So, there you are, happily stitching away, and BAM! Your needle breaks. Fine you think and you dive in your pack and pull out a slew of needles to find… They’ve opened and gone everywhere!
Recently I came up across quite a problem; how to store your needles better. Now there are a few needle storage methods out there, and a few I picked up from fellow stitchers after asking around, however, it was shocking just how many people had the same problem as me. So I put on my top hat and went to work!
The failing needle storage method
Pebbles
However, before you think they aren’t worth the money, I personally have a pebble in my travel kit. It’s perfect for only a few needles and keeps them safe from pricked fingers.
DMC Needle Organizer
I now loathe this thing. Now, I need a real solution.
THE SOLUTION?
File Storage
However all was not well. You really need to keep these suckers straight. Mine fell over a few times and the needle cases came tumbling out. Whilst that’s not a great issue, it became a pain to keep resorting all the time.
That’s when it hit me!
THE SOLUTION!
I was reading the most recent XStitch Mag and saw a page featuring fancy Tulip Sashiko Needles. And they came in a glass vial. Very fancy I thought, but shooting back to my pre-med days I realised doctors store used needles in plastic tubes. I reached out, and you know what? They don’t do it anymore. Something to do with health and safety. However, one plucking doctor friend of mine mentioned he’d seen some specifically for stitchers.
Needle Tubes
Although there is the more whimsical side of needle storage. How about needles in a high heeled shoe, courtesy of Peacock & Fig?
If you’re interested in tapestry needles, we’ve been featuring a great series including answering that annoying question Why are cross stitch needles given random size numbers?, and How are cross stitch needles made?. Of course, we also have awesome guides like finding the best size needle for your work.
I use old pill bottles and write the needle size on the lids.
I cannot believe that I had a packet of these in my stash and they are the answer to my question! Thanks