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Step-by-Step: How To Thread A Bernina Sewing Machine
Threading a Bernina sewing machine lets you start sewing. It’s like getting the machine ready to work. How do you thread a Bernina sewing machine? You follow a set path for the thread. This path makes sure the thread flows right. It goes through guides, discs, and levers. Getting this path right is key for good stitches.
Grasping Why Threading Matters
Putting the thread in the right way is very important. If you thread the machine wrong, the stitches can look bad. They might be too loose or too tight. The thread might even break. Learning the correct Bernina threading steps helps you avoid problems. It makes sewing much easier and more fun. A properly threaded machine works best.
Starting Your Bernina Sewing Machine Setup
Before you thread, get your machine ready.
* Make sure the machine is off. This is a safety step.
* Place your machine on a steady table.
* Plug it in.
* Get your thread spool.
* Have an empty bobbin ready if you need to wind one.
* Check that the needle is in correctly and is not bent.
Setting up right prevents issues later. It prepares your Bernina sewing machine for the next steps.
Winding the Bernina Bobbin
Your Bernina uses two threads. One comes from the spool on top. The other comes from the bobbin below. You need to wind thread onto an empty bobbin first.
Here are the steps to winding a Bernina bobbin:
* Find the spool pin on top of your machine. Place your spool of thread on it.
* Locate the bobbin winder post. It usually sticks up near the top.
* Find the thread guide for winding bobbins. It might be a small hook or disc. Follow the path shown in your Bernina manual.
* Wrap the thread from the spool around this guide. This helps keep tension while winding.
* Get an empty bobbin. Find the small hole on the side of the bobbin.
* Push the end of your thread through this hole.
* Place the bobbin onto the bobbin winder post. Make sure the thread end is coming out of the top.
* Slide the bobbin winder post to the side. It will click into place. This makes it ready to wind.
* Hold the thread end coming from the bobbin for a few seconds.
* Turn on the machine. Or, press the foot control lightly. The bobbin will start to spin.
* Let the bobbin wind. It will fill up with thread.
* Once the bobbin is full, the winder might stop by itself. If not, stop the machine when the bobbin is full but not over-filled.
* Slide the bobbin winder post back to its first spot.
* Take the bobbin off the post.
* Cut the thread holding the bobbin to the spool.
Your bobbin is now ready to use. This is a key part of the Bernina sewing machine setup. A well-wound bobbin helps make good stitches.
Inserting the Bernina Bobbin
After winding, you need to put the bobbin into its case. This is often called the bobbin area. Bernina machines have different types of bobbin cases. Some load from the front. Some load from the top. Check your specific Bernina model manual if you are not sure.
Steps for inserting Bernina bobbin (Top Load):
* Make sure the needle is in the highest spot. You can turn the handwheel for this.
* Open the bobbin cover plate. This is usually a clear plastic cover on the flat bed of the machine.
* Take your wound bobbin. Look at which way the thread comes off the bobbin.
* Your Bernina manual shows the right direction. Often, it’s clockwise or counter-clockwise. It depends on the machine model. Let’s say the thread needs to come off to the left for this example.
* Put the bobbin into the bobbin case area.
* Hold the bobbin lightly in place.
* Find the small slot or guide on the side of the bobbin case area.
* Gently pull the thread tail into this slot. It will guide the thread around.
* Pull the thread until it sits under a small tension spring. You should feel a little pull or resistance. This is the bobbin tension.
* Leave a tail of thread about 4-6 inches long.
* Close the bobbin cover plate.
Steps for inserting Bernina bobbin (Front Load):
* Make sure the needle is in the highest spot.
* Open the bobbin case door on the front or side of the machine.
* Take out the metal bobbin case.
* Take your wound bobbin.
* Place the bobbin into the metal bobbin case. Watch the direction the thread comes off. It must match the slot on the bobbin case. The thread might need to come off to the right or left.
* Pull the thread tail into the slot on the side of the metal bobbin case.
* Pull the thread under the tension spring on the bobbin case. You will feel it click or slide under.
* Check that the bobbin spins smoothly inside the case when you pull the thread.
* Hold the bobbin case by the latch.
* Slide the bobbin case back into the machine’s bobbin area. It will click or snap into place.
* Make sure it is seated firmly.
* Leave a thread tail about 4-6 inches long hanging out.
* Close the bobbin case door.
Inserting the Bernina bobbin correctly is vital. If the thread is not in the tension spring, your stitches will be loose or looped on the bottom of the fabric.
Laying Out the Bernina Upper Thread Path
Now you thread the top thread. This thread starts from the spool and goes all the way down to the needle. Each Bernina sewing machine has a specific path. It’s often marked with numbers or arrows. Follow these marks closely.
