Brother VX880 Operating instructions

how to use and enjoy your
Sewing
Machine

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I
b
b
b CAUTION
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: WHEN LEAVING THE SEWING MACHINE UNAlTENDED, THE PLUG MUST BE :
REMOVED FROM THE SOCKET-OUTLET. WHEN SERVICING THE SEWING @
: MACHINE, OR WHEN REMOVING COVERS OR CHANGING LAMPS, THE 2
: MACHINE MUST BE DISCONNECTED FROM THE SUPPLY BY REMOVING :
4
THE PLUG FROM THE SOCKET-OUTLET
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CONTENTS
PRINCIPAL PARTS ............ 2
MACHINECOVER
............. 3
ACCESSORIES
............... 4
OPERATING YOUR SEWING
MACHINE
.................. 5
1 .
.............
Connecting plugs 5
Controllingsewing speed ......... 5
VARIOUS CONTROLS .......... 6
Pattern dial
................ 6
.....
Stitch length knob : ...... 6
Stitch width knob
............. 7
Needle posit~onselector
......... 7
Reverse sewing button
.......... 7
..............
PRESSER FOOT 8
...................
NEEDLE 8
Howtochange the needle
........ 8
Knowing Your Sewing
Machine
2
Howtocheck the needle .........
8
Twin needle
................ 9
RELATIVECHARTOF SEWING
MATERIAL. NEEDLE ANDTHREAD
. 9
PRESSURE ADJUSTER
.......... 10
SEW.LIGHT ................. 11
Sew-light switch button
......... 11
Howtochange the bulb
......... 11
FREE-ARMSEWING ........... 11
UPPER (NEEDLE) THREAD
....... 12
LOWER (BOBBIN)THREAD
....... 13
Howtowind bobbin
........... 13
Howtoremove and insert bobbin
case
..................... 14
Howtothread bobbincase
....... 14
Howtopull uplower thread
....... 15
THREADTENSION
............ 16
Upper thread tension
........... 16
Lower thread tension
........... 16
1 3 . ( Zigzag Stitching 20
Simple zigzag stitch ............ 20
Satin stitch
................. 20
1 4.1 Decorative Stitches
21 1
1 5.1 Built-in Stitches
22 /
Triple stretch stitch ............ 22
Shell stitch
................. 22
Blindstitch
................ 23
Elastic stitch
................ 24
Linkstitch
................. 25
Elastic overlock stitch
.......... 25
Scallop stitch
............... 26
Lightingstitch
............... 26
Buttonholes
................ 27
Button sewing
............... 29
6 .
1 7.1 Attachments - .- . 34
Buttonholes and
Button Sewing
27
Zipper insertion .............. 30
[ 8.1 Various Other Stitches
31 1
Gathering ................. 31
...............
Attaching lace 31
Appliqueing
................ 32
Cording
................... 32
Darning
................... 32
Monogramming and embroidering
... 33
1 2 . 1 Straight Stitching 18
9 .
Howtostart sewing ............ 18
Howtochange sewing direction
..... 18
... Howtofinish your sewing project 19 Cleaning .................. 34
Howtoremove final sewing from Howtooil sewing machine
....... 35
..................
machine 19 Check list for better sewing ....... 37
Howtosew very thin material
...... 19 Repackingthe machine .......... 38
Howtoguide your material
....... 19 l ndex .................... 39
Maintenance and Care
of Your Machine
34

1 I
20. Thread Guide and Bobbin Winder Disc 24. Stop Motion Knob
21. Spool Pin 25. 3-prongSocket
22. Bobbin Winder Device 26. Presser Foot Lifter
23, ' BalanceWheel
I Machine Cover 1
You may find machine cover in shipping box. For dust free storage, suggest you placethis cover
after your job.
1. Lower the presser foot and press the spool pin into machine.
2. Place the foot controller on the machinebed.
3. For front side of machine, insert two tabs into machineas illustrated.
4. Then for back side, button up at back of machinewith two hook buttons as illustrated.
-3-

Accessories -
I
The following accessories are providedw~thyour sewlng machine.
They are designed to help you do many klnds of sewlng easily and perfectly.
Formore deta~ls,see each page I~sted.
0
I
\~ -,
-.
See page
1. Stra~ghtSt~tchFoot
1 pce. 18
2. Buttonhole & ButtonSew~ngFoot I pce.
27,29
3. Z~pperFoot
1 pce. 30
4. Darn~ngPlate
1 pce. 32
5. Needle Pack
(Regular S~ngleNeedle No.
14 ...... 3 pcs.)
8
(Twin Needle ................................ 1 pce.)
6. Bobb~ns
3 pcs. 13
7.
Seam R~pper
1 pce. 28
8. Screw Dr~ver(Large & Small)
2 pcs.
9. O~ler
1 pce. 35
10.
Extra Spool Pin
1 pce. 9
The above illustrated accessories are provided with this machine.

