Loading the Bobbin

• The first step to threading your Kenmore sewing machine is to load the bobbin. Whether your Kenmore bobbin opens on the side or is a top-loading machine, most machines have a bobbin winder located on top of the machine. Set the bobbin on the winder and push to engage it, if necessary. Most machines will run the thread from the spool over to the left and around a small tension knob, back to the right, and then pull a section of thread through a hole in the bobbin. The hand turning wheel may have to be pulled outward to engage the winder. Hold the end of the thread as you press the foot pedal to keep it from slipping. Once the bobbin is full, replace it back into the base of the machine.
  
  

Threading your Kenmore

• The Kenmore sewing machine, like most machines, runs the thread through a series of nooks and crannies before reaching the eye of the needle. These areas allow the machine to create tension on the thread when the presser foot is down. Though it's not important to know what all of these parts do to use the sewing machine, it's important to thread the machine correctly. Luckily, Kenmore sewing machines have arrows on the casing of the machine that point you in the correct direction, making threading the machine easy. The thread will run from the spool, around a hook or track on the top, down the face of the machine, loop slightly to the left, and back up to a second hook. From there the thread heads down to the needle, where it's threaded through the eye of the needle and ready for sewing. Visually, your thread will run in the manner of an uppercase "N" from start to finish.
  
  

Adjusting the Tension

• Hold the thread from the needle with one hand and rotate the wheel one full rotation with the other. This should bring up the bobbin thread to the surface. Once you have both strings in hand, you can begin to sew. However, your sewing machine works best when the tension is correct. Ideally, when you sew a line on fabric, the bobbin thread shouldn't be seen on the top of the fabric and the top thread shouldn't be seen showing through on the bottom. Use two different-colored threads and a contrasting fabric to test your tension before you begin sewing on your project. If thread shows through to the bottom, your tension needs to be higher. If the tension is so strong as to pull the bobbin thread through to the top, the tension needs to be lower. Kenmore sewing machines have a tension dial on the face of the machine for easy adjustment, and with numbers instead of tic marks it's easy to remember which tension setting was ideal for which types of project. Be patient and work with your machine to get the tension correct for your type of thread. Once your tension is even, you're ready to sew.