A Step-By-Step Guide To Threading A Brother Sewing Machine
If you’ve just bought a brother sewing machine, then you’ll soon realize exactly how difficult it can be to thread one of these machines, and although there’s a chance you’ll eventually figure it out, it often takes people a number of tries to get it right.
The manual for your sewing machine should provide you with all of the information you need to thread Brother sewing machines.
However, as all know, these guides can sometimes make things even more complicated, and it’s always much easier to follow a real guide written by a fellow user.
This guide will demonstrate how to thread all different models of Brother sewing machine, and should be applicable to a number of different Brother models, including the Brother CS7000X, Brother GS37, Brother CS7000i, as well as other Brother machines, but some of the heavier-duty machines might have different mechanisms, but this guide should provide you with enough information for you to figure it out yourself!
How To Thread A Bobbin On A Brother Sewing Machine
General Guide
So, before you can begin to do any sewing, you’ll first need to wind the bobbin, otherwise, you won’t be able to do anything with your new machine.
You should ensure that you are using compatible Brother bobbins with your machine, however these should be easy enough for you to find, and you’ll be able to tell which bobbin you need from your manual.
So, with your correct bobbin, you can then start the bobbin-winding by pulling up or out your spool pin completely, and then placing the spool of thread on it.
It is worth noting that if your Brother machine features a horizontal spindle, then you might need to put the stool cap over it first.
Most vertical spindle machines won’t need a spool cap, so you can just place the thread where it is pulled from behind, and then to the left.
Then you need to pull the thread end out, and then pass this thread around the pre-tension on the left-hand side of the machine’s body.
Once you’ve done this, you’ll then need to bring it under the disk, and then around it counterclockwise, and you should be able to feel the thread slipping under the disk.
Then, you’ll need to take the bobbin and put it on the bobbin winder shaft.
The shaft should have a spring that should just slide right into the bobbin groove when you turn the bobbin clockwise, you should then feel a click once it’s in place, then just slide the shaft to the right, and you’re done.
For Brother Sewing Machines With Fast Bobbin-Winding Systems
If your sewing machine has a fast bobbin winding system, then this is the guide you’ll need to follow in order to successfully thread the bobbin on your machine.
Take the end of your thread, and hold it with your left hand, and then using your right hand, wrap the free end of the thread around the bobbin in a clockwise fashion seven times.
Then, you’ll need to pass the thread through the slit found in the base of the bobbin seat, which will then trim to the excess thread.
Your next step is to depress the foot pedal of the machine all of the way, or you can touch the power button, and move the speed controller to the right, this should cause the bobbin to begin winding fast.
Once the bobbin is nearly full, then it will slowly begin to wind down, although some models of the Brother sewing machines will finish winding completely at this point.
At this point, just press the stop button, or take your foot off the pedal.
For Brother Sewing Machines That Don’t Have Fast Bobbin-Winding Systems
If your Brother sewing machine doesn’t have a fast bobbin-winding system, then this is the next step you’ll need to follow in order to thread the bobbin.
You’ll need to insert the thread into one of the holes in the bobbin.
So, turn on your sewing machine and then either press your foot on the pedal, or start the machine via the on/off button, all while you are holding the end of the thread.
While doing this, it’s worth noting that you should try to keep to the slower slide speeds, or low foot pressure, as you use the start-stop/stop button to help wind the thread through.
Then you’ll then need to press down harder/speed up to completely wind the bobbin.
For All Machines
Finally, to finish, all you need to do is clip the excess thread and then slide the bobbin winding pin all the way back to the left, then just remove the bobbin and ensure that the bobbin isn’t too loose and is even throughout.
Installing The Bobbin On A Brother Sewing Machine
Now that your bobbin has been threaded, then you’ll install the bobbin on your sewing machine, although the more recently released Brother sewing machines tend to feature quick-set top-drop bobbins, which are super simple to set up.
To do this, turn the power off on your machine, and raise the needle of the machine to the highest position, which you can do by using the “Needle Up” button found on your machine on the more computerized machines, or by manually turning the handwheel towards you.
