Why do you need a double needle in a sewing machine.  How to sew with a twin needle?  Attention!  Improperly selected twin needles can break

Why do you need a double needle in a sewing machine. How to sew with a twin needle? Attention! Improperly selected twin needles can break

A twin needle is the most useful thing for those who like to work with knitted fabrics, but are not yet ready to purchase a special technique for hemming the bottom of a product. An overstitching sewing machine is not cheap, and if you do not sew as often as you would like, a double needle is enough to start :)

Let's consider a hem on an ordinary knitted T-shirt, made on a sewing machine: from the face it is an ordinary flat double stitch, and from the inside it resembles an overlock stitch made by an overlock. A stitch made with a double needle from the front also looks like a regular stitch, but from the inside we see a zigzag seam.

Why can't hemming be done on a regular sewing machine by simply sewing two parallel stitches? This will only work with fabric. Knitwear is constantly subjected to tension, and sooner or later the line will burst. The zigzag stitching on the back of the double needle is elastic.

What is a twin needle? These are two needles with a plastic retainer and a cone that is attached to the machine. Do not try to insert two ordinary needles into the machine, it will not work :)

The universal twin needle is not suitable for all fabrics, some may start to skip stitches. When buying a twin needle, look at the numbers on the package. Those with a comma indicate the distance between the needles. 70, 80, 90 - the size of the needle itself. There are special needles for stretch materials, for jeans, for decorative stitching.

How to thread a twin needle?

  • We install the threads: we set two spools of threads of the same thickness and, ideally, with the same degree of winding, so that they unwind in different directions: one is clockwise and the other is counterclockwise. This is necessary so that the threads do not twist during the sewing process!
  • Following the instructions or instructions on the body of the machine, thread two threads in the same way as if it were one thread.
  • To put a double needle, first remove the foot, it will be easier.
  • Next, we thread the needles: the left spool - into the left needle, and the right one, respectively, into the right one. We tuck one thread into the thread guide and put it under the hook, and leave the second “in free flight”.
  • We pass the threads through the hole in the foot and take it back. Thread the shuttle thread, as usual.
  • In the settings on the body of the sewing machine, select a straight stitch and the center position of the needle. If we move the needle to the left, one of our needles will hit the metal plate and break.

The stitch length should be chosen as standard, from 2 to 3 millimeters. Make the tension of the upper thread stronger when working with such a needle, for example by 6, so that the needles do not skip stitches. Skipped stitches are a common problem with twin needles that occur if one of the needles is dull or the tension is too loose.

Fold the regular tracing paper in two layers and place it on the bar under the foot to place a piece of fabric on it, and sew directly on the tracing paper. Due to this compaction, the line will be much better. When you've finished stitching, cut off the tracing paper.

Secrets of the perfect stitch with a double needle

  • To get a good stitch with a twin needle, try lowering it a couple of millimeters lower.
  • Often the reason for skipping stitches is that the needle does not fit the material: for example, for very stretchy fabrics, you should use super stretch needles rather than universal ones.
  • Do not sew too fast: for beginners, speed greatly affects the quality of the line.
  • To set the bartack, press the reverse and sew two or three stitches in the opposite direction, and then words on yourself.
  • When finished stitching, cut waste material close to it and iron.

If you plan to work tightly with knitwear, for example, to sew sweatshirts or dresses for sale, it is still better to invest in a sewing machine, with which the stitches will be neater and, most importantly, much more reliable. But don’t forget about the double needle, because with it you can make not only the usual flat seam, but also many beautiful decorative stitches!

In order to sew easily and simply, many devices have been invented that significantly increase the speed of work and improve its quality. One of them is a double needle for a sewing machine. This is a removable device consisting of two needles on one holder, which simultaneously lays two parallel stitches on the front side and a zigzag stitch on the wrong side. Often used when processing the bottom and armholes of the product. The seam turns out to be elastic, similar to a flat one, that is, the one with which the bottom of the T-shirts is processed. If you are thinking about how to sew knitwear without having an overlock, then know that you can sew it with a double needle. It is only necessary that your sewing machine can sew a zigzag stitch.

