Side winder versus pre-wound bobbins
 

I would just like your opinion, one of my Patchwork group is hoping to get a Sidewinder deluxe for Christmas, a combined pressie from her children. I have been reading up on this and found mixed reviews so I was wondering about the use of pre-wound bobbins! I have always wound my own and have taught my ladies to use the same thread in the bobbin as their top thread yet most of pre-wound bobbins are in polyester, why?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

The way the thread is manufactured today makes the old rules of thread use obsolete. All quality brands of poly thread are thin and lint free and safe for all machines. In fact all sewing machines are tested and set to use poly thread top and bottom. The weight of the thread is more important when choosing bobbin thread. Using all cotton thread in quilting is now just a preference, not a have to.

i love my prewounds!!! i use them for embroidery, for piecing, and for FMQ on the frame

given a choice between the SideWinder and pre-wounds, i would vote for pre-wounds.
they are available in cotton now, too.

i own three different bobbin winders.
the two "professional" models have a very steep learning curve.
none of them all as simple to use as in the demonstrations.

pre-wounds have obbledygoogobs of thread wound onto them compared to anything we can wind ourselves.
given the price of thread, plus the price of bobbins, they cost only a smidgen more than buying what we need to do it the hard way. probably not the best solution for special colors, but definitely very convenient for the basic colors we use for piecing.

this is where i start when shopping around for them.
i'm sure there are other good sources.
this just happens to be the one i use.

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

Thank you for that link but I have another question, I have a new elna 720 with a top loader bobbin holder would I need the size L or Class 15, I think it may be the latter.

The other thing I would like to know does any machines have problems with pre wound bobbins? The reason that I ask is that a UK site says some manufacturers don't recommend them, but doesn't quote which ones, duh!

Oh, I love my winder. I fill several bobbins in about 5 minutes and then I am ready to quilt. One of the best "quilting" item I purchased right after beginning and used a JoAnn's coupon and got 40% off.

I have just ordered a small lot of 5 prewound bobbins to see how I get on. It's a UK site so there is not so much choices and are more expensive that in the US but if I get on with them I will try your supplier PatriciaJ as they have such a super selection, and sizes.

I love prewounds too. They're great for every type of sewing, and last forever!!

A friend of mine who has most every toy got the Sidewinder - and quickly passed it on. She now uses pre-wound.

Personally, I don't understand the need for a separate item to wind bobbins? I bought a couple of tubes of the empty Bernina bobbins and wind several at a time, then am good to go for good long time. I use Aurifil, which is a finer thread than some, so am getting a lot on the bobbin. (If you are following Bonnie Hunter's current mystery, I've done steps one and two without changing the bobbin.)

I love and have used prewound bobbins (size L from Superior Threads) for both sewing on my DSM and FMG on my previous shortarm. However, my new Bailey machine uses Class 15 bobbins. I have tried size L prewounds with mixed success. I got the deluxe sidewinder so I can rewind the size L bobbin thread onto Class 15 bobbins. At one time I used only cotton threads, top and bottom . Now that the myths about using polyester have been debunked, I now use whatever thread works well with whatever project I am doing. No hard and fast rules here.