So that’s how it works…
April 17th, 2007 by CandaceI found this amazing little illustration over on Meg’s site and it’s a great way to explain how a bobbin works on a sewing machine. Actually, it’s pretty relaxing to just watch it over and over. Okay, maybe that’s just me.
April 17th, 2007 at 5:43 am
Oh, this is GREAT! For years I have wondered how the two threads could possible cross each other. It makes so much sense now. Thanks for sharing this!
April 17th, 2007 at 6:44 am
No, I find it as relaxing as watching fish swim. So rhythmic and yet so practical.
April 17th, 2007 at 6:45 am
I agree it is very relaxing to watch it. I think that is too cute.
April 17th, 2007 at 7:28 am
wow, that is hypnotizing.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Transfixing!
April 17th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Wow! I’ve been sewing for almost 50 years and did not know how it worked! This is amazing to watch.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
That is facinating, especially for us really visual people!
April 17th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Wow.. I definitely stared at that for a good 3 minutes.
April 17th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
that is so cool Candace! It almost looks like liquid.. I always wondered how that worked. Thanks for posting this.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Wow, so that’s how it works! I never knew. And I just got a new sewing machine today…not that knowing how it works actually makes it more useful, but still…
April 18th, 2007 at 3:33 am
Confusing just to confusing
April 18th, 2007 at 3:35 am
Confusing just too confusing
April 18th, 2007 at 4:32 am
Try watching it with some syncopated music playing, it’s even more fun!
April 18th, 2007 at 5:06 am
Thanks for the great visual. I’ve always wondered how that worked!
April 18th, 2007 at 7:35 am
at first i thought i was watching this demo for just a minute this morning, but now i see the sun has gone down, my cat looks hungry, i’ve got several phone messages, and my crock pot dinner is done. cool.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:27 am
I had always wondered how it worked, but had just decided it was magic or very small hamsters or something. This makes much more sense.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:12 am
Hipnotic! I couldn’t take my eyes out off it.
April 18th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
I had to answer questions on that on an exam once. It wasn’t a sewing exam or anything, it was to see if fro the description they gave you, and the basic diagram, could you work out which diagram was next, that sort of thing.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Thank you! This was something that always messed with my mind. Now I can rest!
April 19th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
too good man!!!! i too stared at it for ever and ever!
April 30th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Here is an idea
think of a phone book
then describe that as a series of digits
77756432456785457875455
put a decimal at the front
.77756432456785457875455
that .777 number can be described as a trig ratio
the sewing computer traces out every possible linear sequence of digits with the angle formed from the green blue thread
Triangle
note that the sewing computer does its thing with three different variations on the concept of time …all at once
the thread cam uses distance time with a minimized curve to define a set of possible intervals at the triangle loop which becomes the stitch; The three dimensionality of the blue thread causes entwinement which creates persistant rather than diossolving stitch interval
a dielectric is like an insulator the sewing computer uses the fabric as a membrane 3d blue thread as a meaning sequestrant (if you view the trig .777 triangle as a wave its kinda like flimflammery metaphor a compression “collapse” of the wave function) plus as a dimensional separator(machine would lack sewing ability if it were flatland), plus there is the actual clearance or air space between parts
April 30th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
If you’d like to give people copies this image is also at http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5y9t937
if there is a copyright thing just describe
May 11th, 2007 at 8:12 am
This has seriously been one of the greatest mysteries ever in life until now. I am stunned
May 16th, 2007 at 6:11 am
Good! so now we know how the thread crosses over. But here’s the rub: what’s holding up the red bit?
May 31st, 2007 at 11:27 am
I have always wondered how a bobbin worked. Last night for some strange reason I couldn’t sleep thinking about it and today I found out. How simple. Who would have thought! I havee to go pee. Thanks.
Tony
June 20th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Similar question as sweavo — the green loop passes around the bobbin; however, the bobbin is supported by and mounted on a horizontal shaft behind the bobbin. How does the green loop avoid interferrence with the bobbin shaft?
