IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Please read these safety instructions before attempting to use the machine. DANGER - To reduce the risk of electric shock: Always unplug the machine from the electrical outlet immediately after using, when cleaning, when making any user servicing adjustments mentioned in this manual, or if you are leaving the machine unattended.
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Always keep your work area clear: • Never operate the machine with any air openings blocked. Keep ventilation openings of the sewing machine and foot control free from the build up of lint, dust, and loose cloth. • Do not store objects on the foot controller. •...
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Use accessories recommended by the manufacturer as contained in this manual. The contents of this manual and specifications of this product are subject to change without notice. For additional product information, visit our web site at www.brother.com SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS This machine is intended for household use.
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FOR USERS IN THE UK, EIRE, MALTA AND CYPRUS ONLY IMPORTANT • In the event of replacing the plug fuse, use a fuse approved by ASTA to BS 1362, i.e. carrying the mark, rating as marked on plug. • Always replace the fuse cover. Never use plugs with the fuse cover omitted. •...
Introduction Thank you for choosing this product. Before using this sewing machine, carefully read “Important Safety Instructions”, and then study this manual for the correct operation of the various functions. In addition, after you have finished reading this manual, store it where it can quickly be accessed for future reference.
Needle and presser foot section a Needle threader lever Use the needle threader to thread the needle. b Buttonhole lever Lower the buttonhole lever when sewing buttonholes and bar tacks. c Presser foot holder The presser foot is attached to the presser foot holder. d Presser foot holder screw Use the presser foot holder screw to hold the presser foot holder in place.
Operation buttons The operation buttons help you to easily perform various basic sewing machine operations. are sewn by sewing 3 to 5 stitches on top of each other. a Start/stop button For details, refer to“Securing the stitching” (page 46). Press the start/stop button to start or stop sewing. The machine sews at a low speed at the beginning of sewing c Needle position button while the button is continuously pressed.
Accessories After opening the box, check that the following accessories are included. If any item is missing or damaged, contact your dealer. Included accessories The following items should also be included in the box. Note (For U.S.A. only) ● Foot controller: Model T This foot controller can be used on this machine model NS40.
● To obtain optional accessories or parts, contact the nearest authorized dealership. ● All specifications are correct at the time of printing. The part codes are subject to change without notice. ● Visit your Brother dealer for a complete listing of optional accessories available for your machine.
GETTING READY Turning the Machine On/Off This section explains how to turn the sewing machine on and off. Power supply precautions Be sure to observe the following precautions concerning the power supply. WARNING Use only regular household electricity for the power source. Using other power sources may ●...
Preparing for Upper and Lower Threading Winding the bobbin Wind the thread onto the bobbin. a Hook of the bobbin-winding thread guide b Pretention disk c Bobbin winder shaft d Bobbin CAUTION ● Only use the bobbin (part code: SA156, SFB(XA5539-151)) designed specifically for this sewing machine.
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While using your left hand to hold the thread Press (start/stop button) once. that was passed through the bobbin-winding When the foot controller is plugged in, press thread guide, use your right hand to wind the down on the foot controller. end of the thread clockwise around the The bobbin starts spinning and the bobbin five or six times.
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While lightly holding down bobbin with your Reattach the bobbin cover. right hand as shown, guide the thread through Insert the tab in the lower-left corner of the the slit (1 and 2). bobbin cover (A), and then press down on the •...
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Press (needle position button) once or Fully insert the spool for the upper thread twice to raise the needle. onto the spool pin Slide the spool onto the pin so that the spool is horizontal and the thread unwinds to the front at the bottom.
Slide the thread into the thread take-up lever Threading the needle from the right to the left. This section describes how to thread the needle. ■ For models equipped with the thread guide disk Pull the end of the thread, which has been passed through the needle bar thread guide, to the left (A), and then firmly pull it from the front (B) through the slit in the thread guide...
GETTING READY — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Cut the thread with the thread cutter on the Lower the needle threader lever on the left left side of the machine.
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Raise the presser foot lever, pass the end of Catch the thread on the hook as shown below. the thread through the presser foot, and then pull out about 5 cm (2 inches) of thread toward the rear of the machine. a Needle threader lever a 5 cm (2 inches) The upper threading is finished.