Here are the typical Bernina threading steps for the upper thread:
1. Place the Spool: Put your spool of thread on the spool pin. Make sure it spins freely. Some Bernina machines have a cap to put on the spool pin. This keeps the thread from jumping off. Use the right size cap for your spool.
2. First Thread Guide: Find the first thread guide. This is usually at the very top of the machine, often near the spool pin. It might be a hook, a loop, or a small disc. Guide the thread into or around this first Bernina upper thread guide.
3. Follow the Channel: The thread then goes down a channel or slot on the front of the machine. Follow the marked path. The path might go straight down. Or it might curve.
4. Navigate the Tension Discs: The thread must go between the Bernina tension discs. These are two round plates that squeeze the thread. This squeeze creates tension. Correct tension is needed for balanced stitches. The thread path will guide you to these discs. Make sure the thread goes between them. Sometimes you lift the presser foot lever up to open the tension discs while threading. Lower the presser foot down before you start sewing to engage the tension.
5. Around the Hook/Guide: After the tension discs, the thread often goes around another guide or hook. This guide helps keep the thread on the correct path before the next step.
6. Engaging the Take Up Lever: This is a crucial step. The Bernina take up lever is an arm that moves up and down as the machine sews. It pulls thread off the spool for each stitch. The thread must go through the eye or hole in this lever. The take up lever is often high up when you are ready to thread it. You might need to turn the handwheel to bring it to its highest point. Guide the thread into or through the hole in the Bernina take up lever.
7. Downward Channel: After the take up lever, the thread goes back down another channel or slot towards the needle. Follow the path marked on your machine.
8. Lower Guides: The thread will go through one or more lower thread guides. These are small hooks or loops close to the needle bar. These guides keep the thread from swinging around before it enters the needle. Thread these guides in the correct order.
Following this Bernina sewing machine thread path exactly is very important. Missing a guide or not putting the thread between the tension discs will cause stitch problems.
Interpreting Bernina Tension Discs
The Bernina tension discs control how much the upper thread is pulled tight. Think of them like a gate that the thread must pass through. If the gate squeezes hard, the thread is tight. If it squeezes softly, the thread is loose.
- Where they are: They are usually hidden inside the machine body. The thread path guides the thread into them.
- How they work: When the presser foot is down, the discs press together. This puts tension on the thread. When the presser foot is up, the discs open slightly. This lets the thread pass freely when threading.
- Why they matter: The right tension makes stitches look the same on the top and bottom of the fabric. If the upper thread is too loose, you will see loops on the bottom. If it is too tight, you will see loops on the top or the thread might break.
Making sure the thread is correctly seated between the Bernina tension discs is a key part of successful threading. Always thread with the presser foot up, then lower it before sewing.
Using the Bernina Take Up Lever
The Bernina take up lever is easy to spot once you know what to look for. It’s the metal arm that goes up and down. Its job is to pull thread from the spool as the needle moves down. Then it pulls the loop of bobbin thread up as the needle rises.
- Find it: It’s usually located higher up on the machine, after the thread has passed the tension discs.
- How to thread it: You must get the thread through the eye or hole in the end of the lever. You often bring the lever to its highest point by turning the handwheel towards you. This makes the eye easy to reach.
- Why it’s vital: If the thread is not through the take up lever, the machine will not form stitches correctly. The thread will tangle. It’s one of the most common threading mistakes that cause problems.
Always double-check that the thread is securely through the eye of the Bernina take up lever.
Achieving Bernina Needle Threading
You are almost done threading! The last step for the upper thread is getting it through the eye of the needle.
Here’s how to do Bernina needle threading:
* Make sure the needle is at its highest point. Use the handwheel to move it up.
* The thread should be coming down from the last lower thread guide, straight towards the needle.
* Cut the end of your thread at an angle. This makes it sharp and easier to push through the needle eye.
* Some Bernina machines have a needle threader. This is a great tool! Check your manual to learn how to use it. It is usually a small hook or wire that goes through the needle eye for you. You loop the thread onto it, and it pulls the thread through.
* If you do not have an auto threader, you will thread the needle by hand. Hold the thread end. Push it through the eye of the needle from the front to the back.
* Pull about 6-8 inches of thread through the needle eye.
* Pull this thread tail under the presser foot. Pull it towards the back of the machine.
Successful Bernina needle threading completes the upper thread path. Now both the bobbin and the upper thread are ready.
Bringing Up Bobbin Thread Bernina
You have the bobbin in place. You have the upper thread through the needle. Now you need to bring the bobbin thread up through the needle plate hole. This creates the loop needed to start sewing.
