What is the anatomy of a sewing machine? Why do i need to know the anatomy? When will this be useful?

In this post i will only talk about certain parts as the other parts will be brought up further on in the sewing category when i talk about bobbins and stitches.

Sewing machines are complex machines and understanding the anatomy or in other words, parts, of a sewing machine comes in handy for when you use the machine daily. Although, due to its complex nature, it can lead to users having a lot of questions or even using it wrong. Leading it to possibly break and then you need to know how to fix it. This is the point of this post, which is to answer these questions on the anatomy of a sewing machine and help guide you through the use of it.

This is the diagram of the anatomy of a sewing machine and i am going to explain what each part if and what to do if it breaks. I will also mention why it is important in the long run when you are making garments.

First we will start at one of the most important parts: Needle plate

What is the needle plate? Well the needle plate is a metal plate which covers the bobbin area. It includes a hole for the needle to go through the fabric and slots for the feed dogs to move the fabric along as the machine works. There are three main types of needle plates which are:

Zigzag/standard – The zigzag plate allows the needle to move in zigzag pattern as it provides enough space for the needle to do so. It is used for decorative stitches, seam finishing, stretch fabrics and for other small tasks that do not require a straight stitch. This type of stitch is strong and durable stitch as its elasticity allows the seams to stretch without breaking or snagging.

Straight stitch – This plate is used for straight stitching as the name suggests. It provides small, round needle holes for the needle to go into without pulling the fabric in, especially if the fabric is fine or a lightweight fabric. It also offers a stable base and support for the needle.

Speciality plate and HP plates – The HP plates stand for high performance and this is a specific straight stitch type of plate and it is designed to work with a corresponding foot to produce industrial precise stitching. The other speciality plates include darning plates, cover stitch plates and chain stitch plates. These speciality plates are used for certain machines, not just a sewing machine.