can you make an embroidery design that is a wing needle with a regular embroidery needle? I think the wing needles are for cutwork so if I used an embroidery needle there would be no holes? Is this right or wrong?

I disagree with Martine, in that yes threads are cut with the wing needle. Not many are cut, just enough to make a hole to emulate entredeux. I do not know of a cut work needle, to me that is a method that can also be used as applique. Yes you can use regular needle.

3 comments

by mops 25 Oct 2014

A wing needle is supposed to push the threads of the material aside; cutwork needles are small chisels, they come in sets of four, each having a different orientation - north, east, south and west - except the Bernina one that just one needle set in a mounting that can be turned four ways.
But the point I wanted to make is that a cutwork design is not done with a wing needle, you find designs for the latter under heirloom designs. And yes, so can use a normal needle instead of a wing and in that case a larger sized needle will give a better result.

by Patricia109 edited 30 Oct 2014

I love doing designs with a wing needle, but my embroidery machine will not take them.
I have done cutwork on my embroidery machine and it looks very similar to cutwork done by hand. Very pretty and the holes are usually 1/4 inch or more in size.
Cutwor

by Patricia109 30 Oct 2014

mutter! my editing went wrong.
Cut work is done on the embroidery machine by embroidering part of the design and one of the thread changes is when you take the hoop off the machine and cut out the fabric. Then back to finish the embroidery.
Wing needle work that I do is to hem table runners or handkerchiefs ready for crocheting an edge on the item. I do that stitching on my sewing machine.

Wing needles are not for cutwork, they give an open work effect by pushing the threads to the sides. Cutwork needles really cut threads and small areas of the fabric. But you can use the design with a normal needle and cut out the fabric with a good pair of scissors.
Embroidery designs are usually marked as either cutwork or made for wing needles. I know Husqvarna and Pfaff offer design(collection)s for both. Cutwork designs are quite common, designs for wing needles are a bit harder to get. I have made a few, but only like it for straight vertical lines, curved lines or diagonals just don't work.

Stand alone embroidery machines including semi industrials can't use wing needles as they have a small hole in the throat plate.

1 comment

by pldc 25 Oct 2014

thanks Martine I thought this about home emb machines as well but just wasn't sure

I love the wing needle effect, but my Pr600 will not take the wing needle,
so I just use my usual needle, which still looks beautiful to me.

Big hugs from London
Maria

1 comment

by pldc 24 Oct 2014

thank you Maria. I agree there are some really lovely designs out there that are for Cutwork. Thank you very much for telling me this. I wasn't sure if I could or not!~hugs~

I use a wing needle all the time...on my regular sewing machine and I also use it with some embroidery designs...wing needles are not for cutwork they are used a lot for heirloom sewing...there are certain decorative stitches built in to my sewing machine that are "made" for wing needles...wing needle will leave a hole in the fabric...deco stitches repeat stitches in that "hole" so you can see the "hole" in the finished motif...they are used a lot for hem stitching...there are wing needle designs at Threads N Scissors..they are lovely and stitch out beautifully...PM me if you need more info...

1 comment

by pldc 24 Oct 2014

that is exactly the designs that I was referring too! Great minds think alike LOL. thanks Kim