Threading a Bernina sewing machine is not as difficult as you might think it is. Simply looking at a sewing machine can be intimidating; the idea of figuring out where the thread goes can be enough to turn an amateur sewer off from the craft of sewing entirely. However, it really is not difficult at all to thread a Bernina sewing machine.
Every single make and model of sewing machine has different specific instructions. For instructions on how to thread your particular Bernina sewing machine, you should consult the owner’s manual. If you don’t have an owner’s manual, contact the company www.berninausa.com and ask for a replacement. Otherwise, follow these general guidelines.
General guidelines on how to thread a Bernina sewing machine
1. The spool holder is the metal rod that is vertically placed on the top of the sewing machine. Place a spool of thread in the proper color on the spool holder.
2. Next, look across the top of the sewing machine, away from the spool holder. There should be at least one thread guide on top of the sewing machine, perhaps more.
3. Begin to unwind the thread from the spool. Just a little bit! Insert the thread in the thread guide, or the thread guides if there is more than one thread guide.
4. The fourth step to threading a Bernina sewing machine is to find a tension mechanism on your sewing machine.
5. Bring the thread down from the thread guides towards the tension mechanism. Then simply slip the thread between the metal disks of the tension mechanism. You now will take the thread back upwards.
6. The next mechanism to find is the take up mechanism. The take up mechanism on your Bernina sewing machine is the area that you see on the front of the machine that goes down and up, up and down when the hand wheel is turned.
7. Insert the thread through the take up lever. The type of machine that you have will determine how this step is done. Some machines have a take up lever that you simply slide the thread into. Other machines have a take up lever where you have to thread the thread itself through a hole in the lever.
8. Bring the thread downwards on the left side of the take up lever.
9. Are there any thread guides that will lead your thread down to the actual needle of the sewing machine? If there are, find them
10. Thread the thread through any more thread guides that you find.
11. Thread the thread through the sewing machine needle, just as you would thread any normal needle.
12. Take the thread into your left hand. Hold the thread loosely and turn the hand wheel.
13. If any of the thread moves around on the sewing machine, this means that you have missed one of the thread guides. Unthread the thread from the needle and look over the sewing machine to see what you’ve missed.
So now you have the thread in the needle, and everything seems to be running smoothly. You’re ready to sew, right? Wrong. Part of threading a Bernina sewing machine is threading the bobbin, as well.
The bobbin is the thread that comes from the bottom of the sewing machine. Bobbins are flatter, smaller thread holders. Here’s how to thread the bobbin on your Bernina sewing machine.
1. Thread the upper thread of your machine through the thread guides. You will use this thread to wind your bobbin.
2. Put an empty bobbin on the bobbin winding spindle. You can find the bobbin winding spindle in a number of potential places: the front right, the top right, or a side of the Bernina sewing machine.
3. Take the thread and place the end of the thread through one hole in the upper part of the bobbin. Pull just a few inches of thread through the hole.
4. Make sure that you disengage the sewing machine. Though it depends on your model, you can probably do this by pushing in the center of the handwheel or by rotating that center part of the handwheel towards you.
5. Pull the thread outwards so that it is pretty taut. Keep a firm hold in the thread.
6. Push on the machine’s presser foot. This will begin winding the bobbin. Make sure that you hold on to the end of the thread the entire time. Only wind the bobbin up to the guideline that is marked on the bobbin.
7. Cut off the excess thread, and cut the thread that is attaching the bobbin and the thread spool.
8. Place the bobbin in the bobbin compartment. Bring the thread through the slots indicated, and then hold the thread out to the right just a few inches.
9. Put the slide plate over the thread.
10. Finishing threading your Bernina sewing machine.