Guide to Tapestry and Chenille Needles
How to Choose the Right Needle for Needlepoint or Cross Stitch
Many beginning needle workers don’t realize just how important it is to use the correct needle for any kind of embroidery work. Using the right size and type of needle can make the difference between struggling through every stitch and ending up with a disappointing result, or stitching with ease and creating a beautiful work of art.
Tapestry needles are the preferred needle for every kind of needlepoint embroidery and for most types of cross stitch embroidery. Chenille needles are similar in size and length to tapestry needles but have sharper points and larger eyes. They are a good choice for some kinds of cross stitch embroidery.
Dull-Tipped Tapestry Needles for Needlepoint and Most Cross Stitch
There are two reasons why tapestry needles are the needle of choice for needlepoint and most cross stitch projects:
- A tapestry needle has a large eye to hold the thicker threads and yarns used in needlepoint and cross stitch. This keeps the yarn or thread from fraying as it gets pulled through the needle.
- It has a blunt tip that glides through the openings in the canvas or evenweave fabric used for all needlepoint and most cross stitch work. This keeps the thread or yarn from catching on the fabric. For cross stitch on linen or waste canvas, though, consider a chenille needle instead.
Chenille Needles Have Sharper Points to Pierce Dense Fabrics
Chenille needles have sharper points than tapestry needles,which makes them better for piercing through tightly woven fabrics such as satin, cotton, or synthetic blends. A chenille needle’s sharp point can make cross stitching on waste canvas easier, since the sharp point pierces the underlying fabric more easily than a tapestry needle would. Chenille needles are also used in a variety of other types of stitching:
- Silk ribbon embroidery
- Crewel embroidery
- Candlewicking embroidery
- Tying quilts with yarn
- Stitching with Pearl cotton
- Embroidering on coarse fabric
How Tapestry and Chenille Needles are Sized
Tapestry needles and chenille needles both use the same size numbers. In both cases, lower-numbered needles are thicker, with larger eyes and duller points. Higher-numbered needles are thinner, with smaller eyes and sharper points.
Tapestry needles are available in sizes from #13 to #28. A #13 needle is a very thick, rigid needle with a large, elongated eye and a blunt point, used primarily for needlepointing the thickest yarns on rug canvas. A #28 needle is a short, very fine needle with a small eye and a sharper point. It is used for very fine petit point work on gauze canvas.
Chenille needles are available in sizes #18 to #22.
Match the Needle to the Fabric Count or Canvas Gauge
Needlepoint canvas and evenweave cross-stitch fabric has a gauge or count that helps determine which needle to use. The fabric count relates to the size of the openings in the weave of the fabric. The lower the fabric count, the larger the openings, and the thicker the needle and yarn or thread needed to stitch on them.
See the chart at the bottom of the page to choose the proper needle for any size needlepoint canvas.
Learn more about needlepoint and cross stitch embroidery:
Tapestry and Chenille Needle Chart
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Tapestry Needles Sizes 13, 16, 24, 26, 28
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