I know what you mean. You gotta get a machine that tells you when you are about to run out. Janome SE 11,000 does that. I have one for sale right now. Anybody interested?

Oh the aggravation to discover that you were chain piecing and ran out of bobbin thread about 20 feet ago!!!

I like to fill 3 bobbins before starting a project. When they run out ( always mid seam, mind you), I wind 2 or 3 more. I sew on a Featherweight and IF I AM PAYING ATTENTION! I can generally hear the difference when I run out. Not always - but it is a help sometimes. In the early years - I did the same thing you do on a very regular basis. Sew and learn, I guess. It is a maddening situation!

Looks like they could make a machine where the bobbin thread would come through the back from a large spool sitting in a built-in spool holder...and be self-threading (might as well ask for the moon, LOL!). You could do a whole quilt or two without changing the bobbin, 'sigh'...