Changing colour doesn’t mean threading your whole machine again. This is the quick way I change my top thread, and it only takes a minute.
The old thread is already going the right way through the machine, so you let it pull the new one through for you. New to threading? Start with how to thread a sewing machine and the Thread Machine card.
Watch how
How to change the top thread, step by step
- Raise the presser foot. This loosens the tension discs so the thread can slide through easily.
- Cut the old thread at the reel. Snip it just above the reel and take the old reel off. Leave the rest of the thread in the machine.
- Put on the new reel. Make sure it unwinds the same way as the old one.
- Tie the threads together. Tie the end of the new thread to the end of the old thread with a small, tight knot. Trim the tails short so the knot slides through easily.
- Pull it through. Go to the needle and gently pull the old thread down and towards you. The knot will follow the same path round the machine, taking the new thread with it.
- Stop before the needle. When the knot reaches the needle, cut it off. The knot won’t fit through the eye of the needle.
- Thread the needle. Thread the new colour through the needle, then take both threads up and back under the foot, ready to sew.
Top tips
- Pull gently. If the knot gets stuck, don’t tug. Ease it back a little, then try again.
- Thread snapped? If the old thread breaks inside the machine, take it out and thread the machine from the start.
- Change the bobbin too. If the stitches will show on both sides, wind a bobbin in the new colour as well.
- Use good quality thread. Cheap thread snaps and fluffs up your machine. More in needles and threads: which to use for which fabric.
- Tangles when you start sewing? Check the threading: sewing machine won’t sew? 10 fixes to try.
- Fabric jammed? Don’t pull it out. See fabric stuck in your sewing machine?
- Sewn it in the wrong colour? Here’s how to unpick stitches without ripping your fabric.
Want more quick tips? Read my 40 top sewing tips for beginners, or see all my sewing tips in one place.
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