Thread a Treadle Sewing Machine
A treadle sewing machine can be the most valuable sewing machine you'll ever use. It is simple enough for anyone with a basic understanding of gears and belts to be able to fix and it is usually built of heavy-duty material so it doesn't often need to be fixed. Most treadle sewing machines are hand-me-downs or acquired second-hand, and the user manual was lost years ago. The user manual gave instructions for threading the machine, which is crucial to making the machine work properly.
Instructions
1. Put the spool of thread on the thread post (usually a shiny, metal post toward the right end of the sewing machine).
2. Pull the end of the thread loose and to the left.
3. Wrap the thread around the post or through the eye near the center-right and on top of the machine.
4. Pull the thread down and wrap it around the tension adjustment knob. This can be a tricky part. There may be two hooks that you have to hook the thread on, wrapping it over the top, or under the tension adjustment knob. This is the knob, usually with numbers on it, between the thread take-up lever and the needle. This is one of the most important parts of threading the machine, and the hardest to get right. It may also vary from machine to machine. Don't be afraid to experiment. You won't break the machine by threading it wrong.
5. Pull the thread up and put it through the thread take-up lever, which moves up and down in a slot.
6. Pull the thread to the left and thread it through the eye on the left end of the machine.
7. Hook the thread through the loop of wire just above the needle, near where the needle is tightened into the machine.
8. Trim the end of the thread if necessary and thread the needle, from front to back.
9. Remove the plate under the needle and place the bobbin in the hole designed for it.
10. Pull the end of the thread free and wrap the end through the slit in the metal that surrounds the bobbin.
11. Pull the bobbin thread up and behind the needle.
12. Close the plate over the bobbin, making sure the thread still moves freely.
13. Hold the ends of both threads together and turn the hand wheel at the right end of the machine.
14. If it is correctly threaded, the thread from the needle will catch the thread from the bobbin and pull it up through the slits in the plate under the needle. Then you can pull both threads even in the back and continue sewing.
Tags: Pull thread, sewing machine, thread through, adjustment knob, adjustment knob This
