Thin, hardened pins can be driven into the wood with a hammer in order not to be seen. The development of the pen was close to that of its perforated counterpart, the needle. Archaeological evidence suggests that curved sewing pens have been used for over four thousand years. Originally, these were made by the Sumerians from iron and bone and were used to hold clothes together. Later, pins were also used to hold pages of books together by threading the needle into its top corner. [4] Sewing needles are different from special pins for other tasks, including quilt needles, flower or bodice needles, kilt needles, a knit stitch holder that looks like an oversized safety pin, hatpins, bobbin lace needles, and diaper needles. There are also fork pins, sometimes called padding pins or loose cover pins, which are shaped like a Tidy U. pin, also called rotary pins or padding pins, have a top like a zipper and a propeller-shaped rod and are specially designed to hold sofa covers, mattress toppers and doulies in place. Note that the name padding pins is used for two very different items. The bug was invented by Edwin Moore[9] in 1900 and quickly became a hit. These pins are also called “card pins” and are characterized by an easy-to-grip head.

There is also a new bug called Paper Cricket. Most pins are made of nickel-plated steel, stainless steel, or stainless brass, and for most quilts, the metal content of a needle is usually not an important consideration. On the other hand, if you are allergic to certain types of metal, the metal content of a pin is clearly important. If you work in an area with high humidity, you`ll probably want to use stainless steel pens. Tips There are three common types of straight pen heads: flat heads, plastic heads, and glass heads. Flat-headed pins are also known as “head pitches”; This type of straight pen is heat resistant. A flathead pin is good for manual work because there is no head where your wires can be caught. One downside of a flat pin is that it can be hard to see on busy or textured fabrics. Plastic headpins are available in a variety of sizes and colors.

Many quilts prefer flat plastic pins in the shape of a flower. This feature comes in handy when you need to place a ruler or tape measure over a pinned area. These large flower-shaped heads are also a great choice when working with lace, eyelets, and loose fabrics, as the heads don`t slip through the holes in the fabric. Glass pins are like plastic heads as they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and lengths. The main difference is that the heads are made of glass; They can withstand the heat of hot iron and not melt. PointPins should slide easily into the fabric without causing unsightly hooks or holes. They can be sharp, very sharp and dull. Different fabrics require different types of stitches. Sharp lace pens are the most common and are considered an all-purpose pen and are suitable for loosely, medium and heavy woven fabrics. Extra-sharp pens are more defined and tapered, allowing the tip to easily pass through delicate fabrics such as silk and satin. Butt Point or Bille needles have a rounded tip and are therefore suitable for knitted and stretchy fabrics.

The rounded tip allows for smooth pinning as it slides between the fabric loops and pushes the fibers aside without damaging them. ThicknessTo avoid damaging your fabric with pinholes, you need to choose the thinnest pen that will do. I`ve noticed that different manufacturers have different naming conventions when defining the thickness of their pens. Some call their pens “extra thin” or “silk” without specifying the exact thickness, while others measure them in millimeters (mm). The “Patchwork”, “Super-Fine”, “Silk” and “Satin” pins are available in 0.4 or 0.5 mm. These are ideal for thin to light fabrics. Most general purpose pins are 0.6 mm thick and marked “thin”. Thin pens work well with medium-weight fabrics.

Needles thicker than 0.7 or 0.8 mm used with heavy wool and denim are usually called heavy fabric pins. However, the main thing is to always choose a pen that will not leave any holes or marks in your fabric! LengthYour project and personal preferences play a role in determining the size you should use. If you have large hands, you may prefer longer pens as they are easier to grip. Most importantly, you should consider your project. In general, you need shorter pins for particularly small projects, and for multilayer projects, it is often better to use longer pins. General purpose knives or pens are various medium-length pens, usually between 1 and 1 1/2 inches long. These are the most common straight pins and are suitable for all types of projects, especially those that use light to medium fabrics. However, for most quilting projects, you`ll often need pens that are between 1 1/2 and 2 inches in length, as you may need to stick through many layers of fabric and cotton.

Another common pen is the application pen, which is short and thin, usually 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. They are not only useful for application projects, but can also be used to fix coatings and other small projects. Because they are so small, application pins can be placed close to each other without the overlap you would encounter with longer pens. Depending on their function, pins can be made of metals (e.g. steel, copper or brass), wood or plastic. Many experienced quilts have told me to get the glass headpins very thin as it would improve my attachment. I wish I had paid attention to them sooner, they really change lives! If the pen folds into a seam when inserted, you get a thicker pen. The extra thin pins are 0.04mm high and you may need a patchwork pin 0.05mm thick.

If the pen is folded, throw it away! Do not sew needles and be careful not to sew on flat needle heads – this could damage your needle or break the pen or needle. Many later brooches were made of brass, a relatively hard and ductile metal that became available in the Bronze Age. This development was followed by the use of steel, which was much stronger but tended to rust when exposed to moist air. The development of cost-effective electroplating techniques has made it possible to coat steel with nickel. Nickel does not rust, but tends to peel off steel in wet weather, allowing it to rust again. However, this took many months or even years, and since nickel-plated steel pins were usually only used temporarily to hold the fabric in place before sewing, no further refinement was deemed necessary. Note, however, that some modern special pins are made of stainless steel and high-strength titanium. [5] Although pins are among the smallest and simplest elements in a quilt toolbox, they are an absolute necessity for successful quilting. Straight pens help align our seams perfectly, they keep all our layers of fabric under control while we sew, they hold patterns in place and they anchor trimmings, beads or other ornaments. The main task of a straight pin is to temporarily fix several layers of fabric without causing damage.

There are many types of sewing needles on the market and using the right ones will help make your sewing and quilting tasks easier and more accurate without leaving holes or unsightly marks in your fabric.