Pre-wound bobbins
 

I'm doing a bit of on-line browsing today and came across pre-wound bobbins in a variety of attractive color tones. They seem awfully convenient.

https://www.superiorthreads.com/shop...-set-2-pastel/
https://www.superiorthreads.com/shop...-set-1neutral/

I have a Janome 4800QE and have yet to see pre-wound plastic bobbins with 100% cotton thread. I'm kind of reluctant to use cardboard-sided bobbins and, besides, I really don't want to use poly thread in the bobbin if I'm using cotton thread on top. What has your experience been with pre-wound bobbins? Thanks everyone!! I'll be waiting to hear from you. :)

I'm curious too. I use prewounds all the time for embroidery, but not for anything else. the ones I use (NEBs) are poly and are a very thin thread (90 or 100??)

i have only used white. but i use them for piecing and for quilting on the frame. i like them

I admit I use them in my embroidery machine and in my sewing machine. I haven't had any problems with them. I bought them a few years ago on Ebay when the prices were still very reasonable so I stocked up. They have the plastic bobbin not the cardboard. I love the convenience of them.

I have a friend that likes them in her Janome Gem electronic version (forget what one). I have the regular Gem and they don't work in mine. go figure.

I use them all the time and love them. In fact, I liked Superior's Bottom Line pre-wounds so much, I switched to Bottom Line cones and now piece exclusively with it!

Another benefit to those assorted donuts of pre-wounds is they're great for appliqué. The thread sinks into the fabric as beautifully as silk, but it's cheaper to purchase the bobbin assortment instead of many spools of silk.

Thank you so much for your input, Ladies. I appreciate it.

The only ones I have the thread was so poor it broke constantly - couldn't even use them to baste. So I won't use them again.

I have been told in quilting classes that one should NOT use pre-wound bobbins for piecing or normal sewing as the thread on them is not of the same weight as what you are stitching with on a spoil. They are meant to be used for embroidering.

i use them for embroidery they have much more on them than i can wined on the machine great for lace only ever used black +white---like the idea of using them for applique thank you pecish

I love them, that was a gift a couple of years ago and still using some of therm, the go forever becaise they are wound so tight.

I am not familiar with your machine but just to point out something that these bobbins are the M size which are the large ones. I use this size on my long arm. I use the white nebs kind size L on my regular sewing machine and embroidery. I attended a seminar by a Viking embroidery educator and she advised not to use the prewound bobbins for embroidery as it affects the quality of the stitching. She said to try the same design with both our own wound bobbins and the prewound and notice the difference in quality. I haven't tried that yet but will sure do.

Not sure what a "spoil" is, but it's possible we're talking about different things. Bottom Line thread is designed specifically for quilting, piecing, and appliqué. There may very well be pre-wound bobbins for embroidery also, I'm not into embroidery so I can't say for sure. Bottom Line is 60 wt and very strong.

eta: I just figured out you meant "spool". Well, I use Bottom Line both on my bobbin and on a cone, so that solves THAT problem! :)

Thanks for pointing out the fact that there IS a difference between the L bobbins and the M bobbins, Charming. My machine uses the L bobbin which is also sold on that site (Superior Threads). In my haste for an answer, I linked to the M page by mistake. ;) The fact is, I already have so many beautiful threads, I think I'd better use them up before I buy any more. I'll just fill up a few bobbins to have at the ready but I definitely see some of these pre-wound in my future. The company has a number of videos on youtube which are kind of interesting.

I did use them all the time but only in embroidery as they are not the same weight as the thread you should be using to quilt with. Several years ago I was embroidering lace jackets for balls for the christmas tree and absolutely tore up my Bro1500 machine to the tune of $700.00. It still needs repair as I bought my Bro4000D instead. You could not give me the wound bobbin thread factory to use in my machine. By the was I was using plastic sided bobbins so donated several boxes of them to CareCaps for use in her 15 Janome Decor computer machines. She has never had a problem while I lost an excellent and expensive machine. It used floppies and that I really liked.

