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TWIN NEEDLES AND TWICE THE INSPIRATION

Several times a week, I give a use and care class to people who have bought new sewing machines at Sears. I have found that the majority of sewers have not discovered the marvellous twin needle. Showing them a few of the wonderful things that can be done with a twin needle is very exciting. Eyes light up and I can see imaginations come to life as they see that they can add this extra dimension to their own sewing.

Built-in decorative stitches done with a twin needle

Most of you know that twin needles are great for working on knits. They make nice professional-looking hems and can also be used around necklines when applying binding or trims. In fact, if you look closely at most ready-to-wear knits, you will see that they are almost always finished with a twin needle stitch.

Twin needles come in a variety of sizes. Note that there are two numbers on the package, the first number gives you the space between the two needles and the second number gives you the size of the needle. For example, a 4-80/11 is a size 11 needle with a space of 4 mm. between the needles. A 4-90/14 is a size 14 needle with a spacing of 4 mm. Twin needles come as close together as 1.6 mm. and as far apart as 6 mm.

It is not as confusing as it first looks. Insert a twin needle into your needle shaft just as you would insert a regular needle. The only difference is in the threading. If you have two thread spools, place the threads on the thread holders so that the threads come off in opposite directions, one clockwise and the second counter-clockwise. This will help prevent the threads from tangling as you sew. Then thread them through the machine as usual. Some machines will allow you to pass the thread one to the left of the tension disc and one to the right. I don't have this option on my machine, so I simply bring the two threads through together and then separate them just before the needle. Here I have two thread guides, one on the left above the needle and another on the right. If you don't have this option, place one thread through the guide and leave the other one just in front. This will help to keep the two threads separate. Then thread them through the eyes of both needles, keeping them untwisted to this point. Manually turn the hand wheel to bring up the bobbin thread and you are ready to go.

When you sew with the twin needle, you will see that you get two lines of straight stitching an equal distance apart. On the underside, you only have one thread, so the stitch will be a zigzag as the bobbin thread has to go from side to side to catch each top thread. The advantage of this stitch is the built-in stretch provided by the zigzag. A twin-needled hem on a knit top will have the necessary give as you pull the knit over your head so that the stitches don't pop. If you had simply straight-stitched that hem, you could now be hearing little pops as the stitches break due to the stress. The fabric stretches, but your stitches won't. With a twin-needle stitch, your stitches can stretch with the fabric.

A twin needle with 1.5 or 2 mm. between the needles gives two lines of stitching fairly close together. I have a preference for a twin needle with wider spacing for sewing on knits. This is what you will see on retail clothes. So try using a needle with a spacing of 4 or 5 mm between the needles to get the same look on your own knit garments. If you get a ridge between the two lines of stitching, lower your top tension slightly to reduce this bump.

Knits are not the only place you will see the work of twin needles. If you have an interest in heirloom sewing, you already know the extensive use of twin needles. Here you will see the finer needles with less spacing being used to give baby-fine pin-tucks on cotton batiste fabric and other fine fabrics as well.

Pin tucks on a blouse from Stitches magazine Vol. 7, No.3

I don't do heirloom sewing but I have to confess having a weakness for pin-tucks. I am completely enamored of them. Carol Ahles in her book "Fine Machine Sewing" gives wonderful instructions for using twin needles to their optimum. She recommends using needles spaced 1.6 mm to 2 mm apart for pintucks on lightweight fabrics; needles 2.5 to 3 mm. apart for medium weight fabrics; and needles 4 mm apart or more for medium to heavy weight fabrics.

Using a pin-tuck foot with a twin needle helps you to space the tucks an equal distance apart. A pin tuck foot has multiple grooves on the underside through which the pin tucks can ride as you sew adjacent rows. A seven groove pin tuck foot is a good choice for most fine pin tucks. Sew your first tuck, then re-position the fabric so that this tuck rides in the first groove of the foot. Your next tuck will be adjacent to the first and the foot will ensure that you sew it straight. Of course, it is important to get your first tuck straight. On straight grain tucks, this can be done by pulling a thread and stitching the first tuck on top of that.

