![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VKHctJSB3Z_XaU2-LnIXZRdraRIGbvUsL0EIZnZ8BACNhOZ5YWP7JPkJCsKzeY1JH59OQSEJ2UQS-ItZNt1Vy4KnhGig4OU2rvOn1E6wcQo7Rway14pQhSLh-o1l4JNGokNcwg/s400/BCS_2419.jpg)
Yes, it might not seem the most masculine of gadgets, and combined with the fact that I was doing some scrap booking a couple weeks ago, it has brought some teasing. When I mentioned this purchase to a friend at work (who also was aware of the scrap book project for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary), she asked me if there were any other feminine hobbies I might be starting up. Yeah, yeah... Very funny. Single guy in his forties, hasn't been on a date in over 5 years, does scrap booking and sewing in his free time...
I mainly purchased the machine for repairing my karate gis. My gis are made of fairly heavy cotton - it feels a bit like canvas and occasionally one of the ties that hold it in place will tear off. The place where the tie attaches is on a hem about 4 layers of fabric thick. Sewing the tie back on by hand is a real pain - I end up breaking needles and it takes me over a half hour to just repair one. And, the repair work usually doesn't last very long. Now with the sewing machine, it only takes about a minute and it's super durable.
A few days ago I repaired 5 of my gis. Sewing by hand was such a pain that I had resorted to buying a new gi whenever the tie ripped. Now I have 7 usable gis. Looks like I won't need to buy a new one for a long time.
The sewing machine has a clever little attachment for threading the needle. It's a spring-loaded clip that you can pull down adjacent to the needle and it inserts a tiny hook through the eye of the needle. In the center of this picture you should be able to see the hook.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrH6cnxlDuQC517XmaMgYCYAMGsI1MVzJIG_Gwv687fRTZDLTtYXxMt_vaNjBsrl28kDqpnmI7ORgDCvDVdpvSKFFd8QpS5UBwfHtl4K69QXX3_HYCbJHTN4q0gVGgBQ0qUsacQ/s400/BCS_2425.jpg)
You then pull the thread under the hook like so...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KMTgbv9aaTnYitIzlNRw_6YPx8Ce2WKhZgj69PAhCk1AOgiB2qDx8u-7TGYWfe-qPXtJsWaw2MJ9x5GQ0CY3ypteuI-awCQUbI7zuh-oNYAf4YI3bZCN6UaO6SXBi26fN8cBOg/s400/BCS_2427.jpg)
Then pop the clip back, pulling the hook and thread through the eye of the needle.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcK1PPL-JpSz81-wa-pAjupIRH67shVlhkPZJ2ozMSq_kcts0Gikol2mlCdQIOzRUTarLXYd1VCRqRer0475PUTnmWJtVNRGkp1Wh2tbdn_LtgGzUFlIEk9_AgfZ-t2XQAow48w/s400/BCS_2429.jpg)
Here's a close up of that last step. (Sorry this picture is a bit blurry. I had a hard time focusing on the hook beyond the needle, especially using just one hand.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCuAZGqqNvNdWwYbdwvMAdIQc3IEMXtYjSB0NUY6XnyQE5Zi_dqOserDypRKScJIKBqDeROliGlJpvvbHYghXE0ffQarhvaoVwa5Rt5HJHNAbRJMw3_E-wHx5hGCjgCLeeOosEg/s400/BCS_2429-2.jpg)
Then, you just pull the rest of the thread through and you are ready to sew.
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