I Operating Your Sewing Machine
CONNECTING PLUGS
1. First connect the three-prong plug into
the machine.
2. Then connect the electric supply plug
intoa wall outlet.
Caution
When changing needle, bobbin or
light bulb, or when sewing machine is
not in use,
it is recommended that
electrical supply plug is disconnected
toavoid electrical hazards.
Remark:
The illustration on this page depict-
ing the use of two pin plug is not
applicable touse in
U.K.
CONTROLLINGSEWING SPEED
Place foot on foot control as shown in
illustration.
When foot control is pushed down lightly,
machine will runat a lowspeed.
When pressure on foot control is increased,
machine will pick upspeed.
When foot control is released, machine will
stop.
NOTE:
1. Care should be taken that nothingis placed on foot controller when machine is not in use.
2. A ney sewing machine or one that has not been in use for a long period of time should
be oiled as per instruct~onon page
35 & 36. After oiling, be sure towiper upany excess oil.

I Various Controls
PATTERN DIAL
8 = AC- o 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
{ :
. .. ..
: 8 ;;; 4 >;
-=-,
STITCH LENGTH KNOB
Your built-inpatternsewingmachineenables
you to obtain perfect buttonholes and
various utility stitches, such as triple stretch
stitch, elastic stitch, etc., by simply select.
ingthe pattern on this dial.
1. Raise needle toits highest position.
2. Simply turn the dial and set the pattern
you desire at the setting point.
NUMBERS AND STITCH OF PATTERN
1. General Zigzag Stitch and Straight Stitch.
2. Triple Stretch Stitch.
3. BlindStitch.
4. Elastic Stitch.
5. Shell Stitch.
6. LinkStitch.
7. Elastic Overlock Stitch.
8. Scallop Stitch.
9. LightningStitch.
A-6-C-D. Automatic Buttonhole.
'III
4; 1
-- - - -
0 F1234
Dm.. ID_
--
--
--
The st~tchlength IS regulated by turnlng
the st~tchlength knob
Numerals above the dtal represent the
stltch length. THE HIGHER THE NUM-
BER, THE LONGER THE STITCH.
The
"0" means that the mater~al IS not fed.
The
"F" area Is used for maklng a SATIN
STITCH (a close zlgzag st~tch)and thts
Stltch 1s used for maktngdecorattve patterns
The dtal posltlon needed to obtatn the sattn
stttch IS varted accord~ngto the mater~al
and thread bang used. To determine exact
dtal wsltlon, you must observe the feedlng
of the material.

STITCH WIDTH KNOB
I
NEEDLEPOSITIONSELECTOR
I
all
--
LMR
mmm
The zlgzag w~dth IS regulated by operating
the stitch width knob.
Numerals above the knob represent the
width of stitch. THE HIGHER THE
NUMBER, THE WIDER THESTITCH.
The
"0" means straight stitch only.
NOTE:
1. Do not move the knob while
the needle is inthe material.
2. When using twin needle, knob
should always be set at under
"3".
By shifting this lever to L (left), M (middle)
or R (right), you will be able tosew straight
and zigzag stitches as the base line.
When you sew close tothe edge of material,
select
L or R so that you can obtain better
feeding of the material.
For almost all stitching, this selector to
be set at M (middle) but set other position
for following application.
1. Button sewing (page29)
2. Decorative stitches (page
21 )
NOTE: 1. Do not move the selector while
needle is inthe material.
2. Set the selector always at M
when you use twin needle.
REVERSE SEWING BUTTON
To sew in reverse, push sewing button
as far as
it will allow. Hold button in this
position until you wish to sew forward.
When button is released it will spring back
in position and you will sew in forward
direction.
Reverse sewing is used for back-tackingand
reinforcement.

Presser Foot
A / 1 You will find various kinds of presser feet
for special use inthe extension table.
Accord~ngto your sewing needs, it may be
necessary to change presser foot.
TO CHANGE THE PRESSER FOOT
1. Raise needle to its highest position.
2. Ra~sepresser foot.
3. Loosen presser foot thumb screw and
remove presser foot.
4. Place grooved s~deof the new presser
foot agalnst the flat of the presser bar.
5. T~ghtenthumb screw.
I Needle
HOW TO CHANGE THE NEEDLE
1. Raise needle to its highest posit~on.
2. Loosen needle clamp screw and remove
old needle.
3. Insert new needle up into needle clamp
hole as far as
~t will go against the needle
stop. Make sure the flat side of the
needle faces toward the back and the
longgroove toward you.
4. Tighten needle clamp screw securely.
HOW TO CHECK THE NEEDLE
1. The sewing needle must always be
straight and sharp for smooth sewing.
I 0 -- 0 - 1 2. To check if needle is bent, place flat side
of needle down as shown In illustration
Ix-
at left.

