Eyesight and needle threading

[saltnsaucey]

I wear good varifocal glasses which are great for most things, but I got my sewing machine out the other day and I just could not thread the needle. Any tips or advice gratefully received as I don’t want to get rid of my sewing machine.

Mine has a needle threader - perhaps it's time for an upgrade even though you don't want to?

Amazon has various sewing machine needle threaders - they don't get brilliant reviews, but then my sewing machine one definitely took some getting used to

Would one of those needle threaders where you poke the wire loop through the eye of the needle and use it to pull the thread through work? Other sorts ar available too.

i was delighted that my sewing machine came with a threader built in!

Brighter light! Possibly also with a magnifying lens - you can get special craft lights that have both. Means I can thread a needle as well as ever, whereas without it I can hardly see the eye…

I use a needle threader too - I can't do it otherwise.

I have one of these but I couldn’t quite figure out how to use it. There’s probably a YouTube video to be had out there. Thanks for the tip

Needle threaders https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/hemline-needle-threaders-3-pack/5670761000.html

Thanks I will give this a go

Apparently if you hold a piece of white paper behind the eye of the needle it helps. I use a needle threader from Amazon as I cannot work out how to use the built in one - I must persevere!

Thank you for the link. I found one in my sewing kit (which must have been my mum’s) and I am watching videos on how to use it. Easy once you know!

The white paper did help a bit when a friend suggested it thanks

@saltnsaucey I now have loads as turning 50 my eyesight for fine work took a huge nosedive.

I can’t do this with my varifocals too much peering down my nose. I swap for jobs like this to a pair of prescription reading glasses. Even the optician agrees that it’s much easier on the old eyes and neck!

Ha! I used to teach Textiles in vari focals! Nightmare.

I used to push my glasses up so l could see to thread needles.

Then the day came with Ofsted in the room and they got stuck in my hair😭

I put my finger behind the needle. It seems to clarify the position of the hole in some way.

I was going to say much the same. I also wear multifocals (we don't call them varifocals here in Oz) but have a pair of prescription reading glasses for close work. My ophthalmologist says single-vision specs are always better for that sort of thing.

I know this is an old thread but I need help with needle threading! Has anyone got any links to needle threaders that actually work?

Get a needle threader. 👍

I saw a link on YouTube where you place the thread in a toothbrush head and run the needle over it quickly a few times.It threaded itself.

I used to teach Textiles. I wish l’d known about it then😖