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Insert the extra spool pin onto the end of the Attach zigzag foot “J”. bobbin winder shaft. • For details on changing the presser foot, refer to “Replacing the presser foot” (page 33). a Bobbin winder shaft b Extra spool pin c Thread spool CAUTION ●...
Replacing the Needle This section provides information on sewing machine needles. Needle precautions Be sure to observe the following precautions concerning the handling of the needle. Failure to observe these precautions is extremely dangerous, for example, if the needle breaks and fragments are dispersed. Be sure to read and carefully follow the instructions below.
Checking the needle Replacing the needle Sewing with a bent needle is extremely dangerous Replace the needle as described below. Use the since the needle may break while the machine is screwdriver and a correct needle, as described in being operated. “Checking the needle”.
Replacing the Presser Foot Presser foot precautions Be sure to observe the following precautions concerning the presser feet. CAUTION ● Use the presser foot appropriate for the type of stitch that you wish to sew, otherwise the needle may hit the presser foot, causing the needle to bend or break.
■ Attaching the presser foot holder Using the optional walking Align the presser foot holder with the presser foot bar. With the optional walking foot, both pieces of fabric are fed evenly by the feed dogs and the teeth on the presser foot.
For details on the stitches, refer to “Stitch Settings” (page 89). ● The optional walking foot is available through your Brother dealer. a Needle position button The needle is raised. Turn off the sewing machine.
Useful Functions ■ When the needle stops in the raised position Functions useful in improving sewing efficiency are described below. The needle stops in the raised position when sewing ends. Changing the needle stop position Normally, the sewing machine is set to leave the needle in the fabric when sewing is stopped.
Sewing Cylindrical or Large Pieces When sewing cylindrical or large pieces of fabric, remove the flat bed attachment. Stitching cylindrical pieces Sewing large pieces of fabric Removing the flat bed attachment makes it easier to The optional wide table makes sewing large pieces sew cylindrical pieces such as cuffs and pant legs.
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Sewing machine bed Note ● The optional wide table is available through your Brother dealer. Turn the screw at the bottom of each leg to adjust their height so the wide table will be level with the sewing machine bed.
SEWING BASICS Starting to Sew Basic sewing operations are described below. Before operating the sewing machine, read the following precautions. CAUTION ● While the machine is in operation, pay special attention to the needle. In addition, keep your hands away from all moving parts such as the needle, handwheel, and thread take-up lever, otherwise injuries may occur.
Press “+” or “–” side of (stitch width Positioning the fabric key) to adjust the stitch width. – Be sure that the fabric pieces are sewn in the correct order and that the right and wrong sides of the fabric are aligned correctly.
SEWING BASICS — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — While holding the end of the thread and the Starting to sew fabric with your left hand, turn the handwheel...
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Press (start/stop button) once. Insert the foot controller plug into its jack on the side of the sewing machine. a Start/stop button The machine starts sewing. a Foot controller jack Turn on the sewing machine. • If you continue pressing the (start/stop button) immediately after the sewing starts, the machine will sew at a slow speed.
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After sewing 3 to 5 stitches, press After 3 to 5 reverse stitches have been sewn, (reverse/reinforcement stitch button). release (reverse/reinforcement stitch button). Keep (reverse/reinforcement stitch button) The machine stops sewing. held down until you reach the beginning of the stitching.
■ Correct thread tension After reaching the end of the stitching, press the reverse/reinforcement stitch button once. The upper thread and the bobbin thread should cross near the center of the fabric. Only the upper thread should be visible from the right side of the fabric, and only the bobbin thread should be visible from the wrong side of the fabric.
■ If thick seams are being sewn and the fabric CAUTION does not feed at the beginning of stitching The fabric may not feed when thick seams are ● The thickness of fabric differs depending on the being sewn and the presser foot is not level, as fabric type.
UTILITY STITCHES Overcasting Sew overcasting along the edges of cut fabric to prevent them from fraying. Six stitches are available for overcasting. Pattern numbers vary depending on the machine model. Check the pattern numbers available with your machine, and select the desired stitch. Stitch Width Stitch Length Pattern No.
