I pull entire spool from top...as long as foot up...Never had a problem and been doing it forever.

I've made a habit of pulling thread out from the needle for one reason. When you pull it out from on top you are pulling against the thread grain and you will get more lint. Doesn't seem like much but over the years I can see the wrong way as contributing lots of lint to the insides of your machines.
Judi

I had never heard that, but it makes sense to me. I will change my way of doing that from now on. Thanks so much for the info.

I never knew we should be cutting the thread this way. How did i ever get by without this board. I have had tension problems from time to time. I just had my machine cleaned and tweaked and haven't sewn on it yet- so im anxious to see how it does now that i know how to change the thread correctly. :lol:

I was always told to cut the thread at the bottom and pull it up from the top to "floss" my tension disks.

Thanks for this question---I have been sewing for a very long time and making quilts for 27 years but I never knew this.
Appreciate it, Kutnso

I've never heard of this for the spool of thread, but I have heard that when changing your bobbin, cut the thread close to the bobbin and then remove it. This is supposed to preserve the tension of your bobbin over time.

I just got a job working at a Sew and Vac store. Absolutely, cut at top and pull out at bottom near needle. It's that thread's leave lint and can get left behind on the machine. It's what they told me when I bought my first embroidery machine too.

If you cut the thread just above the tension thingy, you're only wasting maybe 6"....or maybe 10"!!!! That's NOTHING compared to what I waste by sewing the blocks wrong!!!! :-P

Yes, same here.... I KNOW that is how it is supposed to be done, but I bet I am not the only one who pulls from the top... tee hee :lol: