Thanks everyone for your posts. I had never thought to use bobbin on both top and bottom. How clever.

My machine has a low bobbin indicator; but it let me know too early and it was annoying, so I turned it off. I start with a full bobbin and try to watch when I think the bobbin is about to run out. My Featherweight does not have an indicator. I know about how long I can sew before I have to watch for the bobbin to run out.

My Brother SQ9000 has an advantage over my old Singer in that the cover to the bobbin case is clear plastic. I just glance down from time to time and see the thread. That is advanced as it gets for me. I cannot afford higher end, and just now don't really want one. I am happy with the one I have.

My spool pin is in the back of my machine, so that solution wouldn't work for me, but i certainly agree with the clever factor ;-)

Have you actually done this? Asking because I think the top thread is actually used at a faster rate than the bobbin thread. I think the top thread would run out long before the bobbin did. This is based on my observations when unsewing and keeping both thread tails intact to knot and bury (when machine quilting). The top thread tail is always long enough to work with long before the bobbin thread is.

I was thinking the same thing. I can't remember what I did, but a few years ago I did something that made me realize the upper thread was going at a faster rate.

I can tell when my machine runs out of thread because it sounds different.

I don't do this but my girlfriend does, she ties the thread to the bobbin before she starts winding. When it runs out it makes a pucker on her fabric. I've not tried this on mine, I'm afraid of a needle crash.

I seldom sew more than a few stitches without bobbin thread, but then I keep my eyes on what I am sewing at all times. Most often, my bobbin runs out of thread at the end of a seam.

I do a lot of chain piecing when I can, and I check the clear plastic plate over the bobbin occasionally. I still manage to "sew air" sometimes, but I'm such a cheapskate that I just keep going until the thread runs out. I'm wondering about the top thread going at a faster rate: isn't that because of the take-up arm pulling each individual stitch snug before going to the next one? It should take a longer length of thread to go around the bobbin mechanism and back to being taut. The stitches should be the same length on the fabric -- at least that what the operation manuals seem to indicate. Or am I in my usual fog?

i love my newer machines esp for the low bobbin warning.
sandy