I Have Strong Feelings On This

 O'er on Tumblr, I mentioned that I have started sewing a vinyl project and am having zero problems with it simply and entirely because I am using the correct needle, and I got this question

I will be making a project this year almost entirely out of leather and vinyl. Please tell me more about this needle and where I can get some.

and here is my answer:

They’re called leather needles or leather and vinyl needles, and are most commonly found made by Singer or Schmetz--I think JoAnn carries Schmetz leather needles and it looks like that’s what Wawak (my favorite site for ordering sewing supplies) carries, too.

Leather needles are more...let’s say they’re more unknown than they are uncommon.

Like all sewing machine needles, they’re available in different sizes for sewing through different weights of material.

They have broad points that essentially punch tiny slits into the material, which allows the thread to move easily back and forth as needed

...whereas standard point needles punch tiny holes that stretch out around the needle and then contract once the needle is removed, essentially increasing the likelihood of the material itself grabbing the thread.

I know people have success sewing leather and vinyl with things like non-stick standard needles and nonstick presser feet and layering the vinyl between tissue paper and applying tape to the machine bed/bottom of the presser foot so the smooth side of the tape is in contact with the project and using walking feet to move things along (or, in rarer, more alarming cases, applying oil to the bottom of the presser foot or powdering the entire project with corn starch/baby powder/talc), but the core problem of sewing leather and vinyl is not that the material is sticking to the presser foot or the machine bed, the core problem is that the thread is getting stuck in the material because the hole is too small.

That’s why hand-sewing needles meant for leather/vinyl--technically called glover’s needles--also have that broad point.

I started using leather needles to sew little pleather doll clothes nearly 20 years ago and have never had any problems sewing pleather, vinyl, leather, or coated/heavily foiled fabrics in that time, and all I do to my machine is switch from a regular needle to a leather needle.

And I am very salty about all of the other advice out there on the internet for sewing leather-like materials 😁