Unthreading Your Sewing Machine TIP
 

Did you know there is a right way and a wrong way to take the thread out of your sewing machine? My brother - in - law was in the garment industry as a sewing machine repairman for over 40 years and he just told me this. To take your spool of thread off of your machine, cut it off at the spool and then pull the thread out from the needle. You should never pull the thread out in the opposite direction that it is threaded. I never knew this!

I just learned this when I got my new janome. Not exactly sure why, so I try to do it this way and sometimes, I forget and jerk it out the old way.

How come? Ive always pulled it out wrong I hope I havent messed something up thank you for the info!

Exactly. I learned that in HS some 40+ (Whew!) years ago. The tension can get totally messed up pulling it out backwards, not to mention the lint that is carried back into the mechanisms. And, never hand turn the flywheel away from you, always toward you. The timing can get out of whack if the backward turning is a habit. The belts are meant to run in a forward motion. My sister's sewing machine flywheel locked up because of this. (We had the same Home Ec teacher. One of us was paying attention in class. LOL)

So how does the machine manage to sew in reverse?? :eek:

I've unthreaded a wide variety of sewing machines in the many decades since I first learned to use one. In fact, I've never once cut the thread and pulled it from the bottom. The tension only gets "messed up" if you pull backwards on the discs when they are engaged...in other words, when the foot is down. If the foot is not down at the time, it doesn't matter if you unthread your machine frontwards, backwards or sideways. :)

I was told by a quilting instructor that it also has something to do with the "grain" of the thread, the way it's twisted it should only go forward through the machine. Don't know if that is true or not. I do know that I've been doing it the "wrong" way for so many years it's just an ingrained habit. It has never caused me any problems yet...

It's the newer computer machines that need the thread pulled forward and never backwards.

The older ones are more forgiving.
However, I am now getting in the habit of "wasting" that little bit of thread no matter what machine ... just for the extra precaution.

Bernina recommends pulling the thread out through the needle and not the other way because you can mess up the thingys that control the thread feeding through the machine. Once you do it a few times, it becomes a habit. As to the small amount of wasted thread - it's a whole lot cheaper than having your machine repaired! And I know someone who saves those threads to use later on one of her beautiful art quilts.

I've sewn for 50+ years and have always cut the thread at the spool and pulled forward. Want to know why? 'Cause my mom told me to!