Originally Posted by
J Miller
Chris,
There's another reason adding thread on top of thread in a bobbin is a bad idea. RUST. The MW we just got had one bobbin in it. Wound with real purty shiny blue thread. Under that about 8 different colors and types of thread. Under that, the bobbin had rusted. Thread can absorb moisture. Bobbins are cheep, but why waste them?
Joe
Chris and Joe, almost every vintage machine I have had more than one color thread wound on its bobbin. I just remove all the old thread and start with new thread! I think the reason people use to wind multiple colors is just to be frugal. When a spool was almost out of thread, they'd wind it on the bobbin so nothing was wasted. People couldn't afford to waste anything especially during the Depression! I agree with everyone else here - it is probably not a good practice - but if you are using up the thread I really doubt it 'hurts' anything. The machine doesn't know or care how many colors are on its bobbins as long as the bobbin is not over full - which applies even with one color! I think most people here are against the practice because as Joe said, we unwind those multiple layers - they are stuck together and rusted - not fun!
Nancy