You’ll also need to raise the presser foot as well.
Then, you’ll need to open the bobbin cover, to do so, press the button which is located near the cover towards the base of the sewing machine, and the cover should then open, allowing you to remove it.
Drop your threaded bobbin in. You should note that the thread should be coming from the top of the bobbin, and not the bottom of the bobbin.
If you need the help of a diagram reference, then the bottom of your sewing machine should provide the directions. If you pull your thread, then the bobbin should spin counterclockwise.
After this, you’ll need to make sure that the thread is fed through the bottom slit, before pulling it around and cutting it.
In order to maintain proper bobble tension though, you’ll need to make sure that the thread is inserted correctly through the tension spring on the case of the bobbin.
Once this is done, all you’ll need to do is replace the bobbin case cover, ensuring that the left tab is inserted under the base, allowing the right side to simply just click into place.
Threading The Upper Thread On A Brother Sewing Machine
To begin, you’ll need to ensure that your Brother sewing machine is still off, with the presser foot remaining elevated, and the needle at its highest point, as all of these things can have a large impact on the tension in the sewing machine, and having everything in the correct position will actually help to prevent any issues.
The thread’s spool should still be on the spool pin at this point.
Take the thread, and then begin by feeding it through the first of the thread guides, which should be located on the top left of the machine, and will typically look like a small piece of metal in an L shape, going back to forwards with your thread.
Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to take the thread and pull it downwards, passing it through each of the guides and tension discs found inside the U shape towards the front of your machine, going from right to left.
Don’t worry though, as there are arrows on your sewing machine that will aid you in getting the direction right.
At the very top and to the left of the guide there, you should find a thread take-up lever, and you’ll need to make sure that the thread is going into this lever in order for it to be threaded correctly.
Wrap your thread around this takeup lever (which will look like a silver hook, and should be just above the needle base), and then you should find that the back right has an opening for you to get the thread through.
Passing the thread through the eye of the needle, going from front to back, and then pulling a couple of inches of the thread out, before placing it behind and below the presser foot.
There you go! Your Brother sewing machine should now be completely threaded. However, what do you do if your sewing machine has an automatic needle threader instead?
Using The Automatic Needle Threader On A Brother Sewing Machine
Many people will find the prospect of an automatic needle threading machine extremely attractive.
However, they can sometimes be lacking when it comes to their reliability, so when it comes to threading your Brother sewing machine, you should follow the above steps, but stop before you feed the thread through the eye of the needle.
Once you reach this step, lower the presser foot using the lever on the machine, and then you’ll also need to lower the needle threader lever to around halfway by using the lever on the left hand side of the machine.
Once you’ve done this, you can hook the thread onto the guide, which is a sort of V shape, but upside down.
Your thread should then be seen to be going from the top right, then under the V shape, and then around the guide and back to the right, almost as if you were threading it counterclockwise.
Then, bring the needle threader completely down, and as you do this, you’ll notice that the hook will pass through the eye of the needle, all while the threader is rotating towards you.
Inside of the big hook in the eye of the needle, is another hook, albeit much smaller, and pulling your thread completely into the big hook will also catch your thread on the small hook too.
A tip for doing this easily is to try and run the thread using the back of the guide from the bottom and then to the top with your hands.
Keeping your grip on the end of the thread, release the needle threader lever, and as it begins to rotate back into place, the thread will then be pulled through the eye of the needle.
Just make sure to pull a few inches of the thread out and place it behind the presser foot before you begin sewing.
Whether or not you decide to use this feature is entirely up to you, and as convenient as it might seem, many people who are used to the old way of threading a sewing machine (see also “Sewing Machines Are Great For Monogramming My Stuff?“) will definitely prefer to just thread it themselves with their hands!
Conclusion
So there you have it, our guide to threading a Brother sewing machine.
This guide should provide you with everything you need to know to get started with your new machine, no matter what model your sewing machine is.
Now that your machine is ready, you can begin to sew whatever you want, so be sure to check out some tutorials if you need inspiration on what you can make!