Double needles are

  • Universal - suitable for various kinds fabrics,
  • super-stretch - for sewing knitwear. The tip of such needles is rounded, thanks to which they do not pierce, but push the threads of the fabric apart, preventing the appearance of “arrows”.
  • Jeans - more durable, suitable for denim and other dense fabrics.

Needle numbers for sewing machines are standard, for double needles, the marking indicates the diameter of the needle / the distance between them. For example, No. 75 / 2.5 - two needles of number 75 are fixed at a distance of 2.5 mm. from each other. The denser the fabric, the larger the diameter of the needle.


Usually, a twin needle set is included in the accessory kit supplied with the sewing machine at the time of sale. But rarely does anyone know how to sew with a double needle, but in vain. Its possibilities are wide and it can help you decorate your products in a beautiful, unusual and varied way.

stitching You will get it much faster and more beautiful if you have a double needle for a sewing machine at your disposal. Using this thread different colors, You will get a more elegant seam.

If your car can dodecorative stitches, then with a double needle you can decorate clothes with very spectacular multi-colored patterns, embroidering two parallel patterns at the same time. Using not only threads of different colors, but also choosing needles of different sizes, you can get a wonderful result.

You will be able to sew easily and simply beautifulfrills with elastic. To do this, wind the sewing gum on the bobbin and thread it into the shuttle mechanism. The upper threads are ordinary, to match the fabric. Select a stitch length of 2-2.5 mm. and sew with a straight stitch. You will get a beautiful uniform frill. It can decorate summer blouses, underwear, children's clothes and more.

It will be much easier for yousew on a braid, but for this it is necessary to replace the standard foot with a special one for satin stitch and select a needle whose width is slightly less than the width of the selected ribbon. Pass the end of the ribbon through the hole in the foot, bring the fabric and sew with a straight stitch. The braid will be attached evenly, simultaneously on both sides.

Various look very impressive tucks , besides, they contribute to the perfect fit of the product according to the figure. But not everyone will undertake to carry them out, since the manufacture is very laborious, takes a lot of time and does not always turn out accurately. But not with a twin needle! Using it and paws for large or small embossed tucks. You can easily decorate the necessary details with them.

- Making clothes from fleece reliefs made with a double needle, you will get an imitation of a knitted product. Agree, it’s not bad to make a warm and fashionable pullover, decorated with intricate plaits, in a few hours of work. Such reliefs also look good on velvet. In order to complete them, you will need a thin cord, a double needle of at least 5 mm. width, taking into account the fact that the cord should pass freely between the needles, and a foot for sewing on beads or for large embossed tucks. Draw with chalk the desired pattern on the front side of the fabric, fasten the end of the cord from the wrong side, bring the fabric under the foot so that the cord falls exactly between the needles and sew with a straight stitch, following the drawing.

Now you know how to sew beautifully, having such a simple device - a double needle for a sewing machine. Just remember that any machine is designed to work with one needle, so sew carefully and at minimum speed, and be sure to adjust the stitching. Otherwise, not only the needle may break, but there is a possibility of damage to the mechanism of the sewing machine. Be careful and careful, and you will get a good assistant in decorating clothes.

Double needle - very helpful and reduces sewing time. Finishing stitches using such a needle are noticeably faster and, most importantly, smoother. When sewing denim products, it is simply indispensable, because double stitching is often used in these products.

Twin needles, like regular needles, are available for different types of fabric. It is clear that if you are going to sew denim, you need to buy the appropriate needle.

Among other things, a double needle helps to work with knitwear at home. In the event that you do not have a cover stitch machine, a double needle will help you out. The appearance of the stitch on the front side will be exactly the same as if you made it on a sewing machine, but on the inside you will get a zigzag stitch. This type of stitching using a double needle is very elastic, which is very important when sewing knitwear. You should not sew knitwear using a regular stitch, it will definitely tear when stretched at the most inopportune moment.

Buying a double needle for a sewing machine is not a problem, as a rule, the same needle can be suitable for different brands of sewing machines. Usually difficulties arise with the installation of the needle on the machine and threading. Let's dwell on this in more detail.