Basic Stitching Straight stitches are used for sewing plain seams. Three stitches are available for basic stitching. Pattern numbers vary depending on the machine model. Check the pattern numbers available with your machine, and select the desired stitch. Stitch Width Stitch Length Pattern No.
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Position the fabric with the edge of the folded Memo hem against the guide of the presser foot, and then lower the presser foot lever. If the needle is incorrectly positioned, the stitching results will be as shown below. Correct each result as described below. ●...
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Buttonholes with a maximum length of 30 mm (1-3/16 inches) (diameter + thickness of the button) can be sewn. Buttonholes are sewn as shown below. a Reinforcement stitching CAUTION ● Before replacing the presser foot, be sure to turn off the sewing machine, otherwise injuries may occur if a button is accidentally pressed and the machine starts sewing.
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UTILITY STITCHES — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Use chalk to mark on the fabric the position Turn on the machine.
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Pull down the buttonhole lever as far as Insert a pin along the inside of one bar tack at possible. the end of the buttonhole stitching to prevent the stitching from being cut. a Buttonhole lever The buttonhole lever should be positioned behind the bracket on the buttonhole foot.
Place the button into button fitting foot “M”. Button sewing Buttons can be sewn on with the sewing machine. Buttons with 2 or with 4 holes can be attached. Measure the distance between the holes in the button to be attached. a Button The button is held in place.
Zipper Insertion A zipper can be sewn in place. Pattern numbers vary depending on the machine model. Check the pattern numbers available with your machine, and select the desired stitch. Stitch Width Stitch Length Pattern No. [mm (inch)] [mm (inch)] Reverse/ Stitch Name Application...
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Turn on the machine. Align the zipper teeth with the pressed edge of the fabric having the extra 3 mm (1/8 inch), Attach zigzag foot “J” and sew straight and then baste or pin the zipper in place. stitches up to the zipper opening. •...
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UTILITY STITCHES — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Sew the zipper to the piece of fabric with the Attach the presser foot holder to the other side extra 3 mm (1/8 inch), starting from the base...
Sewing Stretch Fabrics and Elastic Tape Stretch fabrics can be sewn and elastic tape can be attached. Pattern numbers vary depending on the machine model. Check the pattern numbers available with your machine, and select the desired stitch. Stitch Width Stitch Length Pattern No.
Appliqué, Patchwork and Quilt Stitching The stitches that can be used for sewing appliqués, patchwork and quilts are described below. Pattern numbers vary depending on the machine model. Check the pattern numbers available with your machine, and select the desired stitch. Stitch Width Stitch Length Pattern No.
Turn the handwheel toward you, and then Piecing begin sewing around the edge of the appliqué, making sure that the needle drops just outside Sewing together two pieces of fabric is called of the appliqué. “piecing”. The fabric pieces should be cut with a 6.5 mm (1/4 inch) seam allowance.
Hold the quilting foot in place with your right Free-motion quilting hand, and then tighten the presser foot holder screw using the enclosed screwdriver in your With free-motion quilting, lower the feed dogs (using left hand. the feed dog position switch) so that the fabric is not fed.
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UTILITY STITCHES — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Use both hands to stretch the fabric taut, and then move the fabric to follow the pattern.
Reinforcement Stitching Reinforce points that will be subject to strain, such as sleeve holes, inseams and pocket corners. Pattern numbers vary depending on the machine model. Check the pattern numbers available with your machine, and select the desired stitch. Stitch Width Stitch Length Pattern No.
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Pull down the buttonhole lever as far as possible. a Buttonhole lever The buttonhole lever should be positioned behind the metal bracket on the buttonhole foot. a Buttonhole lever b Bracket Gently hold the end of the upper thread in your left hand, and then start sewing.
Stitch Width Stitch Length Pattern No. [mm (inch)] [mm (inch)] Reverse/ Stitch Name Application Reinforcement Stitching Auto Manual Auto Manual Decorative hemming on thin, medium 1.5-7.0 1.5-4.0 N 36 36 32 weight and plain No No Reinforcement Hemstitching (3/16) (1/16-1/4) (1/16) (1/64-3/16) weave fabrics, heir-...
