How Do I Use My 1030 Singer Sewing Machine?

Vintage sewing machines are workhorses, providing years of reliability. Singer has a reputation for being one of the best sewing machine manufacturers in the world. The Singer 1030 was nicknamed the Creative Touch and was a descendant of the Futura which was originally released in 1974 for home sewing. It features adjustable stitch length, width and decorative stitch patterns. It also has a unique bobbin that can be wound in the machine without removing the thread from the needle.

Unscrew the thumb screw that holds the needle in place, then insert a new needle. Be sure that you are using the correct needle size for the fabric and thread you are sewing. Use a ball point needle for knit fabrics and a sharp needle for woven fabrics. The needle packaging will tell you if the needle is suitable for your project.

Place a spool of thread on the spool holder at the top of the machine. Take the thread end and place the thread into the thread guide at the upper left portion of the machine. Then, open the console on the top of the machine and guide the thread through the rear thread guide. Bring the thread down and place it between the tension disc on the tension assembly. Bring the thread up under the tension discs and guide it through the take-up lever, then down into the final thread guides and then through the needle.

Turn the hand wheel towards you until the take-up lever is at it’s highest point. Slide the bobbin plate towards you to reveal the bobbin. Turn the pattern selector clockwise until the release lever is set, turn stitch control dial to straight stitching, stitch pattern to straight stitch, needle position to center and stitch width to zero.

Move the bobbin latch from left to right. Then take the needle thread through and under the left side of the presser foot. Insert the thread end into the thread retainer that is attached to the shaft. Start the machine and run it until the bobbin is full. When it is full, pull out a small length of thread and cut between the needle and bobbin. You now have a threaded bobbin.

Place your fabric under the presser foot and then lower the presser foot to hold the fabric in place. Using the dials on the sewing machine, set your desired stitch length and pattern. Using your foot, apply pressure to the foot pedal and begin feeding your fabric through the machine.