You will need two spools of thread. Usually, household sewing machines have one more place where you can put a second spool, if you haven’t found one, then you need to come up with some kind of device on which this spool will be fixed, often a tall mug is saved in which you can put the second spool.

After the coils have found their place, you can proceed to refueling the machine. In general, threading is no different from normal threading, you just do the same movements that you do during normal threading, the only difference is that you pull both threads from the spools at once. The thread from the left spool should go to the left needle, and the thread from the right spool to the right. Now you can start sewing.








For many beginner needlewomen, sewing with a double needle causes a real stupor, because what is obtained at first is far from ideal. Today I will show you how to set up your assistant so that the seam is beautiful, elastic and not tight.


Let's start with the machine. We put the second coil on an additional rod and stretch the threads from both coils as one through all the necessary slots. Next, we will separate the threads. We will thread one into the needle, passing through the thread guide, and the second - bypassing it. Set the stitch length to 3.5 mm.

Let's try to stitch with standard settings. We get a beautiful line from the face, and from the inside - strongly elongated loops of the upper thread and a lower thread pulled almost into a straight line.

Logic dictates that the upper thread tension should be increased. We try. Increase by one division and try to flash. We get the same thing, maybe even worse.

This is the same mistake that many people make. The loops on the wrong side are not from the fact that the upper thread is loosely stretched, but from the fact that the lower thread is pulled!

Fixing it! We unscrew the needle plate, remove it and take out the bobbin holder. (It fits perfectly with my hand, I needed tweezers so that the fingers in the photo did not block anything.) By the way, since you opened the inside of the car, clean it thoroughly, for sure, lint and dust have accumulated there. ;)

We took out the bobbin case and saw that there were two screws on it. The right one, with a cross notch, we do not need. It fastens the tension plate and in no case should it be touched! But the left screw with a flat slot is just designed to adjust the tension. To work, we need a small screwdriver.

Mark for yourself the initial position of the screw in the direction of the slot (that is, the place on the body where the notch on the screw is directed, I have a red dot there). At first, I simply scratched a notch on the body in order to return the screw to its previous position with an accuracy of a millimeter. Noted? Now turn the screw counterclockwise a third of a turn with a screwdriver (I have this position marked with a green dot). Usually this is enough. We put the bobbin holder in place and twist the needle plate.

Let's try to flash it. Sample stitch #3. Already much better! The loops from the upper threads became smaller, and the lower thread began to fit into an obvious zigzag. In principle, you can already sew and so. But I want more.

You can try again to tighten the upper thread. And then we get a line on the sample number 4. Better? Not at all!

Then I take out the bobbin holder again and loosen the lower thread a little more. I get sample #5. Hooray! What you need!

We draw conclusions: when sewing with a double needle, the main adjustment is not with the upper thread tension wheel, but with a screw on the bobbin holder. How much we tried to adjust the upper thread, it does not give any result, except for pulling the lines into a roller. It may seem that this setup is complicated and time-consuming. At first, yes, but then habit and experience will turn it into a matter of seconds. And, you see, a beautiful line is worth it!
By the way, look, from the face, all five samples look quite presentable.))))
Well, now you too know how to make beautiful stitching with a twin needle. Such, for example:
Good luck to everyone, obedient fabrics and precise settings! See you again soon - I'll bring a tracksuit for my first grader.))))

Double stitching is done with a special needle. In fact, these are two needles held together by one holder. Twin needles expand the capabilities of a household sewing machine and allow you to sew two lines at the same time.

We will talk about the types and features of the use of such needles below.

How are twin needles arranged?

Structurally, a double needle consists of the following elements:

  1. Two standard sewing needles designed for sewing on a household machine.
  2. Housing-holder. Most often it is made of plastic. This element fastens double needles into a single structure.
  3. Flask. Designed for installing twin needles in the needle holder of a sewing machine.

The twin needle can be used in any sewing machine with a zigzag function. In their foot and needle plate there is an oblong slot necessary for the free movement of two needles.

