Needle Know-How
This part pierces the fabric and carries the upper thread through to form stitches.
What is the needle?
This part houses the bobbin and helps form the bottom part of the stitch.
What is the bobbin case?
What is machine oil?
This part should always be in the “up” position when threading the machine.
What is the take-up lever?
This part must be "engaged" for it to function.
What is the bobbin winder? What is the bobbin winder spindle?
The hole that thread goes through on the needle
What is the eye?
This part must be threaded correctly to avoid tangles and uneven stitching.
What is the bobbin thread?
This removable part protects the feed dogs and allows for free-motion sewing.
What is the needle plate or throat plate?
If your stitches are looping or uneven, this part may need adjusting.
What is the tension dial?
This part can be dropped to allow for embroidery or quilting.
What are the feed dogs?
This part allows you to manually raise or lower the needle.
What is the handwheel?
This part is often located under the needle plate and must be cleaned regularly.
What is the bobbin area? What is the needle plate?
The part of the machine that needs to be put down before it is put away to avoid snagging.
What is the spool pin?
This part should be changed regularly to avoid skipped stitches or fabric damage.
What is the needle?
This part may include buttons or a touchscreen to control computerized functions.
What is the control panel or interface?
This part determines how far the needle moves side to side for decorative stitches or zigzag stitches.
What is the stitch width dial?
This part allows you to reverse the stitching direction to secure seams.
What is the reverse lever or button?
The part of the machine that controls the speed of the movement.
What is the foot pedal?
This part should be unplugged before cleaning or changing the needle.
What is the power cord?
This is the term for the process of preparing the machine to sew by guiding thread through various parts.
What is threading the machine?
This part determines how long each stitch is.
What is the stitch length dial?
This part covers the bobbin and helps keep it in place during sewing.
What is the bobbin cover?
This part connects the machine to power and may include a light switch.
What is the power cord or power switch?
If the machine won’t sew, this part may be incorrectly inserted or wound.
What is the bobbin?
This part can be swapped out to allow for different sewing techniques like zipper insertion or buttonholes.
What is the presser foot?