See I usually use cones of thread that pull up. But i have it sitting in a mason jar and have a christmas ornament stand thingy holding the thread above the jar. From there I position the rig near the thread spools. Then thread the machine. So far I haven't had any tension gremlins. The mason jar corrals the spool and keeps it from dancing across the table it for some reason it gets bumped or stuck.
Ornament Stand: Mine is tall so it holds the thread at about spool level.
http://www.amazon.com/Ornament-Stand.../dp/B00067TUKS