Do not make the mistake I made
Pre-wound bobbins from Superior Threads on metal are for appliquers; they do not fit Janomes
SuperBobs on cardboard are for machines - they last til the thread is used up, no problems.
I buy Bottom Line SuperBobs for my Jem Platinum and Jem Gold. BL is a 60 wt poly thread that lasts forever. I pieced a twin top with one bobbin. I am DEVOTED to them.
Be mindful of what others have already told you - L size is what you want for sewing machines; Ms are for Longarms.
I use Aurifil 50 wt cotton on top with the 60 wt bobbin; have for years, never a problem.

Bob has a page on his site that tells you which machines will take his pre-wounds.
http://www.superiorthreads.com

I use the cotton ones for piecing, and the poly ones for embroidery. I only use the plastic ones because many have had problems with the paper ones and they don't work with the sensors on computerized machines. They do make cotton ones for piecing and I like them they last longer than ones wound by my machine. I just buy beige ones for piecing

They have cotton ones that i buy from my LQS that are the same weight so this isn't true. There are embroidery one and regular cotton ones you just have to make sure you know what your buying

Boy, this sounds like the first class I took. If I had followed everything she said, I would not be quilting.

Thanks for the link, golly. In short, it says:

Superior Threads has many machine quilting threads consisting of four fibers: Cotton, Metallic, Polyester, and Silk. Each line offers unique quilting traits with a library collection of color palettes from which to choose from.
A #40 thread is the industry standard medium weight for quilting thread. A #30 thread is thicker/heavier than a #40. The smaller the number, the heavier the thread becomes.

Cotton

• King Tut is a #40/3-ply Egyptian-grown extra-long staple cotton thread. King Tut really is nature's finest thread. A beautiful matte finish for any quilt project. Available in 133 variegated and solid colors.
• MasterPiece is a #50 Egyptian-grown extra-long staple cotton thread. Available in 75 colors. Ideal for piecing and detail quilting.

I buy the plastic sided bobbins (polyester) from Long Creek Mills for embroidery and the cotton sided ones (I remove the cardboard before using) in my long arm and have had absolutely no problems. They do carry NEBs for the best price I have seen.

I have used prewound bobbins with cardboard (plastic does not work in any of my machines for some reason) with success in both my DSMs and my shortarm (I sold it recently). I have quite a collection of prewound bobbins with beautiful thread colors from Superior Threads. When I bought my Bailey LA, I found it uses Class 15 bobbins. Not to worry! I simply use the bobbin winder to transfer the thread from the L bobbins to Class 15 bobbins as needed for any project on hand.

I use Superiors pre-wound bobbins for piecing with cardboard sides in my Juki and my Babylock. No problems at all. I love them and the thread. If you're Leary buy pkg of 10 and try them. I just bought a 1/2 gross this time because I go thru them so fast.

A friend with an embroidery machine ordered the wrong size of prewound bobbins. There were 100 of them! They fit my Pfaff, and so far, no problem. The bobbin thread is thinner than the top thread, and it actually seems to help keep the 1/4" when quilting to have that thinner thread. All of these are white and I use the prewound on everything except really dark colors.

your Janome machine most likely uses Class 15 bobbins.
most of the pre-wounds are Class L - whether paper or plastic.
although an L will function in a Janome, the 15s are best.

i love prewound bobbins.
they are not only convenient, they have much more thread on them.
i have purchased from this site several times.

given the price of janome brand bobbins and of Egyptian cotton thread, these pre-wounds also save money.
the bobbins were good quality and reusable. it's been a while because i bought a ton of them, so i don't know whether the bobbins are still re-usable.
the color selection for cotton thread is limited to neutrals, but they will work well for piecing.
they will also work well if you are quilting with cotton thread and can use a neutral color in the bobbin.

https://www.terradonembroidery.com/s...d_bobbins.html

I use pre-wounds from Superior threads almost exclusively on my LA. They have so much more thread on them than those you wind yourself and they are wound so much better. If you wind on your machine while you are quilting, the winder starts and stops as you do. This makes for uneven winding on your bobbins which can give you tension problems. I need the size M but please do make sure you buy the size you need for your machine!

