{"title":"How to Wind a Bobbin","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/sewing/how-to-wind-a-bobbin","category":{"slug":"sewing","name":"Sewing"},"creator":{"name":"Vintage Coach Restoration | Jann Newton ","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcG8_7_Dr86Q_WW6c7F-HJg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th6qYPbsKsQ"},"tldr":"Wind a bobbin properly: the thread path through the tension disc, why loose winding causes skipped stitches, and how to drop it back in.","totalDurationSeconds":241,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["sewing machine","scissors"],"materials":["thread spool","empty bobbin"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Put the Spool on the Pin","text":"Slide the thread spool onto the spool pin and fit the cap over the end.Snug, not tight. The cap is there to stop the spool jumping off, and if you clamp it down hard the thread cannot feed freely and you get uneven winding."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Run the Thread to the First Guide","text":"Take the thread across the top of the machine to the first metal thread guide."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Around the Bobbin Tension Disc","text":"Bring the thread around the front of the bobbin tension disc, going clockwise, so it seats properly between the plates.This is the step people skip, and it is the one that matters. The disc is what puts tension on the thread as it winds. Skip it and the bobbin fills loosely, which shows up later as skipped stitches, loops on the underside and nests of thread under the plate."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Thread the Empty Bobbin","text":"Take the tail up through the small hole in the top of the empty bobbin, from the inside out.Use the bobbins that came with your machine. They look interchangeable and they are not, and the wrong size is a common cause of tension problems that get blamed on everything else."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Seat the Bobbin on the Spindle","text":"Drop the bobbin onto the winder spindle and push it all the way down until it clicks home."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Push the Spindle Across","text":"Slide the spindle to the right until it engages.With the spindle over, the motor drives only the winder. The needle stays put, which is why the machine sounds different and why you do not need to worry about the needle bar moving while you wind."},{"number":7,"title":"Step 7: Hold the Tail and Wind","text":"Hold on to the thread tail and press the foot pedal.Keeping hold of the tail for the first few turns is what anchors the thread to the bobbin. Let go too early and the thread just spins around without catching."},{"number":8,"title":"Step 8: Trim the Tail and Fill It","text":"After a few wraps, stop and snip off the loose tail sticking out of the top, then carry on winding until the bobbin is as full as you want it.When it is done, slide the spindle back to the left and cut the thread."},{"number":9,"title":"Step 9: Open the Bobbin Case","text":"Slide the little lever and pop the cover plate off the front of the machine.This one is a drop-in bobbin, which is the most common arrangement now. If yours loads from the side into a removable metal case, the winding is identical but the loading is not, so check your manual."},{"number":10,"title":"Step 10: Drop It In and Hook the Thread","text":"Sit the bobbin in the case, then take the tail and pull it under the little metal bar and along the slot.Which way the bobbin faces matters. Most drop-in machines want the thread coming off it anticlockwise, and there is usually a diagram inside the cover showing the direction."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-08-22T21:31:46.450Z","published":"2026-08-22T21:31:39.659Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}