Threading the Sewing Machine

Sailrite LSZ-1

NOTE: When sewing, you need a top and bottom thread (bobbin thread).

Follow instructions for both the top and bottom bobbin thread!

Instructions for threading the sewing machine:

Thread the top thread as instructed below and insert the loaded bobbin as instructed below
Lift presser foot, then use manual turning dial on the right side of machine to pick up bobbin thread. Do not use pedal! * Important: Top thread must be threaded through the eye of needle to be able to pick up bobbin thread
Bobbin thread should come through from under. Use scissor or similar small object to slide it out/pick it up from under the lifted presser foot.
Pull both top and bottom thread tails out. Machine is threaded!

Step by Step: Threading the Top Thread

1. Select thread. Avoid cheap thread, which tends to break and get caught in the machine. Brands such as Gutermann are ideal.

2. Remove bottom piece if using a small spool, in order to fit on spool holder (hole has to be large enough to fit on spool holder.)

Ignore if the spool hole opening is large enough to fit on spool holder

3. Place thread on spool holder.

4. Loop end of thread under and out of hole, following path of the dashed arrows.

5. Zoom-in of thread placement. Thread loops under through hole and out in direction of dashed arrow.

6. Pass thread through top hole, back to front like dashed arrow. Ignore the bottom hole.

7. Pass thread back to front through hole in metal piece, as shown by dashed arrow.

8. Loop thread as indicated in photograph and dashed arrow.

9. Loop thread into tension dial. Make sure the thread is fully secured between both plates as indicated by dashed arrow.

10. Loop thread clockwise into tension dial. Make sure thread comes out of small metal flap (1), then pull out and loop through thin metal hook on the left. Then loop right to left in next hole. as indicated in photographand dashed arrow.

11. Front view of threading trajectory.

10. Bring thread through small hole on top of needle, yellow arrow points to the hole.

Then thread the needle through eye,left to right. Blue arrow points to eye.If you thread it right to left, the thread can get jammed!

Bobbin (Bottom Thread)

Installing Bobbin in Case

Installing and Removing Bobbin Case

Start off with wound bobbin.

Hold with tail end of thread coming off from left side, clockwise.

*most bobbins for other machines start off with the bobbin reversed, thread coming off counterclockwise. This machine is different!*

2. Insert bobbin into bobbin case

Keep the same orientation of the bobbin, with tail end of thread coming out clockwise

3. Move thread through slot where arrows are pointing to begin securing bobbin inside of case.

4. Continue pulling thread through first slot, under metal plate, then into final slot as indicated by the arrows and the dashed line trajectory. Once you reach final slot, you should hear the thread *click* into place.

5. Detail of thread trajectory. Note how thread is coming out of final slot!

6. Take threaded bobbin case and pull metal lever up with hinge on the right, pulling it off left side as pictured. Note the metal tail in bobbin case (important!)

7. Insert loaded bobbin into machine, still holding the lever up.

If you let go of lever whilst inserting the bobbin case, it will not latch inside of machine correctly.

The bobbin will be correctly placed once the metal tail of the bobbin case enters the machine’s slot for it.

8. Once the loaded bobbin *clicks* into place and the metal tail is in its slot, let go of lever, making sure that the bobbin is securely fastened.

Winding Bobbin

To prepare the machine to wind a bobbin, you must disengage the Posi-Pin Clutch System (i.e. like on a home sewing machine where you pull the turning wheel outwards) as shown in the picture. This allows to wind the bobbin without running the machine and making the needle go up and down! Re-engage the clutch when you are ready to sew.
Then select thread and place on thread stand arm and thread under and through hole as shown by the arrows.

3. Continue passing thread through top hole in metal post as shown by the arrows.

4. Wrap the thread through bobbin tensioner, placing the thread between the metal plates, following arrow path, clockwise wrapping around and then passing through and out of metal coil at the end. This is important, if you do not pass through the metal coil as shown by arrows, the bobbin will not wind correctly and will be loosely wound.

5. Fully threaded path for winding the bobbin.

6. Run the thread under and up through a hole in top of the bobbin. Then place the bobbin securely on the bobbin post. Bobbin post will be on the left as shown in this picture, which is standard for running stitch.

7. Push the bobbin post to the right in order to wind the bobbin. Hold on to the tail end of the thread upwards before beginning to wind. Press the pedal, and begin winding the bobbin! When finished, push the bobbin post back to the left, and lift bobbin off the post, and cut the thread.

