No 1 of the Sewing Machine Jargon Buster

I thought I'd just take some of the most regularly used jargon in the sewing arena and

explain them as simply as I can. The first one is:

Bobbin

Sewing machines use 2 separate threads to make a stitch (as most of you will know). There's the needle thread,

which some down from the top of the machine, and the bobbin thread, which comes upwards from the bottom.

of the machine.

A bobbin in a small spool for holding the thread at the bottom of the machine. It sits in a compartment under

the needle. Thread needs to be wound on to the bobbin before you start sewing. Most electric sewing machines

have a bobbing winding function (Check your manual to see how).

Bobbins from older machines load from the site and usually sit in a metal case. This helps to control the tension 

of the thread.

New machines often have a drop-in bobbin and this loads from above. Sometimes they have a transparent cover 

(as in our picture) over the bobbin, which is useful as it enables you to see how much thread is left on the bobbin.

For our second Jargon Buster, we'll look at a Knee Lifter. Yes, this term really does exist!