps needle only with a rounded point used for knit fabrics. |
 Betweens sizes 1-12 Also called quilting needles, are shorter needles than sharps enabling fine stitches in heavy fabrics. |
 Calyx-eyes sizes 4-8 Similar to sharps except thread is pulled through a slot rather than an eye. |
 Milliners sizes 3/0-12 Longer needle than sharps used for basting. |
 Sharps sizes 1-12 Most commonly used, sharps needles are medium length and have a round eye and are suitable for all weight fabrics. |
| Darning Needles | ||||
 Cotton Darners sizes 1-9 Needles for darning fine cotton or wool. |
 Double Longs sizes 5/0-9 Longer needle than cotton darners for darning large holes. |
 Yarn Darners sizes 14-18 Large, long needle designed for darning with yarn. |
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| Needle-Arts Needles | ||||
 Beading sizes 10-15 Long, thin needles used for beading and sequin work. |
 Chenilles sizes 13-28 Sharp, heavy needles used for embroidering with yarn. |
 Crewels sizes 1-10 Sharp, long-eyed, medium-length needles used for embroidery. |
 Tapestry sizes 13-26 Heavy needle with a blunt point used for needlepoint. |
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| Heavy-Duty Needles | ||||
 Curved Needle sizes 1 1/2" - 3" Used anywhere a straight needle would be awkward such as on upholstery, rugs, etc. |
 Glovers sizes 3/0-8 Short, round-eyed, triangular pointed needle used for piercing leather, vinyl, or plastic. |
 Sailmakers sizes 14-17 Similar to Glovers except triangular points extends up the needle shaft, used for sewing canvas or heavy leather. |
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| Speciality Craft Needles | ||||
| Doll Needles, Plastic Canvas Needles, Twin Pointed Quick Stitch Needles, Craft Needles, Weaving Needles | ||||