Pull out the threads for the straight stitches. Unfold the fabric, and then iron the tucks down to one side. Shell tuck stitching Joining The gathers that look like shells are called “shell tucks”. They are used to decorate trims, the front of Decorative bridging stitches can be sewn over the blouses or cuffs made of thin fabrics.
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Sew along the other edge of the frayed section so that it looks like the previous stitching. ■ Drawnwork (Example 2) Pull out several threads from two sections of the fabric, separated by an unfrayed section of about 4 mm (3/16 inch). a 4 mm (3/16 inch) Attach monogramming foot “N”.
UTILITY STITCHES — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Using the side cutter (optional) By using the optional side cutter, overcasting stitching can be sewn while the edge of the fabric is cut off.
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Position the side cutter so that the side cutter Position the fabric. pin is aligned with the notch in the presser foot holder, and then slowly lower the presser Position the fabric so that the right side of the foot lever. cut is on top of the guide plate and the left side of the cut is underneath the presser foot.
APPENDIX Stitch Settings Applications, stitch lengths and widths and whether the twin needle can be used are listed for utility stitches in the following table. CAUTION ● When using the twin needle, be sure to attach zigzag foot “J”, otherwise the needle may break or the machine may be damaged.
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Stitch Width Stitch Length Pattern No. [mm (inch)] [mm (inch)] Reverse/ Stitch Name Application Reinforcement Stitching Auto Manual Auto Manual 0.0–7.0 0.2–4.0 N 45 45 - For decoration, etc. No No Reinforcement (1/4) (0–1/4) (3/32) (1/64–3/16) 0.0–7.0 0.2–4.0 N 46 46 39 - For decoration, etc.
Maintenance Simple sewing machine maintenance operations are described below. Remove the flat bed attachment. Restrictions on oiling Loosen the presser foot holder screw and In order to prevent damaging this machine, it must remove the presser foot holder, and then not be oiled by the user.
If the machine stops operating correctly, check the following possible problems before requesting service. You can solve most problems by yourself. If you need additional help, the Brother Solutions Center offers the latest FAQs and troubleshooting tips. Visit us at “ http://solutions.brother.com ” .
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Raise the presser foot using the presser foot Pass the thread under the thread guide cover lever. from the back to the front. Hold the thread with your right hand so that there is no slack in the thread that is pulled out, and then pass the thread under the thread guide cover with your left hand.
Cut out the tangled threads, and then remove Fabric is caught in the the bobbin. machine and cannot be removed If the fabric is caught in the sewing machine and cannot be removed, the thread may have become tangled under the needle plate. Follow the procedure described below to remove the fabric from the machine.
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Turn on the machine. CAUTION Select ● Never use a bobbin case that is scratched, otherwise the upper thread may become tangled, the needle may break or sewing Note performance may suffer. For a new bobbin ● Do not yet install the presser foot and case (part code: XE7560-001), contact your thread.
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Slide the bobbin winder shaft to the left, and then remove the bobbin from the shaft. Hold the thread end with your left hand, and wind off the thread clockwise near the bobbin with your right hand as shown below. Wind the bobbin again.
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Symptom Probable Cause Remedy Reference The upper thread was incorrectly threaded (for example, the spool is incorrectly installed or the thread has Correct the upper threading. page 20 come out of the needle bar thread guide). There are knots or tangles in the Remove any knots or tangles.
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Symptom Probable Cause Remedy Reference The thread does Press (needle position button) The needle was not raised. page 21 not pass through once or twice to raise the needle. the eye of the The needle is incorrectly installed. Correctly install the needle. page 31 needle.
Operation Beep Each time a key is pressed or an incorrect operation is performed, a beep is sounded. ■ For a correct operation One beep is sounded. ■ If an incorrect operation is performed Two or four beeps are sounded. ■...
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Please visit us at http://solutions.brother.com where you can get product support and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). English 885-V12/V13 Printed in China XE2417-201 3...