Types of double needles

There are several types of needles:

  1. Universal. They are used for working with natural and artificial threads. They are suitable for most types of fabrics. This type of universal double needle is often referred to as an embroidery needle because it produces a beautiful and even zigzag stitch.
  2. For knitted fabrics. These needles are marked Stretch. They can also be used on stretchy and stretchy fabrics.
  3. metallic. These twin needles are used for stitching with metallic threads.
  4. Jeans. These needles are used for sewing stitches on denim. As a rule, these are thick needles that are designed to work with high-density canvases.

A line with a double needle of different widths is possible. The thinnest needles are 1.6 mm thick. The maximum indicator is 4 mm.

The largest number of sizes are universal double needles. The thinnest are products for stitching on elastic fabrics (number 75). Jeans options suggest sizes from 100 and more.

The double needle is marked with two numbers. It is decoded as follows:

  1. The first number indicates the distance between the needles.
  2. The second speaks of the size of the needles (they must be of the same section).

Twin needle stitch foot

Many novice seamstresses, when buying twin needles, try to purchase a special foot. But such a paw simply does not exist. As mentioned above, you can sew with such needles using the foot of a universal household sewing machine, in the functionality of which there is a “zigzag”. The needle plate should also have a corresponding elongated slot.

Inserting the needle into the sewing machine

To install a twin needle in a sewing machine, follow these steps:

  1. Using the flywheel, set the needle holder to its highest position.
  2. We lower the foot of the machine.
  3. Loosen the fixing screw. In this case, you need to hold the installed needle. Now carefully loosen the fixing screw. Next, remove the needle from the holder.
  4. We install the double needle in the holder so that the flat part of the flask looks back. We deepen the needle until the edge of the flask touches the stopper.
  5. While holding the twin needle in position, it is necessary to tighten the fixing screw. It remains to thread the thread, and it will be possible to give a trial line.

Threading the machine

To sew a double stitch, you need to thread two threads into both needles. Accordingly, you will need a pair of coils. To obtain a neat seam, it is necessary to thread identical threads in thickness and quality into a double needle. You can choose any color, it all depends on your design ideas (this will not affect the quality of the line).

Threads in a double needle are refueled according to standard rules. Features of the procedure depend on the device of a particular machine. But all models are equipped with the following elements:

  • thread tensioners;
  • guides;
  • thread guides, etc.

Therefore, for threading a twin needle, you should use the instructions that came with your particular sewing machine. Both threads are held together along the tensioners, separating only at the very end, at the stage of threading through the eye of the needle. Threading the hook remains unchanged.


After completing the work, you will need to give a test line. This will help make sure that everything was done correctly, and then you can sew with a twin needle.

What should I do if the twin needle skips stitches when sewing?


It is not always possible to get a high-quality seam with a double needle the first time. If skipped stitches are noticed while sewing, do the following:

  1. We wind the upper threads on spools of the same size. This approach will allow you to achieve uniform tension on each thread when sewing with twin needles. The location of the coils falls on one coil rod.
  2. Try tightening the upper thread tension. This must also be done in the case when the lines were uneven, the thread looped. Make sure that both thread tensions are the same and that they are correctly threaded into the needles. The bobbin thread tension should be standard.
  3. Check if the threading is correct when sewing with the twin needle.

The nuances of working with a double needle

To obtain a smooth and high-quality seam, the correct selection is necessary:

  • threads;
  • fabrics;

We are talking about the thickness of the needle and thread, as well as the type of material. It is very important to correctly select these parameters relative to each other. To achieve beautiful and even stitching, work with the twin needle at a reduced sewing machine speed.


Twin needles can be sewn, embroidered, quilted, etc. Such stitches are often used as a decorative trim on the bottom and side cuts and seams of products. They are especially popular when working with denim. It is practically impossible to perform such a seam with only one needle, since it is difficult to maintain not only the same distance between the lines, but also the symmetry of the stitches.


As a rule, the execution of such lines occurs as follows: we place the first needle at a distance of 1 mm from the edge of the product. These seams are not only reliable, but also have high decorative properties. If desired, you can use threads of different colors in working with double needles.