[ Twin Needle
I
Extra spool pln
II
Your sewing machineisspecially constructed
for optional twin needle sewing by setting
extra spool pin into hole on the top of
machine. You can use either one or two
colors of upper thread.
Make sure that two threads used to thread
twin needle are of the same weight.
If thread is not of the same weight, stitching
will be faulty.
INSERTINGTWlN NEEDLE
Insert in same manner as single needle.
Flat side of needle should face toward
back and longgroove should face you.
THREADINGTWlN NEEDLE
Follow instructions for single needle thread-
ing (see page 12), but thread each needle
separately.
NOTE FOR TWlN NEEDLE SEWING
1. Use ZIGZAG PRESSER FOOT.
2.
Use stitch width dial at under "3".
I Relative Chart of Sewing Material, Needle and Thread
2. Use the same slze thread for upper and lower threads
VERY THIN
LIGHnnJEIGHT
MEDIUM
HEAVY
VERY HEAVY
THREAD SIZES
Cotton: 8G-120
SEWING MATERIALS
I F~netricot F~nelace.
NEEDLE
SIZES
NOTE 1 Select correct stze of needle and thread from above chart
Th~nI~nen.S~lk,Tulle,
Chlffon
Organdy, Jersey, Vo~le,
Taffeta, Synthetics, Sllk,
Bat~ste
Cotton, Glngham, Poplln,
Percale, P~que,Sat~n,Vel-
vet,
Lightweight wool,
F~necorduroy. Sult~ngs
Den~m,Gabard~ne,
Tweed, Corduroy
Canvas, Overcoatlng,
Upholstery
9
11
14
16
18
Synthet~c
Flne Mercer~zedCotton
Cotton 60-80
S~lk "A"
Synthetlc
Mercer~zed50
Cotton 50-60
SIIk "A"
Synthet~c
Mercer~zed50-60
Cotton 40-50
Mercer~zedHeavy-Duty
Cotton 30-40
Mercer~zedHeavy-Duty

[ Pressure Adjuster
Correct pressure on presser foot is impor-
tant to obtain smooth sewing. Pressure
on presser foot requires to be regulated
according to the type and thickness of the
materialto be sewn.
1. To regulate the pressure, lower presser
foot.
2. Push outer ring of pressure adjuster
down, and inner pin will spring up to
its highest position. In this position,
pressure is completely released from the
presser foot.
3. To increase pressure, push inner pin
down with your finger.
Mending
Normal use and
lighter material Medium
such as
Thick and
heavier Heavy
materials
Pressure on Foot
Free
Pressure Adjuster
UP
DOWN
- 10-
Sewing Purpose
Darning
Embroidering
Monogramming

SEW LIGHTSWITCH BUTTON
To switch the light on or off, push the sew-
light switch button.
HOW TO CHANGE THE LIGHT BULB
1. Removeface plate by loosing a screw on face plate. 3.Replace light bulb and fix face plate.
2. Remove light bulb by turning it counterclockwise.
NOTE:
1) Make sure to disconnect electric supply plug from wall outlet before changing
light bulb.
2) Always use CORRECT LIGHT BULB.
MAXIMUMINPUT OF LAMP
12W. . . . .1101115V AREA
15W. . . . .220/240V AREA
I Free-Arm Sewing
For sewing tubular and hard to reachgarment areas, free-arm sewing is most convenient.
To make your machine a free-arm model,' lift-up and slide out extension table.
- 11 -

( Upper (Needle) Thread
I
Before threading, raise presser foot and turn
balance wheel toward you to raise thread
take-up lever to its highest position.
Then raise spool pin and place thread spool
on the pin.
1. Pass thread through the both of thread
guides from rear tofront.
2. Bring thread down and up through
upper thread tension dial from right to
left so that thread picks up the thread
check spring. With holding thread as
illustrated,
pull up thread and deliver
into the eye in tension disc.
3. Thread take-up lever by guiding thread
to back of lever and around to your
left. Bring thread through slit by
pulling it toward you and into eyelet.
4. Bring down and pass through the thread
guard and guides.
5.
Thread needle from front to back and
draw the thread out about
2 inches (5
cm).
NOTE:
IF THE THREADING ORDER IS NOT
CORRECT, THREAD BREAKAGE,
STITCH SKIPPING AND WRINKLING OF
FABRICWILLOCCUR.

I Lower (Bobbin) Thread
HOW TO WIND BOBBIN
1
1. Loosen stop motion knob by turning it
2. Place an empty bobbin on the bobbin
toward you. winder pin.
3. Place thread spool on the spool pin and
take thread through bobbin winder
tensiondisc.
4.
Wind the thread a few times around
the bobbin clockwise and push the
bobbin toward bobbin presser. Start
the machinegently.
5. Bobbin stops winding when full.
6. Push the bobbin to the left and
remove
it. Tighten stop mofion knob
securely.