July 12th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
The bobbin is put in a case and both it and the case are unattached and floating. the red bit is connected to a shaft. the hook forms into a wedge to pull the string over the bobbin case. the thread goes in between the floating case and the inside of the hook (and its shaft) . that is to say, the hook itself never passes through the thread (as it might appear to do in the animation because the bottom of the red part is not shown).
here’s some diagrams (NB: two different bobbin orientations in each):
http://www.sewusa.com/Sewing_Machine_Repair/Repair_Pictures/timing3.gif
http://www.sewusa.com/Sewing_Machine_Repair/Repair_Pictures/stitchform3.gif
September 12th, 2007 at 8:19 am
the diagram is nearly correct:
the red hook actually roatates twice for ever cylce of the needle bar , and as the needle bar leaves the material, the fabric will start to be pulled to the rear by the feed dog (teeth)….. but still a good animation!
October 19th, 2007 at 11:59 am
I’m so grateful for this illustration. In spite of my background in engineering, this mystery has kept me awake many a night- I kid you not. I was just trying to look for a manual on how to thread my wife’s inherited machine, and then I found this. I’ll be getting a lot more sleep now… Thanks!
November 6th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
hey this is great!
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:36 pm
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December 10th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
it is a amazing. i got sewing machine from my husband.and he sent to me that’s how it works. i saw many times. now i knew. that is great. many thanks.
December 10th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Amazing, I love it and it makes sense. thanks
January 9th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I actually asked this question the other day and nobody knew, now I do!
I love it when that happens
January 9th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
That is cool. thanks for sharing.
http://www.floors4u.net/
January 9th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Heh, count me among the people who’ve wondered. Usually it pops into my head after a few drinks, and I figure I should look it up…yet I never got around to doing so.
So Stumble Upon has actually become a learning tool, instead of just a wonderful time sucker.
January 10th, 2008 at 6:46 am
This picture is impossible, because that green thread passes through all sides of the white circle. If it can pass through then what is the white circle attached to? The thread goes over, under and on all sides. So this cant be the way it works
January 10th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Ah, so there are two threads! And they cross over like that! I’ve been wondering about this since the age of 8 or something (now 21). Absolutely Fabulous!
January 10th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Excellent – over 50 years ago my grandmother, a seamstress, used to let me play with her sewing machine. It was only after she died that I began to think how it could work. I never did work it out, but this has made it all clear and explained some of the strange bits that lurked below the needle.
Many thanks!
January 10th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
grrr. this makes me angry, now what will i think about while i am driving?
January 10th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
must be wrong. feel free to get mega angry at me, but this is a rotating part requiring one axis of joint (at least). if the green thread raps round the whole thing which part of the “bobbin” attaches totherest of the machine, seriously?
January 11th, 2008 at 3:13 am
This is so interesting. Now it all makes sense!
January 11th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
That makes me happy in the pants.
January 11th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I have wondered how that works for night on 15 years.
January 11th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Cool. I always wanted to know how it worked. It make so much sense.
January 12th, 2008 at 3:54 am
wow, as a kid I used to watch my mom sewing and wondered, how did that work. finally I can see the answer!
January 12th, 2008 at 3:55 am
OK, I understand the diagram but it shows the top (green) thread catching on the hoked cover then passing unrestricted paste either side of the cover and the bobbin. These aren’t floating in mid air, they are held in place by some sort of spigot or axleso how does the thread get over or through it?
January 12th, 2008 at 4:11 am
This is two dimensional. It will be more clearer if its in three dimensions.
January 12th, 2008 at 5:36 am
I wouldn’t say that this type of thing *normally* interests me, but that was pretty interesting!
Stumbled.
January 12th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I don’t sew and I think it’s cool!!!!
January 12th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Ya i defiantly stared at it for a good five minutes why is that so hypnotizing????
January 13th, 2008 at 5:55 am
Yeah, but what if you’re not using blue and green thread….????
January 13th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
for a 2d animation it is great and about as accurate as can be expected. it all takes place in three dimensions and so is rather hard to draw in two. all you really need to do though if you want to know exactly how it works is take the bobbin cover off and manually turn the machine through. this allows you to watch in slow motion exactly what happens. if you think the animation is fascinating try that.
the machine I have actually has the bobbin mechanism mounted horizontally by it’s rim. the hook thingy rotates around this and there is a notch cut out where the thread goes through. so the whole thing is suspended by it’s rim everywhere else.
