Threading Your Viking Husqvarna 1100

I bought my Viking 1100 in 1989, when it was considered top-of-the-line.  I've had and used it all these  years without any problems other than a couple of tune-ups/cleaning.  This was the last machine Viking Husqvarna produced before they went full-tilt into embroidering sewing machines, beginning with the #1 and #1 Plus (#1+).  The 1100 is a gem and apparently there are still quite a few used machines  popping up.  Grab one if you find one.  I adore mine.

Anyways a few years ago, I sung my machine's praises on a sewing machine meme on the Sew Mama Sew website.  Here is the link to my June 7, 2009 blog post.

Fortunately because it is very user-friendly, it is unfortunate the 1100 had a small, slim instruction book-let...which the odds of it still being with the machine if you find it used, are pretty remote.  However, there are a couple of solutions.

One, I took pictures of my threaded machine so you can see how simple it is.

Two, there are two books you may still be able to find, written for Viking Husqvarna sewing machines.    Check Amazon (Amazon currently has several used copies of both, starting at 1 cent!  One penny!  The shipping in the US is around $3.99),  eBay or your library, which can also do an Inter-Library Loan if they do not have it on their shelves.  This was a great series of books in the late 80's/early 90's.  I had friends even snap up the other machine books because they were so well-written and had such a great presentation of learning to have fun with your sewing machine, of any brand.

A Step-By-Step Guide toYour Viking
By Jan Saunders

The better of the two is "A Step By Step Guide to Your Viking" by Jan Saunders.  It has a photo of the 1100 on the cover.  If you have the 1100 or even the #1 or #1+, you will have fun with this book as your machine's companion.  Published by Chilton Book Company, 1991.  The ISBN is 0-8019-8014-3  Library Call No. 646.2    244 pages, paperback.  Not only does it have cool projects, but it is the definitive book on all the stitches on your cassettes from A-D.  (Husqvarna Viking subsequently updated the 1100 with two more most interesting stitch cassettes (eyes -F21 & F22 and a mouth -F23 to use on doll faces!), the E and F, before focusing on the #1+ and thereafter machines.)  And the standard and also most of the cool specialty presser feet for the 1100 and its 900 series predecessor.

Know Your Viking
By Jackie Dodson with Jan Saunders

And if you happen to have found a 900 series Viking Husqvarna, particularly the 990 which came out before the 1100  (I had the 940 before I traded it in for the 1100), you'll want to try and find "Know Your Viking" by Jackie Dodson with Jan Saunders.  Also published by Chilton in 1988, ISBN: 0-8019-7870-X  194 pages, paperback. More fun projects and tricks.  This book really helps explain how to design and use Pictograms.  You will want and need to look for this one, too!

Threading your Viking 1100 is easy -- the only hole you need to thread is the needle eye!  The process is all glide and slide.

I may even try to do a iPhone video later, and you can see how fast and easy it is to thread your Husqvarna Viking 1100!

I have a separate post next about winding your bobbin.  

My machine likes the thread coming from the back of the spool
and in the horizontal position

Different thread brands may flow better off the spool if it is upright

First thread guide-it just slides right around and in

Side view

See?  It catches and goes right in.

I usually place my thread  in the thread guide to the right
But if you are using two threads, put one on either side!
The thread also slides easily into the take-up lever seen on the left

Slides right into the check-spring, too

I like to put my spool and bobbin threads up and out of the way
They are actually being held by the side thread cutter!

This is from the Step-By-Step Guide to Your Viking

From the 1100 manual

From the 1100 manual

Update May 14,  2016 - How to sew in reverse

The 1100 does sew in reverse and you can program it to also do so.  See the upside down U with the arrow pointing down next to the buttonhole symbol?  You can hold that and it will go in reverse.  These two symbol buttons are also used to make your own customized button holes and program them to repeat.  (to create standardized  button holes, use your A card)  However -- you can also utilize this feature to create a permanent reverse stitching no matter which stitch you are using (as long as the machine is on and until you tap out) by pushing that upside down U/arrow button twice.

Update 9-28-16 --

Here are photos of the Viking Husqvarna 1100 one-sided concave bobbins.  The pink threaded bobbin is an aftermarket replacement bobbin, which works just as well as the green threaded bobbin (see the "H" imprint on the convex side.)

Aftermarket bobbin on left (pink)
Original Viking Husqvarna 1100 bobbin on right (green)
See the H inside the  crown at the top
This is the convex/rounded out side

Concave side up

I was able to find them on eBay several years ago.   If you were to place the bobbin standing up, with the "H" on the right, you will see the right side of the bobbin is convex and the left side of the bobbin is concave.

Concave left side, Convex right side

I hope the photographs will indicate this well.  It will be obvious when you are looking at and comparing them to the ordinary typical bobbins. You can also feel it with your finger.  ONLY THE CONCAVE BOBBINS WILL FIT in the Husqvarna Viking 1100.  The bobbins are inserted concave side into the bobbin holder.  Or if you have the original "H" marked bobbins, insert so the H faces you.

UPDATE April 17, 2017
Someone had asked what the plug and power cords looked like.  The outlets are on the lower right side of the machine underneath the bobbin winder.

On the left is the plug/cord for the foot pedal, on the right is the plug cord for the power.

Smaller one is the foot pedal
the one on the right is for the power

This is for the US model.  I hope this helps!