Has this ever happened to you? You're tooling along sewing together about 75 strip sets and when you get to the end, you realize that you ran out of bobbin thread about 70 strips back!
OR
EVEN WORSE!!!!
You've just finished sewing together a row with about a bajillion matching seams--which you spent 15 minutes pinning carefully (and removing the pins as you go, of course--when you get to the end and discover you ran out of bobbin thread after the third seam???????
UGGH!
I KNOW you're supposed to "hear the different sound that the machine makes when it's out of bobbin thread." he he he
The person who said that OBVIOUSLY didn't have four kidlets running around. ;-)
Well, I came up with a way to make sure that never happens to me again, and if it drives you crazy when that happens, maybe this will work for you too.
I usually piece with a cream colored thread.
Anyway...I load about 10 bobbins with my cream piecing thread. I fill the last one only about 3/4 full. I put a full bobbin in the bobbin case, and then the 3/4 filled on on my spool pin.
It's fairly obvious when the top thread runs out, lol. Then, I take the bobbin from the bobbin case and put it on my spool pin and put a new bobbin in the bobbin case. That way, I always have more thread in the bobbin case than I do on the spool pin and I NEVER run out of bobbin thread.
It is somewhat inconvenient to have to thread the machine all the time, but it's worth it to me.
Let me know what you think.
(This is a republication of an old post, but I thought it would be good to republish.)
OR
EVEN WORSE!!!!
You've just finished sewing together a row with about a bajillion matching seams--which you spent 15 minutes pinning carefully (and removing the pins as you go, of course--when you get to the end and discover you ran out of bobbin thread after the third seam???????
UGGH!
I KNOW you're supposed to "hear the different sound that the machine makes when it's out of bobbin thread." he he he
The person who said that OBVIOUSLY didn't have four kidlets running around. ;-)
Well, I came up with a way to make sure that never happens to me again, and if it drives you crazy when that happens, maybe this will work for you too.
I usually piece with a cream colored thread.
Anyway...I load about 10 bobbins with my cream piecing thread. I fill the last one only about 3/4 full. I put a full bobbin in the bobbin case, and then the 3/4 filled on on my spool pin.It's fairly obvious when the top thread runs out, lol. Then, I take the bobbin from the bobbin case and put it on my spool pin and put a new bobbin in the bobbin case. That way, I always have more thread in the bobbin case than I do on the spool pin and I NEVER run out of bobbin thread.
It is somewhat inconvenient to have to thread the machine all the time, but it's worth it to me.
Let me know what you think.
(This is a republication of an old post, but I thought it would be good to republish.)
6 comments:
That's a really smart idea! I get spoiled because when I sew on my Pfaff a light goes on when the bobbin is low...not so with my Juki. I have found piles of unpieced whatever more times than I would like to admit. IF I pay attention I can tell the difference in the sound, but mostly when I'm chain piecing I become oblivious and am just "in the zone".
PS Love, love your carolina crossroads...the purples are lovely!
My name is Heather, and I'm at hknight453@aol.com. I use white thread for all my piecing. I do have hundreds of spools of colored thread that I use to sew down binding, embroidery, and garment sewing. I sew all my clothes but for underpants, tights, and sweaters. I also make things for my fiance, and make clothes for my Sasha dolls.
I see, Heather! I forgot about sewing clothing. It's been a while since I have sewn clothing. You do need all colors of thread when you're doing that kind of sewing!
verrrry interesting! never thought of this before!! I usually notice when I run out...always at the wrong time though!
I know what you mean, Beth, lol.
It does get a little "fiddly," because you're changing the bobbin out frequently, etc, but...it also reminds me to clean the lint out of the bobbin area frequently, and that's a plus.
I hadn't sewn for a while in October, and I went back to the other way, then, I ran out of bobbin thread 1/4 of the way through sewing a row together on my Carolina Crossroads quilt! It's one of those quilts that you spend all that time pinning about a bajillion seams...Oh goodness was that irritating!
So, I went back to my old standby method and now I'm happy again, lol.
Oh you have my sympathy...ugh!
I sew my quilts with a green gray colored thread - blends with EVERYTHING.
I have tons of colored thread though for machine embroidery and for machine quilting.
I wanted to send you a picture of your squares used in a quilt top, but so far I have only had time to cut out the first round to frame them. Sigh...
Right now I am buried (literally) under minkee for pillowcases...ugh also. I will remember what you said about taking out the pins only to find you had run out of thread!
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