Here are the steps for bringing up bobbin thread Bernina:
1. Hold the end of the upper thread tail. Keep it gently pulled to the side or front.
2. Turn the handwheel towards you slowly. Watch the needle go down into the bobbin area.
3. As the needle comes back up, it will catch the bobbin thread. It will form a small loop of the bobbin thread.
4. Keep turning the handwheel slowly. The loop will get bigger as the take up lever rises.
5. Use your finger, a pin, or tweezers to grab this loop.
6. Pull the loop gently up through the needle plate hole.
7. Keep pulling the loop until the end of the bobbin thread comes out.
8. You should now have two thread tails coming from under the presser foot. One is the upper thread. One is the bobbin thread.
9. Pull both threads under the presser foot. Pull them towards the back of the machine. Place them behind the presser foot.
Now your machine is fully threaded. Both threads are where they need to be to start sewing. This step of bringing up bobbin thread Bernina is essential before you begin stitching.
Common Threading Problems and Quick Fixes
Even when you follow the Bernina threading steps carefully, problems can happen. Here are a few common ones:
- Thread keeps breaking:
- Is the machine threaded correctly? Check the Bernina sewing machine thread path from spool to needle.
- Is the thread going through the Bernina tension discs? Is the presser foot down when sewing?
- Is the needle bent or dull? Put in a new needle.
- Is the thread old or poor quality? Try new thread.
- Is the thread weight right for the needle and fabric? Use matching sizes.
- Loops on the bottom of the fabric: This means the upper thread is too loose.
- Check that the upper thread is correctly seated between the Bernina tension discs.
- Make sure the presser foot is down while sewing.
- Check that the thread is through all the guides, including the Bernina take up lever.
- Loops on the top of the fabric: This means the bobbin thread is too loose or the upper thread is too tight.
- Check that the bobbin is inserted correctly. Make sure the thread is in the bobbin case tension spring.
- Check that the Bernina tension discs for the upper thread are not set too high (if your machine has adjustable tension).
- Machine jams or makes bird nests (tangled thread):
- The machine is likely threaded wrong, especially the upper thread path or the take up lever. Re-thread from the start.
- The bobbin might not be inserted correctly.
- You might not have brought the bobbin thread up before starting.
- The presser foot might be up while sewing.
Troubleshooting often involves checking your Bernina threading steps from the beginning.
Reviewing Bernina Threading Steps
Let’s quickly go over the main Bernina threading steps again.
1. Setup: Machine off, on a table, plug in.
2. Winding: Wind the bobbin correctly. Put it on the post, thread through guide, thread through bobbin hole, slide post, wind, cut thread.
3. Bobbin Insert: Put bobbin in case (top or front load), pull thread into tension spring, close cover/door.
4. Upper Path: Put spool on pin, follow the Bernina sewing machine thread path through first guide.
5. Tension: Go down the channel, into the Bernina tension discs (presser foot up).
6. Take Up: Go around guide, through the Bernina take up lever eye (lever highest).
7. Lower Guides: Go down the channel, through lower guides.
8. Needle: Thread the needle from front to back (use threader if available).
9. Bring Up Bobbin: Hold upper thread, turn handwheel, catch bobbin thread loop, pull it up.
10. Position Threads: Pull both threads under the foot and to the back.
Doing these Bernina threading steps in the right order helps ensure smooth sewing.
Planning Your First Stitches
With your Bernina sewing machine setup complete and threading done, you are ready to stitch.
* Put a piece of scrap fabric under the presser foot.
* Lower the presser foot.
* Select a simple stitch, like a straight stitch.
* Sew a few stitches.
* Look at the stitches on the top and bottom. They should look even.
* If stitches are not right, recheck your threading. Check the Bernina sewing machine thread path and the bobbin insertion. Check the Bernina tension discs.
Practicing on scrap fabric is a good idea. It lets you fix any issues before sewing your real project.
Comprehensive Checklist for Threading Bernina
Here is a detailed list to help you remember each part. Use this like a checklist when you thread your machine.
Bobbin Winding Checklist
- [ ] Spool on spool pin?
- [ ] Thread through winding guide?
- [ ] Thread through hole in bobbin?
- [ ] Bobbin on winder post?
- [ ] Winder post slid over (engaged)?
- [ ] Bobbin wound full enough?
- [ ] Winder post slid back?
- [ ] Thread cut?
Bobbin Insertion Checklist
- [ ] Needle highest?
- [ ] Bobbin cover/door open?
- [ ] Bobbin thread coming off right direction?
- [ ] Bobbin placed in case/area?
- [ ] Thread pulled into slot/guide?
- [ ] Thread pulled under bobbin tension spring?
- [ ] Thread tail left out?
