How do I set the tension on my sewing machine? Once I do that, how do I put in the bobbin?

Question

I haven't used a sewing machine in 30 years.

Answer 1

If yours is a normal (not too complicated and electronic) machine, the tension is a knob not too far from the needle. On most machines, it's on the vertical bit just above and to the right of the needle. Some have it in a slightly different place, but it should always be where the thread can go through it on its way to the needle. It has numbers 0-9 on it and should have some kind of marking around 4-5-6. Most of the time, set your tension to 5 (or sometimes 4 or 6.) Set the knob to 5 to start with. Once you've got the machine running, sew a seam across a small sample piece of material something like what you'll be working with. Look at the stitches on the front. They should be even and have the teensiest little gap between them, if you look closely. Look at the stitches on the back. They should look just like the ones on the front. If the thread makes a straight line on the top -- and doesn't look like it's going through the fabric at all, loosen the tension half a number. If there's the straight line on the bottom, tighten it half a number. Then try again, adjusting it until it's just right.

Putting the bobbin in varies from machine to machine.

If the bobbin sits in a little metal case behind a door on the front of the machine, down near the needle, pull out the metal case by the flap on the front of it. Put the bobbin into the case. Pull the thread through the funny-looking little gadget that overlaps the slit in the side of the case. Hold onto the flap and pop the case (with bobbin) into the machine. Let go of the flap and poke the case to make sure it's sitting properly. Using the hand-roller on the far end of the machine, dip the needle down into the bobbin area and keep rolling until it comes back up. Grab the thread and pull both top a\nd bobbin thread up through the hole. Close the bobbin door and begin sewing.

IF, however, your bobbin sits horizontally just behind or in front of the needle, drop it into the area and pull the thread through the little slot on the side of the case. Some machines have a little arrow that tells you which direction the thread should come off the bobbin. If there's not one, it probably doesn't matter. Run the needle down through the bobbin area as I've described above. Slide the cover back on and start sewing.

Feel free to email me with specific questions about your machine. I don't promise I'll know, of course, but I have used an awful lot of different machines in my time so there's a good chance I've seen and used one like yours. Click on the name under my avatar for an email link.