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Bobbin chicken! Yeah - play this all the time. Sometimes I win - remove bobbin with anything less than 12 inches. Sometimes I lose - run out in the middle of a seam.

My machine does not have an indicator - it's all on me.

I take the thread off and wad it into a tighter knot and put it in a baggie. In the Spring, I put the wads outside and the birds use it for their nests. They like cotton batting cut into small strips, too.

I purchased a Bobbinator a dew months back and it was the worse piece of junk I'd ever purchased for sewing...I sent it back. Since my designated sewing machine and my quilting machine use two different types of bobbons I take the left over thread from the quilting machine, place a narrow dowel rod into the hole hold in my fingers and wind the thread back onto my DSM bobbins and use for piecing.

If I change out my bobbin before it's completely empty, I put it aside to use when I'm basting my quilt sandwich on my frame. It doesn't matter then if it runs out while I'm basting the edges. On my regular sewing machine I'll use it when piecing my blocks or as I'm doing right now, I'm working on a bunch of wedding ring quilt blocks (embroidery design). There's a lot of applique steps to this design so using up all the leftover bobbins as it's never going to show on the backside as I'll be adding batting and backing later. I also hate wasting thread. If it's my quilting thread, I also will use it when I'm hand stitching the binding onto the backside, again not wasting it.............that is if it's in the correct color I need.

I read somewhere that we need to cut the thread into short lengths when doing this as apparently someone found a baby bird entangled in a longer piece of thread...makes sense this could happen while the baby birds are moving around in the nest. Since I read that I wrap all discarded thread around my fingers and then cut both ends.at least...sometimes more. Also when I remove bottles and stuff from plastic packaging, I make sure I cut each "loop" in them as critters have gotten their heads and limps caught in them and if they are babies, it strangles the circulation as they grow. Just read about a bear that had a plastic jar over his head for a month before they were able to get it off. Different issue...but yeap, I make sure I put as many jars in the recycle instead of the trash.

I purchased a Bobbinator a dew months back and it was the worse piece of junk I'd ever purchased for sewing

LOL. I really like and use my Bobbinator. It is quality made so not junk but I understand many don't see the point of it. It does exactly what it is made to do. To me is it like having a fancy well made bookmark that is not needed as it does the same job as a piece of scrap paper.

My Bernina has an extra large proprietary/nonstandard bobbin and a bobbin sensor. It's nice having the sensor but I still play bobbin chicken :p It's funny how I can be sewing all week on a bobbin, but then when the sensor says 16% I have about15 minutes instead of several hours left.

I hate running out of bobbin thread, always have, and typically pre-fill multiple bobbins with my guess on how many will I need. Many years ago I pretty much stopped matching threads to fabrics, I mostly do scrappy techniques and mostly use a light slate blue/grey and light beige threads for piecing as they tend to work well with most fabrics. During piecing it can be annoying but typically minor to switch bobbins or even colors.

When I'm quilting and the stitching is visible, it can be close to tragic! So I look before I start especially if I know I have a couple hours of work ahead of me, I put in fresh bobbin.

I'm usually able to use up my remaining bobbin thread doing the hand stitching part of the binding. For what's left I will put the bobbin on a pencil and just roll off small amounts. With a quarter bobbin of a weird color and needing a bobbin, I'll take my fine embroidery scissors and cut Xs through the thread and slash it off in clumps.

My bobbins are a mess. I have different colors on top of other colors. Thanks for reminding me I can use on the top also. That will be my new years resolution to clean up my bobbins and keep them that way.

I use up low thread on spools as well as low thread on bobbins when I sew scrap quilts.