HOW TO REMOVE AND INSERT BOBBIN
I
CASE
TO REMOVE BOBBIN CASE
1. Rase needle to ~tsh~ghestposltlon.
2. Open the shuttle cover by turning tt
down.
3. Pull .and open the latch of bobb~ncase.
4. Pull out bobb~ncase from the shuttle.
TO INSERT BOBBIN CASE
1. Ra~seneedle to its h~ghestposltlon.
2. Holdtng bobbin case latch with metal
finger of case pointing up, fit ~t into
the notchat the topof shuttle race.
3. Push case back fully making sure the
case is in the proper posit~onand release
the latch.
NOTE:
(A) Four Inches (10 cm) of thread should
be drawn out and left out of case.
(B) Latch of bobb~ncase should be open
fully to prevent bobbin coming out of
case.
(C) If bobb~ncase is not placed back in
machine properly
~t will come out
from the shuttle immediately after
starttng to sew.
HOW TO THREAD BOBBIN CASE

HOW TO PULL UP LOWER THREAD
1 Ra~seneedle and presser 2 Now upper thread catch- 3 Pull both threads under
foot to the h~ghestposl- es the lower thread In a the toes of presser foot
tlon W~thleft hand, hold loop Pull thread toward and place them to the
the end of upper thread you so that lower thread rear leav~ng about
4
and w~thrtght hand, turn w~llcome up In a large ~nches
110 crn)
balance wheel toward you loop from the presser
unt~lthe needle moves foot
down and up agaln to
~tsh~ghestposltlon

I Thread Tension
I
It is important that tension of upper and lower threads be equal to prevent puckering of
materialor other problems.
Itis recommendedthat atest sample be made before startingtosew.
UPPER THREADTENSION
To regulate upper thread tension, merely
turn thread tension dial with your fingers
after lowering the presser foot.
THE HIGHER THE NUMBER, THE
TIGHTER THE TENSION.
To increase tension: Turn dial to right to
higher number.
To decrease tension: Turn dial to left to
lower number.
NOTE: When sewing the zigzag stitch,
it
requires less upper tension than
straight stitch.
#I LOWER THREAD TENSION
Tension
Lower thread tenion has been already
adjusted for general use at the factory
before shipment, but when sewing extreme-
ly thin or heavy material,
it also requires
adjustingthe lower thread tension.
To regulate the lower thread tension, turn
small screw on the tension spring of the
bobbin case with the small screw driver.
To increase tension: Turn the small screw
clockwise very slight-
ly.
To decrease tension: Turn the screw coun-
terclockwise very
slightly.

PERFECT STITCHING
r
INCORRECT STITCH (A)
INCORRECT STITCH (B)
r
Tension of upper and lower threads should
be equal, just sufficiently strong to lock
both threads in material.
Perfect stitching appears flat with no
puckering of rnater~al.
The upper thread lies on the surface of
the material by pulling the lower thread
upas shown.
This is caused by tight tension on the upper
thread or loose tension on the lower thread.
To correct this, turn the upper thread
tension dial to a lower number.
When perfect stitch cannot be obtained by
only upper thread tenslon dial, adjust the
bobbin tension accordingly.
The lower thread l~eson the under surface
of the mater~alby pull~ngupper thread
downas shown.
I I I
This is caused by loose tension on the upper
changing upper thread tension, adjust the
bobbin tension.
L I I
NOTE: Itis recommended that test samples be made before starting to sew.

STITCH LENGTH
STITCH WIDTH
NEEDLE POSITION
2
PRESSER FOOT
NEEDLE
PRESSUREADJUSTER
Straight Stitching
: F-4
: 0
:
M. L. R. (Twin needle sewing, always
set at M)
: Straight or Zigzag
: Single
: According to the material
HOWTO START SEWING
1. Raise needle to its highest position
and lift presser foot.
2. Pull up lower thread by turning the
balance wheel toward you and place
both upper and lower thread to the
left.
3. Place material under presser foot and
position needle
318 inch (1 cm) from
material edge.
4. Lower presser foot.
5. For reverse sewing, push reverse sewing
button as far as
it will allow. Reverse
sewing is used where reinforcement is
needed.
6. Release reverse sewlng button and start
sewing inforwarddirection.
NOTE: Use straight stitch foot when
sewing light or elastic typematerials
with straight stitch.
HOW TO CHANGE SEWING DIRECTION
1. Stop machine at the turning point while
the needle is in the material.
2. Raise the presser foot and turn the
material to the new direction while
the needle acts as the axis.
3. Lower the presser foot and start sewing
innew direction.
NOTE: In case of twin needle sewing,
raise the needle at the turnlng
point.