- [ ] Bobbin cover/door closed?
Upper Threading Checklist (Bernina Sewing Machine Thread Path)
- [ ] Spool on spool pin with cap (if needed)?
- [ ] Thread through first Bernina upper thread guide?
- [ ] Thread following the channel down?
- [ ] Thread correctly between the Bernina tension discs? (Presser foot up?)
- [ ] Thread around the guide after tension discs?
- [ ] Bernina take up lever at highest point?
- [ ] Thread through the eye of the Bernina take up lever?
- [ ] Thread following the channel back down?
- [ ] Thread through all lower guides?
Needle Threading Checklist (Bernina Needle Threading)
- [ ] Needle highest?
- [ ] Thread end cut at angle?
- [ ] Thread through needle eye (front to back)?
- [ ] Thread tail pulled through?
- [ ] Thread tail pulled under presser foot and to back?
Bringing Up Bobbin Thread Checklist (Bringing Up Bobbin Thread Bernina)
- [ ] Upper thread held gently?
- [ ] Handwheel turned towards you slowly?
- [ ] Loop of bobbin thread formed?
- [ ] Loop pulled up through needle plate?
- [ ] Bobbin thread tail pulled through?
- [ ] Both thread tails under presser foot and to back?
Following this list helps make sure you don’t miss a step in your Bernina threading steps.
Importance of Matching Needle, Thread, and Fabric
Getting the threading right is one part of sewing success. Using the right needle and thread for your fabric is also key.
- Fabric: Is it thin like silk or thick like denim?
- Needle: Use a fine needle for fine fabric, a stronger needle for thick fabric. Special needles exist for denim, knits, leather, etc. The needle size should match the fabric. A number like 80/12 or 90/14 tells you the size.
- Thread: Use thread that matches the fabric type. Cotton thread for cotton fabric, polyester for most fabrics. Use thread size that matches the needle size. Thicker thread needs a larger needle eye.
Using the wrong needle or thread can cause thread breaks, skipped stitches, or damage to your fabric. It can sometimes even affect how well the machine stays threaded. Make sure your Bernina sewing machine setup includes choosing the right supplies.
Maintenance Tip: Clean Your Machine
Dust and lint can build up in your machine, especially around the bobbin area and tension discs. This can mess up your tension and cause threading problems.
* Use a small brush to clean out the bobbin case area regularly.
* Follow your manual for oiling points if your machine needs it.
* Keeping your machine clean helps it run smoothly. This includes keeping the thread path clear.
A clean machine is easier to thread and sews better.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: My Bernina machine makes loops on the bottom. What is wrong?
A: This usually means the upper thread is too loose. Check that the thread is correctly between the Bernina tension discs. Also, make sure the presser foot is down when you sew. If the foot is up, there is no tension on the upper thread.
Q: My thread keeps breaking while sewing. Why?
A: Many things can cause this. Check your Bernina threading steps carefully. Make sure the thread is through all guides and the take up lever. Check that your needle is not bent, dull, or put in wrong. Make sure the thread type and size match the needle and fabric. Old thread can also break easily.
Q: How do I know if my bobbin is inserted correctly?
A: When you insert the bobbin and pull the thread, it should slide smoothly but with a little bit of pull or resistance. This means it’s in the tension spring. If the thread pulls out too easily, it’s probably not in the tension spring. Check your manual for the correct direction the thread should come off the bobbin for your machine model.
Q: Where is the Bernina take up lever?
A: It’s usually a metal arm with an eye or hole at the end. It moves up and down as the needle moves. It is part of the Bernina sewing machine thread path for the upper thread, located higher up on the machine body after the thread passes the tension discs. Turn the handwheel to bring it to its highest point for easier threading.
Q: Do I need to re-thread my whole machine if the thread breaks?
A: Yes, it is best practice to re-thread the entire upper thread path from the spool. This makes sure the thread is properly seated in all guides and the tension discs. Sometimes, a thread break causes a tangle that you cannot see easily. Starting fresh prevents future issues.
Q: How often should I clean my Bernina machine?
A: It is good to clean the bobbin area regularly, maybe after every project or after several hours of sewing. Refer to your Bernina manual for cleaning and oiling instructions specific to your model. Keeping it clean is part of good Bernina sewing machine setup.
Mastering the Bernina threading steps is a basic skill for any Bernina owner. By following the Bernina sewing machine thread path carefully, winding and inserting the bobbin right, using the Bernina upper thread guide, the Bernina take up lever, and the Bernina tension discs correctly, and performing Bernina needle threading, you set yourself up for successful sewing projects. Remember the importance of bringing up bobbin thread Bernina before you start. Happy sewing!