Machines & tools

A small spool that holds the lower thread supply, fitting into the bobbin case beneath the needle plate to form the underside of a lockstitch.

A metal or plastic holder that houses the bobbin and regulates lower-thread tension via an adjustable spring before the thread reaches the needle plate.

A spindle and motor mechanism on a sewing machine that winds thread evenly onto an empty bobbin, usually engaged by disengaging the main stitching mechanism.

Metal teeth beneath the needle plate that rise, move forward, and drop in a rotating motion to grip and advance fabric through the machine with each stitch.

The wheel at the right end of a sewing machine that manually raises and lowers the needle and can be turned to advance a single stitch.

The flat metal plate beneath the needle and presser foot, marked with seam allowance guidelines and pierced by openings for the feed dogs and needle.

A control that, when engaged, reverses the feed dog direction so the machine sews backward, commonly used to lock stitches at the start and end of a seam.

A small upright post on a sewing machine that holds the thread spool in place as thread feeds off toward the tension discs and needle.