I use Superior bottom line prewound bobbins for my longarm and love them. The tension is perfect and there is a lot of thread on them.

They don't work well in my machine. I save them for hand sewing.

I have used the prewound ones on my Pfaff for years and love the convience of them. I use 100% cotton. Love them.

I also have a Viking and it uses the green bobbins.
No prewound do not work in my machine.

I match my top thread and bobbin thread so I don't think prewounds would work... Unless you can get neutral colors prewound but aren't most of them white or black?

I purchased some plastic bobbins off E-bay... they were sold as being parts for Janome.. but they were just plastic bobbins.. now I know what they were probably from.. the one I purchased them from when I complained gave my money back and did not want the bobbins back... Now I know why..

This is the site that I found and I LOVE the free shipping, and it's the cheapest place I have found.

Anyone find anything cheaper?

You do need to know the size of your bobbins.

http://www.allthreads.com/Prewound_Bobbins.aspx#CQ

I use both poly and cotton all the time for both my pfaff and mega quilter - and they last a lot longer - watch that they are for you sewing machine - I love them! as for price compared to winding I am not sure but saves time and I get more sewing done can do a lot of piecing before changing another bobbin...

I use the Clear Glide bobbins for all my piecing. I have a light tan and a dark tan, and a light grey and a dark grey. That's all I ever use. I love the Clear Glide bobbins because they hold more thread than a wound on my machine bobbin.

I order here a lot for bobbins. They have different color threads too. If you sign up (free) you'll get great special sales especially in quilting items. http://www.shoppersrule.com/c/CSBS/index.html

Superior Threads sells 100% cotton ones and I've been using them almost exclusively for years and have many colors. I really, really like them! They are too wide for the Feather Weight or the 301, though.

Even on a regular Bernina??? My maintenance woman strongly suggested using only Bernina bobbins when she did the cleaning and found a plastic bobbin in the case. I stopped using them because she said something that made me feel like an idiot. I had never experienced any problems using them in either the Bernina or my older Kenmore.

Are these prewound bobbins made of plastic or paper?

How do you know what machine they will work in.

I have Baby locks and my friend has a Bernina and my plastic bobbins work in her machine.

One of my baby lock machines has a different type of plastic bobbin and will not inter change with my other two baby locks.

ThreadArt has the poly pre-wound bobbins on sale right now - 144 for $30 (The page says that there are 108 to the box, but there are actually 144 in the boxes that I've bought.)
http://www.threadart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=4055

This is the plastic-sided Type A bobbin for class 15 bobbin machines and it looks like they're selling for $25-40 per 80 bobbins elsewhere, so there's quite a difference in price. I love the thread in these bobbins, although I would like to find a matte poly or cotton, too.

They carry L and M sizes and in plastic, cardboard and sideless styles, but those aren't one sale at the moment. Still their prices are worth checking.

I got the ones with plastic bobbins but you do need to know what kind of bobbin your machine uses. Mine uses a class A which is a little taller than the usual bobbins

It doesn't appear that anyone answered my question about the cost factor. All appears to say they are convenient but what is the cost compared to winding yourself.

Why not? I have thought about it. I use 7 bobbins when I make a biscuit baby quilt.

I tear the paper off the pre wounds. If the bobbin is wound tight and at the right tension you don't need it in bobbin at all. Self winding will never get you the tightness or perfect tension so you need a bobbin. Paper bobbins usually fit most machines once the paper is torn off.

I think that the conveneince is the key word. You end up with more bobbins, and that would be a plus for me, the bobins are not cheap either. I have not really checked out the prices of prewound bobbins but have seen them. I guess the hard part would be to find them for your mechine.

they are paper bobins?

How do you know what size to get? I could not find a letter size on my machine or info book?

Just make sure they are the right size for your machine. Otherwise it may clog up or not work properly. Found that out the hard way.

The ones I've bought at ThreadArt.com have cost about 22¢ each.

If I could find cotton or matte poly in this size and about the same price or a little more, I would rarely use anything but pre-wounds because the convenience is worth it, so far.

And the amount of thread on a bobbin is pretty incredible. I can do FMQ for about 40-45 minutes straight with one of my own bobbins, wound with this fine a thread. When I use one of these bobbins, I can sew for right about an hour before the bobbin runs out. :)

OK, that works out to 0.002 per yard for your $20 and 0.007 for your $8. :-D

Great topic.

My DH wondered the other day if I couldn't hook a spool of thread up to my bobbin... cute! But, that would be a really smart design feature on a machine. :-D

I use the prewound cotton ones for piecing and the prewound embroidery ones for embroidery.

now you all have helped me once more I been wondering about using the Prewound bobbins for my embroidery machine and now I am going to send and get me some NOW..Thanks Ladies..

Is http://www.allthreads.com/Prewound_Bobbins.aspx#CQ
the only place that offers free shipping, with a $10.00 order.

I like the bobbin idea but hate the shipping charge.

Please let me know if any other place offers free shipping or does anyone have a code for free shipping or a discount.

What is the difference between the clear-glide poly ones and embrodery ones? I love the clear-quilt ones.

I only use prewound bobbins for machine embroidery. The prewounds are 80wt.poly thread which is quite thin, making it great for reducing bulk in embroidery, but I think it is too thin for piecing. I use 40wt cotton for piecing.

Superior Threads has prewound cotton in colors

I buy mine from Threadart.com. I also toss them away. Use them for everything except when I need to colormatch bobbin and upper thread.

Thats all I use! I bought it for embroidery but do 90 % quilting and just have kept using them

I buy the prewound bobbin thread for embroidery. I'm afraid it wouldn't be strong enough for quilting.

I buy the Superior prewounds for my BabyLock on my quilting frame, because it takes a large bobbin and it's a pain to wind the bobbin on the machine when it is connected to the stitch cruise control.

Anyway, they come with cardboard disc sides, not plastic. When done, I throw them away.

I use them in my Viking - the Viking dealer was able to tell me which "letter", or size to use. I have even used them successfully in my 1914 Singer treadle! Love them, they seem to last forever. I just throw out the empty bobbins.

I've seen black and white prewound bobins at Hancocks 5/10 in a box. They come clear plastic bobbins I thought.

I use 100% cotton thread top and bottom for quilting.

Hmm - I'll have to try the cotton ones - I got the polyester for my embroidery machine and tried it on the Pfaff and it didn't like them - in fact (sensors) refused to sew with them!!! I"ll try the cotton ones. I like them too. You can just load them and forget about bobbin thread for awhile!!

Marysewfun

I got mine from Allstitch.net.

Marysewfun

They did make a machine with a spool placement in the bobbin area. I have one - it's a treadle. It called the Eldredge or National two spools. I don't know how many or for how long this machine was made but it's interesting to play with it. I'll see if I have a picture of mine. ~ Chris