How to Thread a Sewing Machine in Simple Steps?

To avoid running into technical issues and to maintain a pleasurable sewing experience, learn how to thread your sewing machine properly.

You must set up your sewing machine before creating your first stitch. Don’t worry if the initial setup of a sewing machine seems intimidating at first; after a few sewing projects, it will feel natural.

This 7-step manual explains how to thread a sewing machine and is ideal for those who are new to sewing and are unsure of how to thread their machine but are eager to get started.

You can check out more information we have on How to Thread a Brother Sewing Machine and a Kenmore Sewing Machine.

Before We Start

The first thing to do if you’re having trouble seeing the needle’s eye and haven’t seen your eye doctor in a while is to arrange a checkup!

Where Do You Thread a Sewing Machine Needle?

The thread always travels from the front to the back of the needle. Passing the thread through the needle’s eye without turning or twisting it is prohibited.

The needle’s eye is the tiny hole located close to its point, according to beginners. The thread for the needle will come from the top of your sewing machine, not the bobbin thread at the bottom.

Pull the thread under and behind the presser foot after you’ve gotten it through the eye. The metal component of your sewing machine known as the presser foot holds your fabric in place while you sew.

Preparing Your Sewing Machine for Threading

Needle Up

The needle should be in the up position when threading your machine.

Press the needle up button on a computerized machine. On manual machines, you can move the needle to the up position by gently depressing the foot pedal or using the handwheel to the machine’s right. In any case, if you have an automatic needle threader, it will only function in the up position.

Machine Off

After raising the needle, turn off your sewing machine if you’re a beginner before attempting to thread the needle.

This does indeed turn off the workspace light. However, starting the machine with a child, a pet, or even your own unintentional touch while you’re tinkering with the needle only causes trouble!

If you require more lighting, simply install a backup light to take the place of the workspace light. Additionally, be sure to position it so that there are no shadows. Depending on whether you prefer to thread with the machine on or off once you’ve mastered needle threading, you can make that decision.

Presser Foot Down Or Removed (Optional)

Give yourself the most room to work if you have larger fingers or frequently have trouble getting your fingers to the needle’s eye.

This entails either completely removing the presser foot or lowering it after threading the upper thread.

Pressing a lever or simply snapping the foot off are two common ways to remove the presser foot from machines. If you are unsure of how to operate your machine, consult the user manual.

White Or Light Background (Optional)

Try holding a white piece of printer paper or a notecard behind the needle if you’re having trouble seeing the eye. For those with weaker near vision, this improves the contrast between the dark needle and the white paper, making it simpler to see.

Preparing the Thread Ends

You can imagine how challenging it is to fit a frayed or fuzzy thread through a needle’s tiny eye. Never does it seem like all of the fibers are moving through at once!

To avoid fibers catching as they pass through the needle’s eye, the thread must be as smooth, sturdy, and uniform as possible.

Read More: How to Sew a Button Like An Expert?

Cutting Off Frayed Ends

To begin, use a pair of razor-sharp sewing scissors to trim any frayed ends. Using dull household scissors could make things worse. Making a slight angle in your cut is also best.

Strengthening the Thread

The thread end will then be licked if necessary. I know it’s gross, but it usually works out great! To compress all the fibers, gently squeeze the thread ends with your fingers. You can also use water.

How to Thread a Sewing Machine by Hand?

You need to load an upper thread and a lower thread into your sewing machine in order to thread it. In order to create stitches in your material, the machine will weave these two threads together.

Although the threading process differs slightly depending on the sewing machine, most machines follow a similar general process. When threading your sewing machine for the first time, consult your instruction manual.

Wind a Bobbin

Your machine’s lower thread spool is called the bobbin. You will need to wind your own bobbins from an existing spool of thread if you don’t already have any (either from a previous project or pre-wound bobbins purchased from a store).

To do this, set a spool of sewing thread on your machine’s thread pin (located at the top of your machine). To wind the thread counterclockwise around the pre-tension disc (attached to the thread guide), pull the thread to the left of your machine.

After that, wind the thread several times around the bobbin’s central pillar by threading it through the two tiny holes in the empty bobbin. Put the bobbin on your machine’s bobbin winder pin, which is typically found just above the threaded pin on the top right side.

Simply depress the foot pedal on your machine to start the bobbin winding process. Trim the thread to separate it from your larger spool after winding it until it is full.

Load Your Wound Bobbin

Once wound, a bobbin will be placed in the bobbin case, a tiny space beneath your needle where it will supply the lower thread as your sewing machine sews. When you’re ready to load your bobbin, raise your needle and press the foot to the highest setting (your machine will either have a hand wheel or a button for this), and take off the bobbin cover.