So now that I have confused things quite thoroughly go try this on a real machine and see what happens. you will want to be sure to hold the ends of both pieces of thread so they don’t get pulled into the machine.
Have fun
January 14th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Where can I find explanation of needle numbering?
Example what does 135/20 mean? Does that number have anything to do with needle length?
How does needle need to be set if needle has round shaft?
January 16th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
you aren’t alone with the ralaxing thing though
January 17th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Wow thanks wondered it for years, when i was a kid sitting next to my mom when she was sewing
January 20th, 2008 at 2:06 am
cool and rythemic
January 28th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I just asked my dad how this worked this morning! crazy, thanks for the answer.
January 29th, 2008 at 10:30 am
HATE TO NITPICK-YOU ARE SHOWING HOOK PASSING IN FRONT OF NEEDLE. BELIEVE IT ACTUALLY PASSES BEHIND NEEDLE IN MOST MACHINES? BUT IS IS A CLEVER ANIMATION AND GETS THE POINT ACCROSS.
February 1st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Thanks for sharing
February 4th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
wow… very cute
thanks and god will bless you
February 7th, 2008 at 3:10 am
thanks a lot – we have to try and explain to children how a sewing maschine works. This will help
February 9th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well. But it was interesting! Look for some my links:
February 16th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Yes, and You should see, if it turns with 7000 rpm and the fabric is moving with 50 foot per minute. Not so relaxing, but very impressive!!
February 23rd, 2008 at 7:32 am
Oh! it’s just Zzzzzz…
February 25th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Wonderful. Great information. tks!
March 29th, 2008 at 3:24 am
Hi, I had been wondering for years how id worked – great image!
March 29th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
GOD I LOVE YOU!
April 4th, 2008 at 7:19 am
Huh. I get called a brainiac, and I never figured this out until this animation showed it.
Got n e more?
rofl!
April 4th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
nice, thanks for the stumble
April 13th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I can’t stop watching it…
http://www.golfnorwich.com/
April 17th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Wonderful. Great information. tks!
April 17th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well. But it was interesting! Look for some my links:MP3 Player
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I am so turned on right now!
June 21st, 2008 at 10:04 am
Need to repair one! Mechanics where stuck. By making it to work, I messed up corelation of movements… so this animation helps!!
Thanx!
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:35 pm
great engineering : )
June 26th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
For those of you wondering about what is supporting the red part and the centre spigot, what the diagram shows is a cross section. Imagine the centre spigot and the red part are fixed to the near side, the side you are looking ‘through’. Of course you can’t do that in real life but that’s the beauty of a diagram. Now you know how the green thread passes over the centre spigot. .. hopefully
July 7th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I have ALWAYS wondered this, thankyou! people used to be smart.
July 12th, 2008 at 8:57 am
hey… here is a textile enginnering stuedent, looking for one, who share problems
[email protected]
July 12th, 2008 at 9:01 am
i hav tramendus material on textile, especially on spinning
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 am
I have an old Singer sewing machine – the bobbin sits vertically…I can’t seem to get the bobbin thread to get picked up by the needle thread – any suggestions?
August 12th, 2008 at 5:24 am
thats suberb!! i guess it couldn’t be explained better…
August 12th, 2008 at 5:25 am
thats suberb!!
August 23rd, 2008 at 6:48 am
Thats amazing. I always wonder how that worked too. I wonder if my Grandma knows.
November 12th, 2008 at 2:51 am
Actually I have always wondered. Nice!
January 14th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
now that i understand it, it’s freakin genius
April 29th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I pulled apart my Mum’s Singer sewing machine when I was about 10 and figured this out
June 17th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
This animation is such a gift!!! Thank you! It is wonderful on a zillion levels!!
August 8th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
ah, so thats how it works
August 8th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
…yeah, I realized that the first time a watched the bobbin on a sewing machine. You don’t need a graphic to illustrate what you can watch with your own two eyes.
November 16th, 2009 at 6:42 am
Hey I put up a link to this animation on my website – it’s so cool! And useful too : ) Here’s the site FYI : http://www.diy-couture.co.uk/links.html xx