When you learn how to sew, you also need to learn how to set up and use a sewing machine. For some people this comes naturally but some of us don't 'feel' machines and it is a constant struggle to get a machine to do what we want it to do.

As you might have figured out, sewing is not just guiding fabric under a machine. The sewing proces involves much more but when you finally get to the stitching, you will need to set up your sewing machine. To do so, read your manual, watch some YouTube videos or read this blog to guide you through every step.

With the proper understanding of how to set up a sewing machine, how to thread it properly, you will get better results, less frustration and maintain it better to enhance its overall life. The quality of stitches, and therefore your project, can be impacted if it is not done correctly.

So, be mindful as you follow these steps.

If you have an electromechanical, electronic, or computerized sewing machine, the first step is to power it up. Usually, the machine's power switch is on the right side, towards the back.

Depending on your machine, the power connection will work one of two ways. Some machines have two separate sockets on the machine itself, one where you plug in the power cord that runs to the wall outlet, and a second where you plug in the cord that connects to the foot controller (or foot pedal). Other machines have a single socket, into which you plug one combined cord that then splits into two at the other end, one plug going to the wall outlet and one connecting to the foot controller. This split cord is sometimes called a Y-cord.

With a manual machine, you won't need to worry about this step at all.

There are different needle sizes and types available. A sewing machine needle has a flat and a rounded side. It will only fit one way on the sewing machine.

Loosen the needle screw of your sewing machine first. Insert the needle into the needle clamp, with the point down and the thicker rounded side with the flat part of the top facing toward the back. That will ensure the scarf, indentation on the back of a needle, found above the eye(hole), is facing back toward the presser foot holder and shank of the sewing machine. Doing this allows the thread to align with the needle’s shaft and offers you a seamless stitching experience. If you want to know more about sewing machine needles, you can read our sewing machine needle basics blog post.

If you are having a hard time threading a needle, be sure to check out the MadamSew Needle Threader. This little tool makes inserting and threading a sewing machine needle a lot easier.

Next up is the spooling. In this step, you must place the thread spool on the spool pin. The thread on a spool is also referred to as the top thread. This spool pin can be horizontal or vertical. Some machines use a spool cap to hold the spool in place. If your spool is vertical, make sure the thread unwinds from the back; if the spool is positioned horizontally, make sure the thread unwinds from the back and comes out under the spool.

Toward the right of the spool pin are the bobbin winder and stopper. The bobbin thread will be seen at the bottom of your fabric so choose the color accordingly. Always wind your bobbin before you thread the machine.

To wind your bobbin, click the bobbin onto the bobbin winder pin or spindle and put your spool on the spool pin. Loop the thread from the spool around the first thread guide (on some machines you run the thread through a little holding hook first) to the bobbin.

Now, pull the thread tail from the inside into the small hole in the top of the bobbin. Grab the thread tail. Depending on your sewing machine type, you have to push the pin sideways, or use the pedal to activate the bobbin winder. Check your sewing machine’s manual to know how your machine winds its bobbins.

Keep the thread tail in hand for a several winds, stop and cut the tail. Continue winding the bobbin until it is close to or full, then cut it loose with a pair of scissors. Make sure to wind slowly, or the entire winding process will be ruined. Using an improperly wound bobbin will cause issues with your stitches and may even cause terrible thread tangles under your project, which are often referred to as a bird’s nest. To untangle thread nests, you can use the sharp precision tools that are in the Madam Sew Bird Nest Toolkit.

TIP: I always like to have a couple of extra bobbins at hand with the same thread on it. Running out of bobbin thread can be frustrating if you are in the flow of stitching. If you have to rewind a bobbin on your machine, you need to unthread your spool thread completely, and thread it again after you've wound the bobbin.

Next up is installing the thread on your sewing machine. You will have to bring the thread from the spool to the needle by going through the different thread guides.

Place the thread spool on the spool pin. This can be a vertical or horizontal pin. Horizontal pins have a protective cap so the spool doesn’t slide off.

Run your thread through the first thread guide which is on top of the machine or at the top rear, towards the left (1). Sometimes, there is a little thread guide hook before this first thread guide that you need to run your thread through first. Next, run the thread through the second main guide which is down in the groove where the thread tension dial is located (2). It is an U shaped area on the sewing machine. Loop the thread down and then back up to the metal take up lever (3). This take up lever can be moved up and down with the hand wheel. The take up lever must be in the up position when you are threading. Once the thread is in the take-up lever, guide it back down in the direction of the needle.

Check if you have a needle bar thread guide (4). If you do, hook the thread behind this guide and now you can insert the thread into the needle.

Insert a single thread into the needle eye (5) from front to back. People often find it difficult to get the thread through the needle's eye. So, ensure the tip of the thread is fine and has no edges. Or you can use a needle threader to ease the process (see above). Finally, pull the thread through the gap in the presser foot so the thread goes directly underneath it and pull the thread toward the back of the machine.

Now that you have installed the top thread successfully, we can go over to the bobbin thread.

Place your bobbin properly in the bobbin compartment. This may be shown on your sewing machine bed, top-loading. Or check the instruction manual for your sewing machine on how to properly install the bobbin and guide its thread so the top thread can pick it up (step 7).

If you have a front-loading sewing machine, place the bobbin in a metal bobbin case first. The bobbin always needs to turn clockwise in the bobbin case.

Depending on your sewing machine's automation, you may need to pick up the bobbin thread manually. This means you are pulling out the thread from the bobbin, through the hole that sits underneath the needle and in between the feed dogs. Check your machine’s instruction manual if you are not sure if you need to pick it up manually or not.

To pick up the bobbin thread, first raise the presser foot with the presser foot lifter. Now hold the upper thread with your left hand. Turn the hand wheel (hand crank) counter-clockwise (toward you) to move the needle downward and then back to its highest position. The needle will grab the bobbin thread, so the upper and lower thread will be together. Pull the upper thread toward you to get the lower thread in a loop form. Grab the thread loop with a sewing stiletto. Pull a few inches of both these threads out and place them under and to the back of the presser foot. Note: the upper thread must pass through the toe (open area at the front) of the presser foot.

Choose the stitch you need for your project. Most machines have set stitches that you can choose from, but you can also manually adjust the length and width. However, not all machines have a stitch adjustment dial. Some antique machines can only do a straight stitch.

Now your sewing machine is ready to start sewing. At first, all of this may seem very daunting, but you will go through these steps so many times that soon it will only take a few minutes. It is part of the whole process, so try to enjoy it!

If you want to protect your tabletop or have less vibrations or walking around or reduce the noise, you can try a muffling mat under your machine. For the sewing machine foot pedal, the same kind of mats exist. They provide the right amount of grip on slippery surfaces.

Maybe you are also looking for a complete beginner's guide for sewing, then this sewing guide is a good starting point. We also have an article with some beginner exercises to get familiar with your sewing machine. Practice these techniques first, before diving into your first project.

If you want to know more about sewing machines in general and truly understand them better, click through to this interesting sewing machine guide.

Working with a sewing machine can be daunting and a bit technical. However, the basic steps will become natural once you start using your machine regularly. It will become easier, I promise 🙂.

This article presented a detailed guide on how a sewing machine works for first-time users and some insight on sewing machines that can be interesting for more experienced sewers and quilters as well!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with us! an@madamsew.com 

Happy Sewing!

An
Blogging for MadamSew.com

Madam Sew is an online sewing and quilting store. It carries Tools, Notions, Presser Feet, Essentials, Handy Helpers, Organization/Storage Items, and more for sewers and quilters. Plus, it has many manuals and free tutorial blogs to help increase your skills.

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