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Watch the video: “How To Use Twin Needles” by Sewing Report
If you love the polished, store-bought look on knit hems but don’t own a cover stitch machine, a twin needle on your everyday sewing machine is a smart workaround. In this Sewing Report tutorial, Jennifer Moore walks through choosing the right twin needle, installing and threading it, and why stabilization (like Wonder Tape) can be the difference between a wavy hem and a smooth, professional finish.
What you’ll learn
- How to select between universal and stretch twin needles (and why width matters)
- A fast way to prep knit hems, including pressing and Wonder Tape
- Exactly how to thread two top threads (and the key guide to skip)
- Sewing strategies that reduce tunneling and skipped stitches
- How Wonder Tape compares to no stabilization in real results
Introduction to Twin Needles Twin needles create two parallel straight rows on the right side of your fabric, making them the go-to for knit hems on sleeves, tees, and waistbands when you don’t have a cover stitch machine. Jennifer demonstrates on her regular machine, proving you don’t need special equipment to get a clean result.
What are Twin Needles? In the video, you’ll see that a twin needle is a single shank holding two needles. On the top side, your seam reads as two straight lines. On the underside, the bobbin thread forms a zigzag that connects those rows. This gives some built-in give compared to a single straight stitch line.
Why Use Twin Needles? Twin needles are budget-friendly compared to buying a dedicated cover stitch machine. You still get the double-line finish many of us love, especially on knits, without the extra machine. The underside looks different from a cover stitch, but the visual impact from the right side is similar.
Comparing Twin Needles to Cover Stitch Machines Jennifer shows a direct comparison: the back of a cover stitch hem has a more intricate network of loops, while the twin needle hem shows that simpler zigzag from the bobbin thread. It’s a great side-by-side if you’re deciding whether a twin needle will meet your needs for the garments you make.
Pro tip If you’re brand new to the technique, practice on a knit scrap first, then move to your garment. It’s faster to adjust on a sample than pick out tiny twin lines of stitching.
Types of Twin Needles and Selection What you saw in the video: there are two key types—universal and stretch (ballpoint). Universal works for wovens; stretch is designed for knits to reduce skipped stitches and fabric damage. Jennifer prefers a wider spacing look and shows 4.0 mm as her choice in the demo, noting she’d like to try even wider later.
Universal vs. Stretch Twin Needles
- Universal: best for woven fabrics (like quilting cotton or linen)
- Stretch/Ballpoint: best for knits; the tip and design help the needle pass between fibers without cutting them
Understanding Needle Widths Twin needles come in various widths (distance between the two needle points). Jennifer uses 4.0 mm in the video and mentions interest in trying wider. The width you choose is aesthetic and practical—wider spacing reads bolder and can help with placement on hems.
Shopping Smart for Twin Needles It’s easy to mix up types and widths. Check the packaging so you’re buying the exact combination your fabric demands. If you’re sewing knits, choose a stretch twin needle; for wovens, a universal twin needle is appropriate.
Quick check
- Fabric: knit? Choose stretch twin
- Fabric: woven? Choose universal
- Look: narrow or wide spacing? Pick the width that suits your project
Preparing Your Fabric for Twin Needle Sewing A neat hem starts before you ever stitch. Jennifer folds the hem to a predetermined amount—she mentions commonly using about 0.5 inch or 1 inch—and presses it into place. Pressing matters: heat and a straight fold help everything feed evenly.
Pre-pressing Your Hem Tools shown include an iron and the Clover Hot Hemmer, which makes it quick to fold a consistent depth before you stitch. This step alone improves accuracy and helps you keep a straight line under the needle.
The Magic of Wonder Tape for Stability Wonder Tape, a water-soluble, double-sided tape, temporarily holds the hem in place. In side-by-side tests, the stabilized hem fed more evenly and showed less waviness and tunneling. The tape washes out later, so the finished garment regains its natural stretch.
Testing Different Stabilization Methods Jennifer tests two approaches on the same knit: pressed-only vs. pressed + Wonder Tape. The result is clear—the side with Wonder Tape looks smoother with fewer issues. If your hems often ripple, this small addition pays dividends.
Watch out If a test sample feeds unevenly without stabilization, don’t fight the fabric. Add Wonder Tape and try again before changing anything else.
Installing and Threading Your Twin Needle Installing the twin needle is familiar: remove your single needle and insert the twin needle with the flat side of the shank facing the back of your machine, then tighten securely.
Step-by-Step Needle Insertion
- Remove your current needle
- Insert the twin needle with flat side to the back (as shown in the video)
- Tighten the needle screw firmly
Setting Up for Dual Thread Spools You’ll need two top threads and a bobbin. Jennifer installs an extra spool pin on top of the machine so both top threads can feed smoothly. If you don’t have that, the video notes you can use a bobbin up top as a second thread source.
Mastering the Twin Needle Threading Path This is the part most folks trip over: thread the left needle through the standard path. For the right needle, follow the same path but skip the very last tiny guide just above the needle. That one skipped guide reduces tangles between the two threads right before they reach the needles. Insert the bobbin as you normally would.
From the comments Viewers asked about bobbin handling. The video keeps it simple: load the bobbin as usual and sew. If you’re seeing twisting or snags on the right thread, recheck that the right needle thread is skipping the final guide.
