Thursday Tip with Hali - How to wind a bobbin
Thursday Tip // How to wind a bobbin
If you’ve been sewing for a long time, you’ve probably never thought twice about how to wind a bobbin. But did you know that if you wind it at high speed the thread can actually stretch out and affect your stitch quality?! If you want to say no to wavy seams and wonky stitches, read on and share this post with your sewing friends!
All purpose polyester thread has a bit of stretch which allows it to withstand some pressure when putting that garment on. If you wind your bobbin at high speed the thread is pulled faster and stretches, causing it to wind unevenly. When you sew, the bobbin thread has a chance to relax in the seam making it look wavy or have small loops on the underside which can be confused as a tension problem when really it’s a bobbin winding problem.
How to wind a bobbin:
*Note: all machines are different so double check your instruction manual before proceeding.
Place your thread spool on the spool holder. Follow the bobbin winding thread path with the free end of the thread.
Insert the thread from the inside of the bobbin and up through the hole on the top.
Place the bobbin onto the bobbin winding spindle until it clicks into place. You will feel that it is quite secure and doesn’t just pop off when touched. Push the bobbin to the right against the bobbin winder stopper. (Some machines require pushing the stopper towards the bobbin instead).
If your machine has speed control, set it between slow and medium speed so that the bobbin winds evenly. Too fast and the thread will stretch out affecting your stitch quality.
Holding the free end of the thread straight up with a loose grip, start winding the bobbin by pressing down on the foot pedal or press the start button.
When the bobbin has rotated several times then stop. Cut the thread tail close to the hole at the top of the bobbin. The thread should be fairly secure and not start unravelling.
Now continue winding until the bobbin is full or when your machine stops automatically.
Cut the thread between the spool and the bobbin and then re-thread your machine to get back to sewing.
Some tips about bobbins:
If you have a larger project and anticipate going through several bobbins, plan to fill several bobbins at the beginning of the project to save time and quickly switch them out while sewing.
Metal bobbins only go in metal bobbin cases! Always check your manual or research your machine online to find out what style of bobbins fit your machine.
Bobbins are not one size fits all!
Depending on the project sometimes it doesn’t matter if your bobbin thread matches the fabric. Use up leftover bobbins on other projects or test scraps so you don’t waste those little bits of thread!
We did a post awhile back about bobbin storage too! Check it out here.