How to Thread a Brother PE900

On this page (9 sections)

1. What should you do before you thread the PE900?
2. How do you follow the numbered thread path?
3. How do you thread the needle and use the automatic threader?
4. Which way does the thread go through the needle?
5. How do you set up the bobbin and bring it up?
6. How do you test the threading before you start a design?
7. How do you fix common threading problems?
8. How does the PE900 compare with nearby models for threading?
9. What's the short version of how to thread a Brother PE900?

To thread a Brother PE900, raise the presser foot and needle, then follow the numbered thread path from the spool through each guide to the needle. Thread the needle front to back and pull a few inches of tail toward you.

The steps below match the order the machine expects. Learn the path once in that order and later rethreads take under a minute.

What should you do before you thread the PE900?

Raise the presser foot and the needle to their highest points before you touch the thread. This opens the tension discs so thread slides into them instead of sitting on top.

Turn the handwheel toward you until the needle is up. Press the presser foot lever down only after the needle is threaded.

Check the needle first. It should be a 75/11 embroidery needle, seated with its flat side to the back and pushed up to the stop.

A dull or bent needle is a common cause of thread breaks that look like threading problems, so fit a fresh one when you start a new project.

Then set the spool. Slide it onto the spool pin and fit the spool cap so the thread comes off the side without snagging on the cap edge.

Pull about 6 inches of thread free and keep the end between your fingers.

Which spare needle should you keep on hand?

The Schmetz pack gives you five 75/11 embroidery needles in one card. The size suits rayon and polyester threads, which are the two the PE900 is built around.

Skip it if your machine came with a fresh needle and you only need one spare. Buy it when you want a small supply so a bent needle never stops a project.

How do you follow the numbered thread path?

Take the thread through each numbered point in order, starting at the spool and ending at the needle. The PE900 prints small arrows and numbers along the top of the machine, so follow those instead of guessing.

1. Pull the thread from the spool to the first guide on the top left.
2. Draw it down into the slot beside the tension dial.
3. Bring it up and across to the take-up lever, hooking it into the lever's slot.
4. Run it down through the lower guide near the needle.
5. Pass it through the needle's eye, front to back.

The order matters most at the take-up lever. Thread that misses the lever will loop under the fabric and jam within a few stitches.

Keep light tension on the thread with your left hand as you go so it doesn't slip back out of a guide.

What goes wrong when the presser foot is down?

Thread won't seat in the tension discs when the presser foot is down. The discs stay closed and the thread rides on top, which leads to loose loops and bird nests under the fabric.

If you already threaded with the foot down, cut the thread at the spool and start again with the foot up. Don't try to force it in with a pin.

How do you thread the needle and use the automatic threader?

Pass the thread through the needle eye from front to back, or let the built-in needle threader do it. The PE900's threader is a hook that swings forward and pulls thread through the eye.

Lower the presser foot before using the threader. Pull the threader lever down until it clicks, then release it slowly so the hook carries the thread through.

If the hook catches nothing, the thread may not be sitting in the guide above the needle. Rethread that guide and try again.

Cut the thread end at an angle with sharp scissors before each attempt, since a frayed end catches in the eye.

How do you thread the needle by hand?

Hold the thread end taut and push it through the eye from the front, then pull about 4 inches out the back. Move the needle to its highest point and angle the machine's light toward the eye if your eyes tire.

Never pull the thread sharply through the eye to lengthen the tail. Pull from the back side so the eye isn't scored.

Which way does the thread go through the needle?

Front to back, with the tail ending on the far side of the needle. Threading from back to front puts the twist on the wrong side and causes skipped stitches.

The needle's long groove faces you. Thread enters the groove side first and exits on the side with the scarf, which sits just above the eye.

After threading, lower the presser foot and pull the tail gently toward the back of the machine. It should slide freely, not snap back.

If it jumps back when you release it, the thread missed a guide, so walk the path again from the take-up lever down.

How do you set up the bobbin and bring it up?

Wind a Size A Class 15 bobbin, drop it in the case, and turn the handwheel to bring the bobbin thread up. The PE900 uses SA156 bobbins, and the bobbin case sits under the needle plate.

