How A Sewing Machine Works, Explained In A GIF - The Atlantic

Skip to content
  • The Atlantic
  • PopularLatestNewsletters

    Sections

    • Politics
    • Ideas
    • Fiction
    • Technology
    • Science
    • Photo
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Planet
    • Global
    • Books
    • AI Watchdog
    • Health
    • Education
    • Projects
    • Features
    • Family
    • Events
    • Washington Week
    • Progress
    • National Security
    • Explore The Atlantic Archive
    • games promo iconPlay The Atlantic Games
    • Listen to Podcasts and Articles

    The Print Edition

    Latest IssuePast IssuesGive a Gift
  • Search The AtlanticQuick Links
    • AudioAudio
    • Crossword PuzzleCrossword Puzzle
    • Magazine ArchiveMagazine Archive
    • Your SubscriptionYour Subscription
  • Popular
  • Latest
  • Newsletters
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe

From the outside, a sewing machine is a wonderful bit of magic. A needle shoves thread up and down, and somehow a seam is formed.

Here's a little YouTube video of this:

What is that thread latching to? How, if the needle just bobs up and down, does the thread lock in place?

A great GIF reveals what is going on inside the machine as the needle does its little dance:

HBR/Wikimedia Commons

Beneath the needle (as the GIF shows at a very slowed down speed) a hook rotates, capturing the thread from above and looping it around another thread, this one reeling from the bobbin below. The two threads interlock around the layers of fabric, binding them to one another.

So it's not magic; it's mechanics. And to me, that's even neater.

About the Author

Rebecca J. RosenFollowRebecca J. Rosen is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where she oversees coverage of American constitutional law and government in the Battle for the Constitution series.

Tag » How Do Sewing Machines Work