How to Thread a Bobbin

A well threaded bobbin ensures that you have the top and bottom stitches connecting correctly to produce strong stitches. Threading is an important task that every person who sews needs to know. It is not a task that you can learn and understand quickly. 

How to Thread a Bobbin?

To thread your bobbin, place your spool of thread on the spindle at the back of the sewing machine. Pull your thread like you are threading your machine. Place your bobbin on the bobbin spindle in the front and roll some thread around its bar. Now, run your sewing machine until the bobbin has sufficient thread. You have threaded your bobbin. 

Threading a bobbin is this simple.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it. 

Steps to Thread a Sewing Machine Bobbin

1. The first thing to do to thread your bobbin successfully, is to read your sewing machine manual. Through it you will understand what type of bobbin your machine carries and the best way to thread it. Every sewing machine has a bobbin made specially for it. Only the manual will tell you the bobbin you are dealing with. 
2. Place your spool of thread on your sewing machine’s thread holder. 
3. Pull and pass your thread through the tension controller. When threading your bobbin, you need your thread to be taut for a firm grip. 
4. Pass through some strand of thread through the hole at the base of your bobbin. Pull that thread and make sure you have enough thread to hold on to as you wind your bobbin. 
5. Place your bobbin in your bobbin holder and then lock it into place. 
6. While holding the extended strand of thread, run your sewing machine until there is a substantial amount of thread on the bobbin. 
7. Let go of the thread and keep running your sewing machine. 
8. When the bobbin is full of thread, your sewing machine will stop running automatically. You have successfully threaded your bobbin. 
9. Take the bobbin out of the bobbin spindle and set it in its case and start sewing. 

How to Thread Sewing Machine Bobbin by Hand?

You can also wind your bobbin manually. This is a simple process that you can complete quickly. When using some specific types of thread, we recommend that you wind the bobbin by hand. Here is how to go about it. 

1. Pass your thread through the hole at the base of the bin. Hold the end that comes through the hole and pull. 
2. Wind some amount of thread around the bobbin. 
3. Place your spool of thread on a thread holder and keep winding by hand until you have enough thread wound around the bobbin. 
4. When your bobbin is full, you can now load it to its casing, ready to sew. 

How to Load a Bobbin in Its Case

1. Thread your bobbin following the steps above. Threading your bobbin is a simple process that takes only a few minutes. 
2. Thread your sewing machine. Make sure you have your thread and sewing needle ready to sew before you insert your bobbin in its case. The bobbin holds the underside thread while the needle holds the top thread. These two threads form the stitch as you sew. 
3. With your machine and bobbin threaded, it is now time to put your bobbin into its case. Depending on your sewing machine, open up the machine and pull out the bobbin casing. 
4. Before you insert your wound bobbin, pull out a strand of thread and make sure it will move anti-clockwise. 
5. Fit your bobbin in the casing. Make sure it clicks tightly. 
6. Pass the hanging thread through a notch on your casing. When you pull the thread, make sure that the bobbin turns whenever you pull the thread. 
7. Insert the casing with bobbin into your sewing machine. Hold the bobbin lever on the outside of the casing to make sure that the bobbin fits well in the casing. Push the casing into place, with the thread still hanging. 
8. With your bobbin in the machine, you want to have your bobbin thread on the same side as the sewing thread. Pull your sewing thread up and turn the sewing machine wheel in your direction. This pushes the needle down and as it comes back up, it brings with it the bobbin thread. 
9. You have successfully loaded your wound bobbin into the sewing machine and are now ready to sew. 

Types of Bobbins 

There are different bobbins for different sewing machines. You buy bobbins together with the sewing machine. They are part of the sewing machine. Depending on the number of your sewing projects, you will buy more bobbins. When you are buying bobbins, you need to know the exact bobbin that you should buy for your sewing machine. 

To identify the bobbin you require, you will need to study your sewing machine manual. It will tell you the number classification and size of your bobbin. Always ask for the specific bobbin when you go out to buy bobbins. 

We classify bobbins depending on their class and size. Different manufacturers have different bobbins for their different models of sewing machines. There are over sixty types of bobbins. 

However, there are only three common bobbins for all home sewing machines.  

The Class 15 A Style 

This bobbin is about the size of an American nickel in diameter. You can buy it in either plastic or metal. It has two flat sides. Different sewing machine manufacturers will also have variants of this class bobbin. Different bobbins, even in the same class, are often not transferable. Always find out the bobbin size and style in the sewing machine, before you go out to buy another. 

The L Style bobbin 

Similar to the class 15 A style bobbin, this bobbin has two flat sides and is available in aluminum and plastic. It has the same diameter as a Class 15 style bobbin and will fit in a Class 15 sewing machine. However, a Class 15 bobbin is wider than the L style and cannot fit in its casing. Thus, it is not interchangeable in an L class sewing machine. 

The M style bobbin 

This bobbin has a larger diameter than the other two bobbins. It is available only in metal and has two flat sides. 

Other bobbins you will find in the market are long-arm machine bobbins and cone shaped bobbins called Class 66 bobbins. 

What to Know about Sewing Machine Bobbins?

For sewers with several projects, you will definitely need over one bobbin. If you are working on a large project, thread as many bobbins before starting. This helps to avoid changing threads and wasting time on the project. 

Make sure that you only use bobbins that came with your sewing machine. Identify them by size from your manual and have several in your storage. 

It is not advisable to interchange between metal and plastic bobbins. This is because they handle different thread tensions. Interchanging may cause weak stitches and breaking of the plastic bobbin when faced with metal bobbin tension. 

When threading bobbins, it is best if you do it when it is empty. It is not advisable to add more thread to your bobbin. It will cause unmatched stitches.  

If your sewing machine bobbin is acting up because maybe it’s broken or bent, stop using it. Unwind it and replace it with a new bobbin. Replace bobbins regularly for the best result. 

Bobbins are an integral part of all sewing projects. Every sewing machine comes with one. Practice how to thread bobbins if you are a beginner. Many sewers don’t enjoy threading bobbins. It is, however, an important process that you need to get used to.