Bobbin compactly?
 

Out of curiosity, I kept count on the number of bobbins I used to quilt my latest. It's 86 x 96, and it has been a "delight" to wrestle thru my Bernina! It's especially hard to move with my big cat sitting on it! So the question is how much thread does a bobbin hold? I've used at least 12 now and the border hasn't been touched.

I am sure it depends on the thickness of the thread but I think I use to get slightly less then 3 bobbins from a small spool of Mettler Silk Finished thread. I have a Bernina 1530.

I remember a year or so ago when I wound my last bobbin, it's lasted quite a few quilts.

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Men's humor!

Now I'd like to see the machine that bobbin fits!!!!!

RE the original comment - I don't know exactly how many bobbins a quilt might take, but I do know that I found out I could adjust my bobbin tension, and when I did, I got quite a bit more thread on each one, and it was wound more compactly. I only adjusted it a bit as I didn't want to screw up anything, but I'm thinking another little nudge would help!

i looked this up a while ago -- according to the internet --i gotta laugh -- anywhere from 40 yards upward. didn't know you could get 40 yards on a bobbin!

it took me 5+[just started another one] to save an old blue/white quilt, & i was just curious... if someone could pinpoint that better, it would be great!

Only one answer to your question - not enough!

UncleGravy -- Haha! That's hysterical!

cathyvv -- I totally agree!

jbud2 -- I have a Bernina 805 Sport that I fight with constantly when quilting. Right now I'm quilting a queen-size quilt for my daughter on that machine. I'm not even 1/3 of the way done!

Depends on A) What kind of thread you use and B) what kind of machine you have. Most longarms have a larger bobbin, but I'm assuming you're talking about a DSM.

Bottom Line is a thread designed by Superior Threads specifically for use in the bobbin. It's a 60 wt thread, which means it's finer and thinner, and therefore you can fit more on a bobbin.

BTW - if you're curious about why/how threads get their "weight" measured, check out Superior's "Education" tab on their website. Very informative.

The number you use also depends on the bobbin. My friend and myself both have bernina440 nq. And they fill a bobbin different amounts. Mine fills right to the top before stopping. Hers stops about 1/16" short of the top. Also mine works fine from a full bobbin another friend with the same machine finds she has to stop short of the top as her machine doesn't sew properly with a full bobbin. Just these 3 machines would give totally different amounts.

I use prewound NEBs (national embroidery bobbins) for machine embroidery on my domestic machine. The thread is 60 weight and the bobbins have about 131 yards of thread on them. So unless you are using Uncle Gravy's bobbin, looks like a wide range from 40 to at least 131 yards. It all depends on thread weight.

Here's another thought - I have the ability on one of my machines to adjust how full it will wind a bobbin.

I used to buy 2 500yd spools of white thread. I would keep one for the top and wind bobbins out of the other. (haven't checked this in a while) I would get almost 10 bobbins out of the 500 yd spool.

Uncle gravy, best one i've heard or seen today.

I finished a cross hatching quilt last week...used something like 7 bobbins of thread. Whew!!

I just completed FMQ a quilt that is a full size and I used 6 bobbins of aurifel thread. I didn't know you could adjust the tension when filling bobbins - must just be certain machines.

A friend of mine asked me to help him put more thread on his bobbin. I asked him when was the last time that he filled his bobbin. He said not since his wife died: almost 20 years ago.
Well, at least he does use his sewing machine for patching small stuff!

The Eldredge Two Spool uses a small size spool for the bobbin. Those hold 125 yards. Most bobbins hold about 35 yards, depending on thread size, tension and how full you fill it. Some say that not quite full bobbins sew better.

Peckish has a very good post (no. 10) that gives a lot of good information.

To fine out how many yards You are getting on a bobbin take a new spool of thread, which you know has how many yards. Start winding bobbins. When the spool is empty divide the number of bobbins into the total yardage.you will have an estimate of how many on each bobbin. Of course that will change with each different thread, but you will have an idea

Thank you UncleGravy for the laugh - everything really does depend upon the point-of-view.

It seems years ago that 25 yards was about average for a bobbin.