Needles

Images and text by Garry Harrison,
Head, Circulating Collections Conservation,
Indiana University Libraries Preservation Department

Needles

We generally use ordinary straight needles for routine sewing operations such as binding stitched pamphlets and attaching end sheets. Occasionally there is a project for which a curved needle is the better tool for the job. We use a simple and specific method for securing the thread to the needle after the needle is threaded, which involves piercing the thread with the needle's point and pulling the thread back over the eye end of the needle. This technique is documented in the tutorials for those treatments which involve the use of needle and thread. Small-size coffee cans serve well as holders for both needles and thread, as shown.

Table of Contents
To Complete Treatments Manual Table of Contents