Sewing with Twin Needles: Tips for Success Jennifer positions the fabric right side up so the visible double lines land on the outside of the garment. She aligns with seam guides to place the rows near the hem edge without falling off. A steady, continuous stitch helps avoid skipped stitches.
Choosing the Right Presser Foot Jennifer tried a clear decorative stitch foot for visibility but notes she usually prefers a walking foot for most sewing because it feeds layers evenly—especially useful on knits. If your knit wants to ripple, a walking foot can make a notable difference.
Maintaining Even Stitching on Knits Keep an even pace. In the video, Jennifer observed that most skipped stitches appeared when she hesitated mid-seam. Try to sew the full hem without stopping. If you must stop, leave the needle down to help hold position until you resume.
Troubleshooting Skipped Stitches and Tunneling
- Skipped stitches: Often linked to pauses or the wrong needle for the fabric. Use a stretch twin needle on knits and avoid starting/stopping frequently on tricky areas.
- Tunneling/wavy hems: Stabilize with Wonder Tape and consider a walking foot. The stabilized side in the test looked smoother and more consistent.
Pro tip If you’re still struggling, make a short test strip: press and tape a 6–8 inch sample, sew continuously, and adjust after inspecting. It’s faster than seam ripping a full hem.
Evaluating Your Twin Needle Hems Jennifer’s A/B test tells the story. The pressed-only side showed more waviness and tunneling. The side with Wonder Tape was smoother and fed more evenly. If your knit hems aren’t cooperating, add stabilization first—then fine-tune technique.
The Budget-Friendly Professional Finish The underside of a twin-needle hem won’t match the complexity of a cover stitch, but the right side looks crisp, and that’s what most people see. For many sewists, that trade-off makes sense—twin needles deliver a clean look without the cost of a separate machine.
Continued Practice and Experimentation Jennifer plans to keep testing needle widths (she likes 4.0 mm and is curious about wider). If you’re exploring, change just one variable at a time: needle type, width, stabilization, foot choice, or speed. Track what smooths out your own fabrics.
Quick check
- Right side up when hemming
- Stretch twin needle for knits
- Skip the final right-hand guide
- Consider walking foot + Wonder Tape
- Sew steadily without hesitation
From the comments: real-world questions and tips
- Hem width placement: The video commonly folds 0.5 inch or 1 inch and aligns to seam guides. Exact cutting width beyond that isn’t specified.
- Walking foot compatibility: Viewers echoed that a walking foot works well for knits, and Jennifer mentions she prefers it on many projects.
- Tunneling fix: Multiple sewists report better results reducing hesitation, using a stretch twin needle, and adding Wonder Tape. Some commenters also mention tension adjustments; the video doesn’t provide specific settings.
- Straight-stitch-only machines: A commenter noted twin needles are for zigzag-capable machines, but the video does not confirm machine limitations. Check your manual before attempting.
Watch out Don’t force the fabric if it starts to ripple. Stop, stabilize, and try again with Wonder Tape and a walking foot before you change multiple settings at once.
A note on thread choices Jennifer used different thread colors for clarity in the demo—left needle, right needle, and bobbin—so you can easily identify what’s happening on the fabric’s underside. This can be helpful in your tests too, even if you’ll use matching thread on the final garment.
If you also embroider Many sewists dabble in both garment sewing and machine embroidery. If you’re researching add-ons, you might come across magnetic accessories and hooping gear. Explore thoughtfully and always confirm compatibility with your machine before purchasing extras like a magnetic embroidery hoop.
Likewise, if you’re moving into decorative stitching on a combination machine, learning the basics of an embroidery sewing machine workflow can complement your garment projects—especially when you want to add monograms or simple motifs.
For new embroiderers, a curated, beginner-friendly setup matters more than bells and whistles. If you’re shopping and comparing, look for clear manuals, stable hooping, and easy threading. Some people start by reading roundups like “best picks for an embroidery machine for beginners” before they commit.
If you’re building out a tool kit, it’s useful to understand the difference between a stabilizing tape for knit hems and hoop-based stabilization for embroidery. The former (like Wonder Tape) temporarily holds a fold in place; the latter relies on proper tension and placement inside an embroidery frame.
As your projects evolve, you may consider specialized hooping options. There’s a wide world of accessories such as magnetic embroidery hoops designed to make hooping faster or gentler on certain materials. Always verify size and fit against your machine model.
And if your studio includes multiple machines, keeping track of your various embroidery machine hoops—sizes, markings, and preferred stabilizers—helps reduce mistakes and speeds setup on repeat projects.
From the comments: extra ideas
- Some sewists report a walking foot drastically reduces shifting on stretch fabrics.
- Others mention that steady speed and minimizing mid-hem stops reduce skipped stitches.
- A few viewers test tension changes to address bobbin pull on the underside; the video doesn’t specify exact settings, so proceed with small, incremental adjustments.
Wrap-up Twin needles let you create clean, parallel rows on knit hems with the machine you already own. From this demo, two factors stand out: use a stretch twin needle on knits, and stabilize with Wonder Tape to tame tunnels and waves. Thread carefully—remember to skip that final right-hand guide—and sew in a smooth, continuous motion. The payoff is a confident, professional hem without an extra machine.
From the comments Questions the video doesn’t specifically cover include hemming jeans with a twin needle and exact tension numbers. If you try denim or heavy knits, start with a test sample, confirm needle choice, and add stabilization. Share your findings so the whole community can benefit.