Spool of thread instead of a wound bobbin?
 

Ok I am hoping that perhaps someone tried this. I am afraid to do it becasue I don't want to wreck my machine!
I have a mid arm BabyLok Quilter's Pro which I love BUT - it does not have a light or indicator that shows when the bobbin thread runs out (which means of course that I end up with unsewn seams, grrrrrr).

So i looked at where my bobbin goes and there is room to insert a spool of thread. If I did that and threaded the thread through the bobbin case, would the machine draw the thread from the spool?

OR is there an adaptor that can be bought for the bobbin case that would take thread from a spool?

If not, would that not be a wicked cool idea?

I will be VERY interested in feedback!!

VERY wicked-cool idea! Wish I could do that, with my regular sewing machine!

If there was a way for a spool of thread to fit a bobbin every sewer would know about it. LOL The only way to know is to try.

I have often wished this were possible, but I don't think it would work. Larger bobbins would be nice though.

There was a machine out a couple of years ago that took a whole spool of thread rather than the bobbin. Wracking my brain trying to remember the name, seems to me it was a European brand... It was a sewing/embroidery unit and people were using it a lot for stand alone lace designs. The name will come to me at 2:00 AM, I'm sure!

About a century ago there was the "National Two Spools" machine. You can see an example of the 'spool bobbin' right here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...n-t179788.html

I wonder if there's a way you could have the spool outside the bobbin area BUT have it run to the bobbin, loop around maybe once, then travel along the prescribed course. It would continuously "feed" the bobbin but only with a loop, so that the thread would flow freely. I've no idea what that bobbin are looks like . . . but would this be possible?

Don't see how this would work since the needle thread has to physically wrap all the way around the bobbin in order to form a stitch. But it's an interesting idea. Surely someone out there has that of this... The less time we spend changing bobbins, or saying naughty words b/c we ran out of bobbin threead 6 feet back, the better!

Yep, scraplady is right. The top thread comes down. The bobbin hook grabs it and wraps it around the entire bobbin in order to interlock the top and bottom threads. No way to do this with the spool outside the bobbin case. And you WILL break your machine (or at least your needle) if you try to stuff a spool in where the bobbin case goes. Note that the bobbin case is also responsible for tension - so without it you'd have a rats nest of thread after the first 2 stitches (if you got that far).

OK so hmmmm... I should have been more clear - the spool of thread stays outside the machine. I have a small extension that fits on the machine so in essense you lift the little door up, then there is a small area and you open the bobbin case door. So the idea like Neesie said would be to feed the thread from the spool into the bobbin case, perhaps keeping the bobbin itself in the case and wrapping the thread around the bobbin a few times. So instead of the bobbin thread just feeding the machine with the wound thread, it would actually pull the thread from the spool. I wonder if its worth asking BabyLok?

A serger sort of operates off the same concept but no bobbin hook.

You still have the issue of how is the thread from the top needle passing around that "external" spool. If it doesn't pass all the way around the bobbin thread (or spool replacing the bobbin), you don't get a stitch.

I can't draw worth beans, but have a look at this. Blue is top thread, red is bobbin. See how the top thread made a loop, passed around the bobbin, to end up as a small "tack" across the bobbin thread. Doesn't work if the loop can't pass around the entire spool. Second picture - green is your thread extending to a spool - it prevents the blue from looping around the bobbin.

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My Bernina 830 has a huge bobbin!!! And my machine tells me when it's at 20%. I love that part!

Yes, why is it that we can put a man on the moon but we cannot make a simple attachment device to enable a sewing machine to use a spool on the bottom?!

Well, phooey! What we need to do, is reinvent the sewing machine! :p

Would your manual not tell you if that could be done? "I feel your pain"..haha..cause my emb machine drove me nuts with the message that bobbin was low..yet when I ck'd it would be half full. I finally adjusted the bobbin case/laser and now it is only a couple of yards from being empty when the message comes up. Plus, I've discovered the prewound bobbins have LOTS more thread than our machines will wind!

There was indeed a vintage machine that used a spool of thread in a can type holder underneath instead of a bobbin. Name- "Two Spools"! I think it was by National or Standard.

