How to Thread a Bobbin The Right Way

Learn how to thread a bobbin the right way with this step by step tutorial. Great for a novice seamstress and also to improve the skills of an experienced seamstress.

So, why am I coming up with a tutorial on how to thread a bobbin? With the pandemic leaving many of us homebound, there are many people learning new hobbies or reviving their lost ones. I can see many novice seamstresses shying away from sewing just because they are overwhelmed by basic sewing skills like winding a bobbin or threading a needle.

In fact, many of us experienced sewists would also like to learn how to wind a bobbin the right way. Many a time we feel that a simple step like threading bobbin can be done by all. But there can be mistakes in bobbin winding that take a lot of our time and makes sewing a tough task.

In a properly wound bobbin, the thread is wrapped uniformly from the top to the bottom. If not done correctly, the thread in the bobbin could be wound unevenly and get bunched up in certain areas. These would make problems in the lower thread tension of your machine and the result is that you would end up with loopy or bunched up stitches!

If you would like to have a look at some beginner sewing projects, click on the picture below:

How to Thread a Bobbin the Right Way

Supplies Needed:

Sewing machine

Spool of Thread

Bobbin ( There are different types of bobbins suitable for different machines. You will have to refer to your sewing machine manual to find out the type of bobbin suited for your machine).

Thread Cutter.

Before you start winding the bobbin, you need to know the parts of the sewing machine involved in the bobbin winding process. The parts are as labeled above.

Put your spool on the spool pin. You will need to hold it in place with your spool cap if your spool pin is horizontal. If your’s is vertical like mine, you can skip this step.

Pull the thread from the spool such that it rotates anticlockwise and wind it once around the bobbin winding tension disc. * Note that here I have used a Janome machine and I have wound the thread around the disc anticlockwise, each machine is different and you will need to refer to your sewing machine manual and follow the threading guidelines.

Pull the thread on both sides with your hands so that the thread is tight in the tension disc.

Take your bobbin. There are different types of bobbins suitable for different machines and your bobbin may have a hole in the rim or not.

Align the groove in the bobbin with the spring in the bobbin winder pin and press down to insert the bobbin in the bobbin winder.

Next, insert the thread through the hole in the rim of the bobbin, from the inside to the outside, and pull the thread about 5- to 6 inches long.

If your bobbin does not have a hole, just wind the thread a few times around the bobbin to start.

Move the bobbin winder to the right with a click sound to lock.

Next, pull up the knob on the side to disengage the needle. This might be different for different machines. Sometimes the needle disengages automatically when you lock the bobbin winder. In some other machines, you may be required to loosen the knob on the side to disengage. Refer to your sewing machine manual for instructions.

Hold the free end of the thread with your hand and press the foot pedal to start winding. Once you have wound the thread about 10 to 15 times, you may cut off the loose thread. Note that it is important to wait for the machine to wind a few times until you cut the thread to prevent the bobbin from unwinding.