Sewing machine needle threader: what is it and how to use it?

People whose visual acuity is not one hundred percent, do not quite clearly see in detail the end of the thread and the eye of the needle in order to thread one into the other. But even when a particular person has everything in order with his eyesight, he proportions his actions, nevertheless, laziness and lack of patience prevent him from threading a needle. This is where the needle threader comes in.

Whatever the sewing machine and whatever the sewing - automated or completely manual, you may not want to go back to manually threading a needle after you get to know the needle threader. The only exception is needles with a semi-closed eye. They grab the thread without threading - by pushing the end of the needle, which has communicating grooves. Outwardly and remotely, such a needle resembles a single-wire connector in an electrical patchcord, into which any of the wires of a multi-wire cable is "hammered", without stripping the tip of the wire itself from insulation.

The needle threader is an auxiliary tool that allows you to thread a needle several times faster. It does not matter whether it is a simple hand sewing needle or a special one inserted into the needle holder of the sewing machine's needle bar. And in fact, and in another case, this device will help. The needle threader will be appreciated not only by the elderly and visually impaired, but also by masters who embroider with floss, woolen or acrylic threads. The fact is that the thread must be threaded several times, put it like a loop in an eyelet, and so on - here the needle threader is almost indispensable. In addition, for manual work, the needle threader helps to speed up when the master frequently changes threads.

Manual needle threader - a device that manually pulls a wire loop into the eye of a needle and picks up the thread. Sometimes it is supplemented with a magnifying glass, thread cutter (extra blades). The grip is naturally suitable for a comfortable grip in the hand. The automatic threader is positioned on the machine. By pressing the button, he himself enters the wire loop into the eye of the needle already installed in the needle bar and picks up the thread loop.

Both the one and the other sewing machine use each time the upper thread is changed in the sewing machine. On some models, for example, in the Janome J925s, the needle threader is already included in the delivery of the entire product. Other models have only a mounting space for most typical versions of the needle threader - it is not included in the kit, but you can purchase it separately.

If you immediately started high-speed sewing on a sewing machine, then in order to to use the needle threader, follow the steps below.

• Set the needle to the upper position by turning the handwheel of the sewing machine.
• Roll up a small loop. To do this, the thread is wrapped around the needle clamp elbow. At the same time, press down on the lever that raises the needle threader tip. The hook allows the thread to be pulled through the eyelet, and the lever, in turn, lowers the hook and pushes the thread towards the needle.
• Once the threader tip has come into contact with the needle, guide the hook with the thread into the small indentation on the hook itself so that the thread will catch on.
• Release the lever to pass the loop through the needle point. The pressed lever is no longer needed.
• Grasp the end of the buttonhole and pull it away from the needle point.

The thread is threaded into the needle, you can start sewing. Be sure to check if the needle is positioned correctly before threading. In fact, putting the thread on the needle threader's hook is much easier and faster than manually, without this device, by inserting it into the eyelet. But the automatic adaptation has a significant drawback - if you thread the thread carelessly, it is much easier to damage this hook than to break the needle itself, otherwise you will have to use the manual version of it.

First generation needle threaders, for example included in the scope of delivery of the Janome 1221 / 90A machines. They have an insufficiently strong hook that pulls the thread into the eye of the needle - it is very easy to damage it. Newer, second generation, are installed in many models of sewing machines. The threading process is easy to bring to perfection, and they are equipped with a much stronger hook, easily unbendable back (the alloy of which the working part of the device is made makes it possible to bend this hook more than a dozen times before it breaks).

If you became the owner of a sewing machine without a needle threader, perhaps that was your choice, since the reliability, performance and other key parameters of the device turned out to be much more important than the presence of a hook that accelerates thread pulling. The device itself can be purchased after the "running-in" of the sewing machine. Some craftsmen even make this hook on their own.

Auto threader from Japanese and Taiwanese suppliers represent a significant segment of the market for these devices. So, Bohin 81980 fits all needles... A single press of the button is enough to thread the needle. Kawaguchi threaders have a search magnet for finding dropped needles, and a knife is also included. This model makes it possible to insert three floss threads into almost any needle.

Astralux, Brother and Bernina machines do not have the supplied needle threader... They will require any replacement model of this device.

Sewing machines with two or more needles working at the same time use a longer (sometimes built-in) needle threader, which passes the threads from one time to all adjacent needles. Appearing for the first time on industrial multi-seam devices, The “compound” needle threader has also taken root as an accessory for home two- and three-needle machines.

Such a device is also suitable for an overlock device. - multi-needle machines, or ordinary machines with an "overlock" attachment, which perform overwrapping of fabric edges that are subject to rapid fluffing. The hook of such a needle threader is not only suitable for needles - it can be used to pass the bobbin thread through the hook of a conventional sewing machine.

If at first, before threading the thread itself, the needle was not set correctly or not raised to the top position, then the automatic needle threader will be useless. A needle with an incorrect eyelet will prevent the automatic needle threader with thread. In addition, sewing with the needle set in this way will be noticeably difficult. Anyway adjust the needle so that the axis of the eyelet is not directed towards you when you are seated at a table with a sewing machine.

Do not use a thread that is too thick for the needle. You just can't fill it. If you use force, you will damage both the needle and the needle threader. In addition, a thread and a needle that do not correspond to the thickness and rigidity of the fabric will lead to the fact that sewing will be significantly difficult or even impossible. When choosing a needle threader, refer to the information provided in its description.

For how the automatic needle threader works in a sewing machine, see the following video.