Stitch adjustments- Stitch length, type, needle positioning

Needle Positioning

Zig zag stitch (with stitch adjustment lever placed at 1-5): Keep at "C"

Straight stitch (lever at 0): needle can be moved left to right.

C= CENTER

L=LEFT

R= RIGHT

DO NOT change the needle position when the needle is in the fabric, the needle may bend or break!

Stitch adjustment lever: Straight Stitch and Zig Zag Stitch

Straight stitch: 0

Zig Zag stitch: 1-5. "1" produces 1mm stitch, and so on.

DO NOT change the position of the stitch width lever when the needle is in the fabric or the needle may bend

Stitch length and style sample

Setting forward and backward stitch length and backtack

Stitch length: to set the stitch length, loosen the two thumb screws, and slide the posts up or down according to the length you want (looking at the measurements on the left!), and tighten the screws to desired stitch length.

The top screw sets the stitch length when you sew forwards.

The bottom screw sets the stitch length when you sew backwards (aka when you are backtacking to secure the ends of your stitch.)

Backtack: Pull down backtack lever, which is spring loaded to always rest against the upper stop

Turning corners

When turning corners in fabric (aka if you are sewing in a square shape) and want to change the direction, angle of your stitch..

Make sure the needle is all the way down into the fabric. You can double check this by turning the right wheel towards you until the needle is at its lowest point.

Then lift the presser foot and move the fabric to desired orientation. The needle acts as a central axis from which you can change the orientation.

Then drop the presser foot back down and continue sewing.

If you try and change the direction by not putting the needle down into the fabric and lifting the presser foot, this can cause a skipped stitch or break the needle.

Sewing in reverse (aka backtacking)

Most of the time when you sew, you will be backtacking your stitch, aka when you start sewing, pull the backtack lever down to go back over your first stitches to secure the beginning of the thread. Then you repeat for the end of the thread.

Exceptions to this convention are when you are doing things such as ruching/gathering fabric when you want the fabric to glide on the stitch and not be secured onto each end.

Changing Needle and Proper Needle Placement

This sewing machine requires 135x17 needles sizes #12 to #22 or 135x16 leather needles. Size #20 needle is used for most medium to heavy sewing.

Proper Needle Placement

The needles has two sides

Left side has long channel/indentation
Right side has a carved out area just above the needle eye.

Needle must be placed as shown in picture, with carved out area of needle facing the right.

Changing Needle

First unscrew this screw, it holds everything tightly in place
Take your new needle, make sure to insert it with the proper needle placement, with the carved out area facing the right.

2. To make sure the needle is inserted far enough, you can look through the sighting hole. Top of needle should be fully visible in the sighting hole and pushed all the way to the top.

Thread Tension

Thread tension adjustment refers to the combination of tension on both the upper thread and the bobbin thread.
The correct combination of thread tension results in a stitch that looks identical on both sides of the material
The primary problem you can encounter when using a heavy thread is incorrect upper thread tension. When stitch tension is a problem, it is usually a consequence of too much or too little tension on the upper thread.
You can control tension on the upper thread with the tension knob. It can be turned up to five revolutions to compress a spring that squeezes the two disks together that are holding your thread.
Tension changes to the bobbin thread should only be made when upper tension changes alone do not solve stitch tension. In general, bobbin tension requires just about a two ounce drag on the thread. You can fix the bobbin thread tension by taking a sharp object such a a razor or small screwdriver and tightening the screw as shown in photo.

Tension Knob

Screw in the bobbin that adjusts tension, screwdriver in place

Adjusting Presser Foot Tension

First of all, the presser foot is very important when you sew. Always have it down while you are sewing. Lift it up to remove fabric from under the foot, to place fabric under.
You can adjust the pressure of the foot using the thumb screw as indicated.
Turn clockwise to increase the downward foot pressure. Turn counterclockwise to decrease foot pressure.
For heavy, hard to feed materials, best to have very high pressure on the foot. For these materials, tighten the screw until only 1/2” of the screw’s threads are showing.
When sewing delicate materials, reduce the foot pressure. Turn the thumb screw until it comes free of the machine and then rethread it about 3 complete rotations for the lightest spring setting.

Presser foot is up. Bring it up to place your fabric under the presser foot, to remove fabric from under the foot.

Presser foot is down. Must be down to sew!

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