Wind the bobbin on the machine's winding function with light 60-weight thread. Drop it into the case with the thread coming off in the direction the case marks, then slide the case in until it clicks.

Hold the top thread tail and turn the handwheel toward you one full turn. The needle dips and lifts a loop of bobbin thread, which you can pull up through the plate.

Pull both tails toward the back left corner and hold them for the first few stitches.

New brothread's 25-pack gives you 25 white bobbins already wound at 60 weight.

Skip the pack if you prefer winding your own colors to match each design. Buy it when you want white bobbins for everyday projects without the winding step.

How do you test the threading before you start a design?

Stitch a small test on scrap fabric and stabilizer before loading your real hoop. The test shows whether the thread path, needle and bobbin are all correct.

Use the same fabric and stabilizer as the project. Run a short outline or a letter, then check the back for loops and the top for skipped stitches.

If loops show on the back, the presser foot may still be up or the top thread missed a guide. If the top looks thin or fuzzy, the needle may be too small for the thread.

Rethread from the spool rather than patching the path.

Which thread kit should you keep next to the machine?

The brothread kit gives you 40 colors in one case. Each spool is 40-weight polyester at 550 yards, a weight that suits the PE900's embroidery designs.

Skip it if you already own a thread set and only need white or black. Buy it when you want to match design colors without hunting for single spools.

How do you fix common threading problems?

Rethread from the spool whenever the thread breaks, loops or skips. Most threading faults happen at one of three points, and each one has a visible sign.

• Thread breaks near the needle: the eye is frayed or the needle is bent. Fit a new needle.
• Loose loops under the fabric: the presser foot was down during threading or the top thread missed the take-up lever.
• Skipped stitches: the needle went in backward or the thread went through the eye back to front.

Check the needle plate for a small piece of thread caught in the bobbin area. If you've rethreaded correctly and stitches still look wrong, the issue may be tension rather than threading.

For the upper dial settings, see how to change tension on brother pe800; the dial works the same way on the PE900.

How does the PE900 compare with nearby models for threading?

The PE900 threads like the PE800, so the steps in this guide carry over if you own either machine. The PE900 adds a larger screen and built-in designs but keeps the same top thread path.

If you're deciding between the two before you buy, brother pe800 vs pe900 lines up the differences in screen size and design storage. Neither machine threads itself, so plan on learning the path either way.

The Skitch and SE700 sit lower in price. Our brother skitch review covers how that model handles thread, and brother skitch vs se700 compares the two for a first machine.

A machine with a clear numbered path, like the PE900, is easier to learn on than one that hides the guides.

What's the short version of how to thread a Brother PE900?

Raise the foot and needle, follow the numbers from spool to needle, and thread the eye front to back. Then bring the bobbin thread up, lower the foot, and stitch a test before you hoop your fabric.

Do the steps in that order and the PE900 rewards you with clean stitches. Most problems trace back to a skipped guide or a presser foot left down, not to the machine.

Keep a spare needle and a set of prewound bobbins near the machine so a small snag doesn't end a sewing session.

Frequently asked questions

How do you thread a Brother PE900 step by step?

Raise the presser foot and needle, place the spool on the pin, and follow the printed arrows from the spool through each guide to the take-up lever. Then pass the thread down to the needle and through its eye front to back.

Lower the presser foot and pull the tail toward the back.

Does the Brother PE900 thread the needle automatically?

The PE900 has an automatic needle threader that pushes thread through the eye for you, but you still feed the thread into the guide slot first.

If the threader misses, cut a fresh end and repeat the steps in order.

Why does my Brother PE900 thread keep breaking while I embroider?

The most common causes are the presser foot left up, the needle threaded from the wrong side, or a needle too small for the thread. Check the thread path against the numbered arrows, then confirm the needle is a 75/11 embroidery needle.

What bobbin thread does a Brother PE900 use?

The PE900 uses Size A Class 15 (SA156) bobbins, and the machine's own winding function fills them. Wind your bobbin with a light 60-weight thread so the top thread stays on the fabric surface.

Which way does the needle go into a Brother PE900?

The flat side of the needle shank faces the back of the machine. Push the needle up as far as it goes, then tighten the screw.

A needle set the wrong way can skip stitches or hit the plate.