SEWING FOREVER

If you are looking for a new great New Year’s Resolution, here is a great idea for you. Get your sewing machine out again and start sewing! I know it is a fun idea, but when was the last time you tackle some sewing work, or better yet, have you ever threaded a sewing machine?

It is one of the primary jobs in sewing that you need to get it done, before actual sewing. So, clear the dust off the old machine frame, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to jumpstart your sewing machine. Learning some clever tricks to make the process easier, and this will make a big difference in how you perceive your relationship with your sewing machine!

Before You Start

• Consult the sewing machine manual, if you can get your hands on one. It should give you diagrammatical instructions about the job at hand. If you have lost it anyway, this article is for you.

• Settle on a thread color you want to use and fill the bobbin with it.

• Always go for high-quality threads and it should be suited to your choice of fabric.

How To Thread Your Sewing Machine

Follow these steps closely to get it right the first time.

Step One – Top Spool

The position of the spool depends on the make and model of the machine. Some have them in an upright position, while others have it at the lying down orientation. You need to put the cotton on the spool of the machine and hold it in place to prevent flying off the top once you start sewing.

Step Two – Thread Guide

Through the marked guide, which is often a small button-like knob, pull the thread on the top.

Step Three – Around The Tension Knob

To loop the thread around the tension discs below, pull the thread down towards you, and keep it nice and taut so that the surface tension remains consistent throughout.

Step Four – Second Thread Guide

To pass the thread through the second guide, pull it back again run into the lever with an eyelet, usually termed as take-up lever. Passing through this line, the thread will take a U shape.

Step Five – Above Needle Hook

Bring the needle down and follow all the hooks in the way. This will keep the thread tight around the nooks and will make the sewing easier for you.

Step Six – Thread The Needle

After that, thread the needle from front to back. If you have followed the previous steps, you shouldn’t have trouble doing it. But still if you experience any inconvenience, read further to resolve any issues.

Step Seven – Insert The Bobbin

Follow the manual to load the already filled bobbin inside your sewing machine. There are usually two ways to insert the bobbin: from the front or from the top. Some makes and models offer a removable case in which goes the bobbin while others go straight down into a fixed position.

Turn the flywheel – the big wheel on the right side of the machine – towards you. This makes the needle hooks the thread with the bottom one. Thus, bringing the thread from the bobbin to the top level of the sewing machine where the needle goes in and out.

Step Eight – Join The Bobbin & Top Thread

Pull the loop of the bobbin thread that is caught and pull it to the top of the machine. If you need any assistance in grabbing the thread, use tweezers or a pin to ease your way forward.

Step Nine – Pull The Threads To The Back

Now, both the upper and lower threads should be combined. So, pull both threads gently to the back. There should not be any resistance and they will run smoothly as you tuck them on the back.

Step Ten – Experiment On A Scrap

To check the thread tension and consistency of the stitches, use a scrap of fabric before trying your hand on the main piece. To prevent tangling the top and bottom threads while you are sewing, hold them both at the back. Always lower the foot to steady the fabric and run the fabric into the feeder mechanism.

Extra Tips – Just In Case

It all boils down to mastering the craft of threading the needle, once you take a basic threading mechanism out of your way. Do you think there is not much to it, but just a bit of cotton that needs to go through the eye of the needle?

If you are over-simplifying this task, then it sure sounds like a piece of cake. But in reality, there are many things to keep in mind. For instance, the needle of a sewing machine is not free but rather attached to big, bulky hardware. So, you cannot just take it and hold it up to the light or your suitable point of vision. Further down the road, good luck with threading the needle if you are now using reading glasses.

The needle is attached to the machine and set in a socket for proper functioning and smooth usage. In the process, it is the last milestone to cross in order to thread your sewing machine.

There are some extra practical tips to keep you rolling in your sewing endeavors:

• If you are already a glasses person, get an extra pair with enhanced power than your regular ones. You can use them exclusively for the tasks where you need to magnify objects in order to deal with minute details.

• Using sharp scissors, trip the thread end. This will elongate the fabric and makes it easier to pass through the eye.

• Since the slightly moist thread is easier to needle, you may want to lick the thread end with your lips or pass it between the moist fingers of your hand to get the desired effect.

• There is a pre-installed bulb in this section of the machines. If you find it insufficient, you can always pull a study lamp closer to shed some more light on the subject.

• There are some gadgets in the market that can really help you in threading the needle.

Fun Fact

In an idiomatic sense, “threading the needle” implies in finding the harmony or striking the balance between conflicting forces or opposite ideas. It is also widely used in action sports. In the light of these revelations, do you believe that threading the needle in a sewing machine could be considered as an action sport, or a pursuit to find harmony in opposing interests? Of course, it is not dangerous by any stretch of the imagination, but it as exciting as some adrenaline-pumping sport.

Philosophical jargon aside, threading the sewing machine is your one step closer to the ultimate goal of learning new things and crafting novel items for your home with your own hands.

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