My Gran and Mom always cut it at the top and pulled it through so that's how I do it. Just habit, right or wrong. Mom didn't so much, but Gran used to keep those little spares in a pile, and when she cleaned up she'd put them outside on the woodpile - said the birds like to use them for nesting.

My service tech said to cut and pull thread from the bottom since it keeps lint and junk out of the tension discs. For the cost of a few inches of thread vs. machine repair (or worse, being without my machine for a few days!) it's not worth the risk. A reminder to all...my tech says people don't clean and oil enough, so be sure to treat those babies with loving care! And change your needle while you're at it.

thanks for the inffo learn something every day from this board

It may be a bit of a waste of thread, but messing up the tension discs is far more expensive.

Why waste thread? Put it on a needle and use it for applique or putting binding on! :thumbup:

I've been sewing on the same Bernina for 20 years now and have never done this and have never had any tension problems nor any excess dust or debris. I always use high quality thread and lift the presser foot.

Learned something new today also. Thanks!!

Yes, cut the thread at the spool and pull the thread out from the needle. This is the way my Bernina dealer explained it.
Not only will doing it wrong mess up your tension he said it will pull lint up through your machine.

It also prevents the thread from "linting" in your machine. When the thread is pulled backward through the tension it leaves fine lint in the machine. The way the tread is spun onto the spools, the thread does not "lint" nearly as much as it would if spun on in the opposite direction. Thread has a right side/direction and a wrong side/direction.

I've been sewing for over 50 years and didn't know this. If I empty a spool I pull it through from the bottom and if I am changing spools for color I pull it out from the spool. It has never made any difference.

I agree with Scissor Queen. I always lift my pressor foot. I have been sewing for years and have never had a problem. :):):)

oops I better start doing that

Or sewing on a button.

Me too! Been doing it the other way all these years.

This is what my Bernina repairman says. Cut at the top and pull from the needle. It does "floss" the machine and picks up little bits of fuzz etc.

I have a Viking and started cutting the thread and pulling down and out with the presser foot up and always grumbled about wasting the thread. One day I lifted the presser foot, pulled the thread from the needle and unthreaded the thread working in reverse toward the spool. When I got to the tension area the thread was tension-free and I just lift off the spool. I have been doing it this way ever since. Hope this makes sense!

I JUST read about this on another site and the reasoning for wasting a bit of thread was that it was cheaper to buy thread than to replace the tension in a machine - works for me!

Jan good point.

Please don't put them out for the birds unless you know they are 100% cotton. Nylon, Rayon and Polyester don't disintergrate. They get tangled on little feet and can cause lots of problems for the birds.

Jean

Me too. "waste not want not". I feel guilty throwing out fabric scraps too. :roll:

When I bought my Baby Lock Embroidery machine 7 years ago they told me to always pull the thread out from the bottom. I don't remember why. Glad you reminded me of that. Could explain some of the tension problems.

That's what I have been told to do, and I try to remember to do it :!:

That is a very good question. Always pull the thread down thru the machine after cutting it from the spool. It will mess up your tension if you don't do it that way. Maybe not the first few times but it will make your tension go out over time.

The way most people mess it up is because they have the presser foot down which tightens the tension discs. On newer machines with the tension discs housed inside the body of the machine it is difficult to see this. On an older machine you can actually see the disc come together and open when the presser foot is lowered and raised. It actually is a good thing to take a thread put a few knot along it and slide it back and forth through the tension discs (presser foot up) to clean out lint build up and keep the tension cleaner.

I was taught by a sewing factory (Jantzen Knitting Mills & Swimwear) to cut the thread at the top of the machine, tie on the next thread with a square knot, un-thread the needle, and pull to the bottom the help clear fuzz from the tension discs. I am wondering if the things I learned there, might be why my machines never need service like I keep hearing all of you talk about? Just a thought....

Another one is that 'you never oil a machine until you have given it a de fuzzing.'
I was also told you never 'blow' into a machine (air or breath), always 'suck' out the air along with the fuzz. We could be fired on the spot if we were caught blowing on a machine for any reason. Breath has moisture, moisture causes corrosion, and breakdown. I should write all this down somewhere.

This is the way I was told to do it with my new Bernina 830. I still forget every once in a while, but if it will help protect my machine, that's what I will have to learn to do. I still don't understand why it makes a difference as long as the presser foot is up, but.....

i cut the thread at the top And leave it there. when i start with a new color thread i tie the two threads together and pull it thru. voila! the machine is threaded and ready to sew.

Update- I sewed on my machine for 8 hours yesterday and I used my new method of cutting the thread and pulling down. I did the same for the bobbin. I thought it would be hard to remember to do it each time but now it's just habit! Thanks gals!

The people who sell machines cut it and pull it. They would be trained by the experts.

[quote=collady]If thread has a "right" direction, then aren't we using it in the "wrong" direction when we use a wound bobbin? The "right" direction end of the thread will be on the inside of the bobbin as it is wound. Always wondered about this! :?: :?:

Sue

I'm glad you asked this question. I never thought about it!

If you pull the thread backwards it's like petting a dog or cat backwards and raises the lint and nap on the thread, and clogs the tension. A repair man told me that's one of the number one problems with machines that are brought into him for repairs.

After hearing this, I asked my machine sales/repair person. He said it was no big deal either way. I have a new 2011 Janome. Hopefully he knows what he is talking about.

i have never had problems in 25 years of quilting. Maybe it is because my machine is not computerized

yes i was told to do that ,but i cant say that i always remember to do it that way !!!

Me either. Thanks for the info!

A machine mechanic told me niether way matters; in fact, if you want to get lint out of your thread path use waxed dental floss and thread your machine with it leaving tension disks open and floss up and back. You will be surprised at the dirt that comes out!

I never knew this... an interesting tip.

I had never heard of this either!