Seven, five, and three groove pin tuck feet - picture from Threads #78

While straight pin tucks are the norm on heirloom garments, the twin needle and a pin-tuck foot make possible pin tucks that can be curved, angled, or even stitched into shapes. Why limit yourself to batiste or handkerchief linen, when pin-tucking can be successfully done on velvet? Look back through Threads magazine to issue #78 in September 98 to read a wonderful article on pintucks. The author, Jean Liittschwager, gives good directions for making pin-tucks on velvet, stretch velour, organza, denim, and cotton.

Pin tucks on a skirt of rayon velvet from Threads #78

Corded curved pintucks on a linen vest on the cover of Threads #78

Although I have not tried this, it looks fascinating. Stitching a pin tuck over decorative cording can yield a dramatic effect as shown in sheer cotton lawn in this diagram, where the pin tuck was sewn over coloured rattail cord. Rattail is a fine rayon cording sold in most fabric stores. It is often used for couching on top of garments and Kenneth King, a San Francisco designer, favours rattail for making his tiny bound buttonholes. It is a fine cord that is quite flexible, which makes it suitable for lots of sewing embellishments.

Pintucks done over coloured cording

Another area to try a twin needle is with polar fleece. Pin tucks on fleece are as easy as inserting and threading a twin needle. Because of the pile of fleece fabrics, the twin needle, if wide enough, will pull the space between the needles up into a ridge. Sometimes, I also tighten the tension on the top thread.

Pick a twin needle that is meant for fleece such as a 14 universal or stretch needle. The distance between the needles will create different looks. You will have to have a needle that is at least 4 mm. apart. Needles closer together than this will simply sew two straight lines on the fleece. I find that a twin needle of 4 mm. creates a nice looking tuck, while a 6 mm. creates a wide ridge. Experiment with different needles to see which tuck you prefer.

You can sew tucks in straight lines or in curved lines. To mark a straight line on fleece, a Chacopel by Clover is a good tool to use since it leaves a fine line of chalk without damaging the pile of the fleece. If you want to quilt fleece, draw the first straight line and then use the quilting bar on your presser foot to sew the subsequent rows. This is a good technique to use on the yoke of a jacket, where you would like to see a contrast fabric used.

For sewing grids, sew all the lines that go in one direction first. Then sew the lines which cross them after. With different colours of thread, you could create a plaid effect.

Sewing straight lines on fleece is easy, and you may want to progress to something a little more challenging. Try outlining an appliqué motif with the twin needle; you will achieve a sculptured effect. Or sew soft curves around the hem of a child's jacket. If you are ready for a big project, try pin-tucking an entire jacket front and back to resemble an Aran sweater pattern. The designs are fairly simple, diamonds and rope designs, zigzag lines and double tucks. Use the Chacopel to draw the lines and shapes on the fabric, then simply sew with a twin needle, turning and pivoting where necessary. The effect is quite stunning and takes a fraction of the time of hand knitting. I find that, with fleece, I can use a regular foot and simply use the edge of the presser foot as a guide for making subsequent rows of pin tucks.

Section of a child's jacket that was entirely pin-tucked with a 4-90/14 ballpoint needle

As you can see from this brief overview, twin needles and pin tucks can add a new dimension to your sewing. Think of your sewing as an area where you are allowed to "play" and have some fun, instead of being all practicality. The truly marvellous garments that make us "ooh" and "aah" are the ones where someone played with different fabrics and experimented with texture to create something unique and beautiful. Although we are not all designers, many of us have more creativity inside us than we are willing to acknowledge. Why not give it a try? With the simplicity of twin needle sewing, this would be a good place to start.

Any sewing questions? I would be happy to try and answer them: you can email me at mail@timmelfabrics.com