Put your bobbin in the round slot; your machine will have an arrow showing which direction the bobbin should be placed to correctly unspool. Then, thread the end of the bobbin through the tension spring of your machine, and put the bobbin cover back on.

Place the Spool

Place a spool of thread on your machine’s thread pin (also known as a spool pin or spool holder) before setting up the upper thread.

Thread through the Thread Guide

Use the tiny wire hooks on your sewing machine’s needle section to guide the thread now that you’re there.

You might have two of these wire thread hooks; one is usually located on the shaft below the take-up lever and the other is frequently found there. Although I prefer to thread my sewing machine correctly to reduce the likelihood of skipped stitches or seam puckering, some people choose not to use these additional guides.

Pull the Thread through the U-shaped Guide

Pull the thread from the thread guide down into the machine’s front deep groove, then bring it back up into the second deep groove just to the left.

Wrap the Thread Around the Thread Take-up Lever

Pull the thread through the small hook above the needle and down the passageway from the take-up lever. The location of this hook is typically near where the top of the needle rests.

Some machines will come with this hook, while others won’t. Continue to the next step if your machine does not have a tiny hook above the needle.

Thread the Needle

Thread the needle eye of the sewing machine by pulling your thread downward toward it. Do this from front to back. Till there are several inches of thread through the needle, keep pulling the thread’s end. (Instead, some machines have an automatic needle threader; for more information, consult your sewing machine’s manual.)

Catch the Thread

To be prepared to sew, you must connect the two threads once your top thread and bobbin have been properly positioned. The needle will catch the bobbin thread and pull it back out in a loop if you fully lower it and then raise it again using your needle position knob or button.

Grab both thread strands and position them away from the stitching area by passing a flat object underneath the needle, such as a ruler.

Here is a video for you:

Other Methods to Thread a Sewing Machine

To help you thread a sewing machine, you can also use other tools.

Using a Needle Threading Tool for Threading

You can thread a sewing machine needle or a serger with one of the at least ten needle threader tools that are available.

I prefer to use front-approaching needle threaders when hand sewing because the back-approaching ones can get a little crowded. Here are the two that I use and own.

• Dritz Needle Inserter and Threader

It’s a tiny blue and white plastic device that functions best with sewing machines.

Pull the thread through the V-shaped channel on the Dritz needle threader to use it. Then, position the threader a little above the sewing machine needle’s eye, slide it down, and gently depress the blue plunger portion.

When you reach the needle’s eye, the plunger will further depress, allowing a thin metal piece to force the thread through the needle’s eye. Release the plunger now, and then carefully take out the needle threader.

Pull the loop of thread through the needle’s eye by utilizing the tiny hook on top of the white portion.

• Silver Wire Loop Tool To Thread a Sewing Machine Needle

A silver wire loop needle threader is the most affordable needle threading instrument. Always keep a few on hand because they are fragile and likely to break.

I occasionally struggle to thread my needle with it while it’s on the machine because they are so thin. As a piece of advice, instead of coming at the presser foot from the right, try inserting the threader on the left side first.

Hold the needle threader’s circular base in your hand and use it to thread a sewing machine needle. From back to front, place the wire loop inside the needle’s eye. The front of the needle’s loop will be left exposed as a result. Make sure it expands back to its full size.

Put the thread end through the exposed wire loop while holding the thread in your other hand. Pull a few inches of thread through, then fold the end of the thread back on itself to form a loop.

The wire loop should be removed from the needle’s eye with care. Continue pulling until the thread’s end breaks through. After removing the needle threader, straighten out the thread’s twists.

Self-Threading Sewing Machine Needles by Schmetz

You can buy self-threading sewing machine needles if you absolutely cannot get your sewing machine needle threaded. These “quick threading needles” are made by Schmetz.

You can slip the thread into the small slit on the side rather than forcing it through the needle’s eye.

Using the Automatic Needle Threader

This is a simple method to thread a sewing machine needle if your machine has an automatic needle threader. I’ve never had great success with the needle threaders on my sewing machines, but that’s only in theory. Always bent and difficult to fix is the inside hook.

Here is a very succinct description and a picture that you can use if you have an automatic needle threader.

To begin, grasp and pull down the small lever on the machine’s left side to rotate the needle threader through the needle’s eye. You can run your thread along the inside of the needle threader to find a tiny hook to catch it with.

The hook will pull the thread along with it as you rotate the needle threader back out of the eye, allowing it to retake its original position.

Conclusion: Enjoy Needling!

The world is your oyster now that you understand how to thread your sewing machine manually or with the aid of other tools. Just imagine the variety of enjoyable sewing projects you can complete!

You can see that threading a sewing machine is really quite easy. Once you put some practice into it, threading a sewing machine will come naturally to you.