Considering that sewing is supposedly a relaxing pastime, isn’t it odd that the very first step in the process – threading the sewing needle – is so difficult? That’s exactly what Minnesota inventor, Pam Turner thought and that’s why she designed the Spiral Eye needle. It’s a sewing needle that allows the user to simply slide a looped thread towards the needle eye where it is caught and then pulled into the eye. Easy, stress-free and so simple - you wonder why it's taken this long to create.
The Spiral Eye needle is made from 100% surgical stainless steel so is suitable for those people who may be allergic to nickel plating. It won’t damage your thread or come undone during sewing, will not rust, snap or break and remains sharp. It is available in a variety of sizes and Turner claims it is the only sewing needle made in the USA.
To thread the Spiral Eye needle, you drape the thread over the needle shaft then pinch it to form a loop around the needle. You slide the looped thread with your fingers towards the eye of the needle. When the thread catches in the slot you stop sliding, and tug the thread into the groove. You then move the thread towards the point and back around the tongue and voila – the thread is through the eye of the needle.
Threading a needle certainly becomes more difficult for people as eyesight starts to fail but even children have difficulty maneuvering thread through the eye of a sewing needle. Turner recalls that her mother “struggled to thread a needle. Glasses resting on her nose, she trimmed the end of the thread, sucked on it, failed to get it through the eye of the needle and re-trimmed it. Sometimes she would curse, "Why can't someone invent a better needle? We've been to the moon for goodness sake." It wasn’t until years later that Turner, when faced with the same frustration, decided to invent a needle that would be easy to thread.
It took Turner many years and multiple conversations with tool and die makers as well as people who worked in the manufacturing industry. When she finally exhibited at the Minnesota Inventor's Congress Invention in June 2008, she realized that those years of hard work had finally paid off – she was an inventor.
The Spiral Eye needles can be purchased as a single unit or in boxed sets. Single needles start at US$5.50, while a set of cross-stitch needles cost US$16. you can even purchase special fish bait needles to attach your bait securely.
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