I have a Janome and a Juki and I use cardboard side bobbins all the time without problems. I also mix the thread types . So does your longarmer.

I see in the picture that the Super BOBs are M style. They wont fit in a domestic machine. Your need L style. Ms are larger for some longarms.

I only use pre bobbins on my APQS long arm, and Superior bottom line. I have also used them on my machines. I have never had a problem with the cardboard bobbins.

I have had the same thing happen to me. I won't go that route again.

I have some that are cotton and some that are poly-cotton...the cotton ones hold less thread......I only use them on my longarm.......they are wound tighter and I can go "farther" with them....never have used them on my dm, I have the habit of winding 2/3 bobbins before I begin my piecing day...using a neutral thread like beige, gray or white and when I do embroidery (rarely) I will wind a bobbin with lingerie thread...thin, poly..works for me........again, we work with what works for us

That's all I use. I keep stock in gray, off white, tan for most of my piecing. I rarely wind a bobbin. I buy black and white in the 144 quantity. I found the cardboard sides were undesirable for me and use only the plastic.

I also use mostly poly or rayon thread on top, I have LOTS of that kind of thread for my embroidery machine and have not had a problem.

I may be wrong but my machine uses "L" and class 15, one is just wider than the other. I use the metal pin insert with the L bobbins and the class 15 is the same width as the bobbins that came with my machine. I also use a penny under the bobbin when I misplace my metal pin.

I have to respectfully disagree, and I also teach quilt classes, as well as work on the vintage machines. While I do not use pre-wounds, it is because I do not have a machine that will take them. I do use the thinner bobbin thread on nearly all of my work now, from piecing to machine quilting. Yes, conventional wisdom is to use the same thread on top and bobbin, and I do this when balancing tension on machines that are in for service. However, so far I have had no difficulty when switching to the bobbin thread. Yes, sometimes a tension adjustment needs to be made, although that has not been anything major nor difficult.

And embroidery thread is usually much heavier than bobbin thread.

Sorryto have to disagree - but Bottom Line is also for embroidery. This is straight from Bob of Superior. I use it for all my embroidery. It's also GREAT for Stitch in the Ditch, because it's so fine that it disappears. I bought all of the BL assortments at the Tucson Quilt Show a couple of years ago, and last year I bought big spools of BL in the colors I use the most. Love BL thread!

I love the pre-wound bobbins they have more thread on them than you can put on your regular bobbin so quick fast and dependable! And yes the bottom line is wonderful for applique you can also get the pre-wound bobbins in different thread weights as well as fiber content.

The Bottom Line bobbins in plastic are meant for appliquers - the thought being that cardboard would fray over time; whereas, sitting in the bobbin case it does not.

I also use prewounds. I asked my sewing machine repairman if they could be used in my machine (Babylock Quest+), and he gave me one to try. It was wonderful!!! They last forever, and help achieve a very accurate 1/4 inch seam because there is less bulk. I purchased 100 bobbins for $32!!! I've been using them for piecing and quilting, including FMQ, with no problems! By the way, mine have NO sides, cardboard or plastic.

I tried the cardboard-sided bobbins and will not use them again. The plastic prewound cost more, if you can find them, but they are better. Really saves time. May husband bought me a bobbin winder, which really saves time, too. You don't
have to rethread your machine.

QUOTE=LoisM;5675144]I'm doing a bit of on-line browsing today and came across pre-wound bobbins in a variety of attractive color tones. They seem awfully convenient.

https://www.superiorthreads.com/shop...-set-2-pastel/
https://www.superiorthreads.com/shop...-set-1neutral/

I have a Janome 4800QE and have yet to see pre-wound plastic bobbins with 100% cotton thread. I'm kind of reluctant to use cardboard-sided bobbins and, besides, I really don't want to use poly thread in the bobbin if I'm using cotton thread on top. What has your experience been with pre-wound bobbins? Thanks everyone!! I'll be waiting to hear from you. :)[/QUOTE]

I use a prewound bobbin bought at a quilting store with 100% cotton thread. I love them. Wish I knew what kind they were but they are class 15 bobbins and cost around 7.00 for 8 of them. But it been a while since I bought them.