Does anyone know?
 

How do you know when your bobbin is going to run out of thread before you sew 'a mile' without any?
My sewing machine does not even whisper a warning to me!
I know there are new sewing machines that do, but I love the one I have.

I can tell when either my bobbin starts running low when my stitches start either getting longer or with the bobbin the thread will start bunching or the needle seems to catch when it goes down to pick up the bobbin thread.

I know when I see it isn't stitching any more. I have two straight stitch only machines, I love them and use one or the other all the time. A machine that tells you would cost more than these. Wouldn't be worth the cost to me.

I also know when I see no stitches. Yes I have a machine that will beep at me but it seems like it beeps at me too far in advance, so I ignore it, then I finally turned it off. So that feature doesn't do anything for me.

One of my machines has the low bobbin indicator. My straight stitch only does not. It seems to sound a little different when the bobbin runs out.

Mine has a slightly different sound as I am stitching when the bobbin is very low. I don't always pay that much attention and notice this long upper thread hanging around. That is a big clue for me to rewind.

Mine's supposed to tell me, but it doesn't always. The only way to tell is looking at the stitches, and seeing none.

Wind two bobbins. Put one on the top and the other in the bobbin. The machine should use thread from top and bottom at about the same rate. You can keep an eye on the one on the top. This is only going to work if you use the same thread in the top & bobbin!

This is me as well. If I'm doing something 'quick & dirty', the dreaded mending or such, I might notice the change in sound but otherwise, not so much. I've usually got the TV going and get in 'the zone' if I'm doing lots and only notice when I get to the end of whatever piece I'm working on.

I compare one bobbin to another. Depending on what I'm working on. I check the amount of thread in the bobbin case and compare it to a full bobbin. Also do a couple back stitches depending on where I'm at in the project, stop take the bobbin out and look at it. Then move on to continue or replace.

It helps me to use a fine thread in the bobbin (Aurifil 50wt 2-ply or polyester embroidery bobbin thread, which is 60wt). The bobbin holds a lot more thread when the thread is fine. I check the bobbin before I start to give me an idea of how much is left. For me, if I have a full bobbin wound with one of these threads, I know that I will run out of steam for a marathon sewing session long before the bobbin runs out of thread. I have found that checking the bobbin *before* I start sewing helps. Nowadays, if the bobbin is low, I will change it out rather than risk forgetting about it and sewing a mile with no bobbin thread.

Sometimes my machine will fail to indicate low bobbin, and it's always due to a film of dust/lint over the sensor light, which is a tiny bubble light on the inside of the door. The lint prevents the light from shining through the bobbin and hitting the light sensor behind the bobbin, thus no alarm. Happens with lintier threads. Just wipe it off with your finger or a Q-tip from time to time.

I have a Bernina and there is a slight difference in the soft hum. Someone told me and I appreciated that helpful hint!

:DAhh, yes the dreaded "air sewing". I check before I start and project and my bobbin sounds a little noisier when it is getting empty but it still surprises me occasionally.

Ive done the 'air' sewing too !! but i do have a low bobbin indicator... it lets me know when im low but i still keep going till its completely out... Usually ill sew leaders and enders till i reach the tail end - if im going to need a new bobbin for a marathon stitching why not use it for lil pieces.. Why waste that thread right ?!?!?!

I don't. I just keep going, and all of a sudden something doesn't look right. Usually when I'm in the middle of what I'm sewing together.

I have a singer 301. It doesn't tell me anything. :)

I can see when it is running low. The needle plate has a clear window.

Just last night I was chain piecing blocks and sewed about ten blocks with no bobbin thread! I usually notice before that long though.

My machine will beep when it's getting low and text comes on the screen that tells me that there might not be enough thread to complete my project. But if i stopped then, It would waste so much thread. I can sew for a long time with the amount still on there so i do. I inevitably still run out in the middle of something. LOL

Mine has a little red light that flashes when the bobbin is getting low. It's really handy!

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

I believe the bobbin thread uses more than the top thread. I am currently quilting a quilt and using a different color on the top thread than the bobbin. I started out with new spools of thread for both colors and an empty bobbin to fill. I have already used up a spool of thread that I am filling bobbins with and am still using the initial top thread spool and there's quite a bit left on it. Either I was shorted on the amount of thread on the bobbin spool or the bobbin uses more thread.

My machine has the low bobbin indicator but it starts it's warning when the bobbin is still 1/3 full! I can watch through the transparent cover if I don't forget to check.

This my experience. But, I would think it would be an outcome of how the tension was set. Tight top tension, more bobbin thread used. Looser top tension, more bobbin thread used. Ya?

My new machine has a low thread indicator. When I had my old mechanical machine I did this once or twice and it seemed to work, but decided it was too much work and didn't continue. From some of the other posts, it sounds like your mileage (and tension) will vary, so experiment!

What a brilliant idea!! I'm one of those who gets lost in my thoughts and finds out that I've been sewing for "miles" without bobbin thread.:D

When my bobbin is low, it starts to hop in the bobbin case, and the stitches aren't as nice. Often, it's so bad that I end up changing it when there it still quite a bit of thread on it. As a result, I have a bunch of bobbins just under 1/4 filled.

Do you actually do this. I hope you realize that running out of spool thread is much worse than running out of bobbin thread. I seldom sew past the second patch on chain stitching before I realize I am sewing air; there is no more bobbin thread.
But the spool is thread is the one you need to watch. When that runs out, you have a tangled mess. Sometimes it takes minutes to get rid of that knot. I try to keep an eye on the spool when I know it is close to the end. If I can see the spool core through the thread, it's time to put on a new spool and wind this end of spool thread onto a bobbin. When bobbins run out, they just run out. I just deal with it.

I will only buy machines with drop in bobbins. So much easier to use and you can see how much thread is on the bobbin.

Mine does sound just a bit different. That being said sometimes when I am doing a lot of blocks , I can miss this very slight difference in sound.. and sew way to many that really aren't stitched at all. Frustrating when it happens, but I look at it as it could be worse... it could be having to un-sew all those seams.

Mine has in light that comes one when the bobbin is low, but if it gets too "lint-y" underneath, it doesn't work. If the light doesn't come on, I can tell by a tiny difference in the sound of the machine. I don't know how to explain it really, but it just sounds a bit "off". If you have a lot of sewing and the bobbins hasn't been replaced in a while, check it, or just switch to a full bobbin so you don't have to worry about it.