If your machine will allow you to set this up, you could try it by moving the handwheel in the proper direction slowly to see what happens in a few stitches. That way, if it won't form the stitch or binds up the bobbin case, you should be able to stop and not cause any harm -- I think --- lol. I'm curious. So if you try this, please post an update -- with photo.

I was even told if the bobbins are larger it might not work as well fmq

Well, if the National Two Spools (as I posted earlier) is not for you then there are the various vintage chain stitch machines which do not require a bobbin (like a Wilcox & Gibbs, Singer model 12 & various other vintage models) because they sew a chain stitch instead of a lock stitch.

Go here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...t186496-5.html and check out the photos of the chain stitch made by my Wilcox & Gibbs.

There are other various vintage machines like the Singer 630 which has a 'spider' attachment. In a 'spider' install, you remove your bobbin, insert a round plate in the bobbin area, add an additional thread guide - the only thread used is thread from your spool which then creates a chain stitch.

Shari

If we can send a man to the moon, and a robot to Mars, surely there is a dedicated tinkerer out there who needs to make a kazillion bucks making something EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US WOULD BUY!!!!...isn't there? I think I'll talk to my OSMG and see what he thinks...:)

Ahh National Two Spool. My dream machine. Man Your W&G makes a fine chain! Congrats

I have wondered for years why someone doesn't invent a machine that uses a spool of thread for the bobbin.

Every seamstress I know has wished for a bobbinless machine. I've always wondered why, given the explosion of technology, no one has invented one.

Scroll down a bit on this page to see the animations explaining how a stitch is made: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewing_machine

My sentiments, exactly! We obvioiusly need to put a woman in charge of this project.

My machine's noise changes slightly when I am running low on bobbin thread. So when I start hearing this more of a rattly noise I know I am low and watch. I bet if some of you really pay close attention you too, will find your machine makes a slightly different noise when bobbin thread is low. My LA also makes a different noise when bobbin is running low. So I am never really surprised when I run out. Yes I have stitched maybe a few inches without immediately realizing but for the most part I know.

Additionally if you load your bobbin with Superior bottom line brand it will last for a very, very long time as the thread is so fine a lot more fits on the bobbin.

I for one would not upgrade my machine for a setup that pulls bobbin straight from a spool of thread. There is a reason we should go into the bobbin race area every couple of bobbin fulls. It's called cleaning and oiling your machine.

I have started useing pre-wound bobbins because my machins is stubborn about winding bobbins and the prewound ones hold so much more thread. I was using one one day at a class they the others gave me a hard time about it saying the thread in them is inferior but I havn't had a problem with them. The first ones I bought seemed to be nylon or polester so I order cotton ones from Connecting Threads and really love them. They save tons of time and aggrivation. That my favorite new find..

Another reason why a spool won't work: The thread pick up arm, the part that goes up and down with the top thread, would need to be much longer in order for the thread to be relaxed enough to go all the way around the big spool bobbin, and then it needs to pull the thread tight again to get the tension on the stitch correct.

And if you use a chain stitch, you are using three layers of thread, instead of two. And the bends in the thread would cause a problem also, I would think. You would get a whole different fit to your pattern parts with all the extra thread in every seam.

Unless one is inclined to take care of her/his machine anyway, refilling a bobbin isn't going to "force" one to do so. This has been proven, by the many machines taken in for repair, due to massive lint build-up.

If the bobbin thread is too full the bobbin will not turn. When I start FMQing I load 6 or 7 bobbins and only refill after the last one runs out.
It is my opinion that Non sewing men design sewing machines. Women that sew and quilt need to get involved for us to see the things we want and like.

why o why did they ever stop this...if you only had one spool of the thread you could wind a bobbin for the top ...where you could see it.....sooooooooooo wish for a machine that could use a spool of thread for the bobbin and in this age of self threading emb. and serge (blower) and computer tension controls......seems to me the company that makes a long arm machine that uses two spools ...would rule the industry... I have mentioned this to the handi-quilter folks and Bob at superior thread, in the past year.

True but running out of bobbin thread is a good reminder that something other than replacing the thread should be done. When my machine was newly purchased my dealer recommended I clean and oil after 3 bobbins so I only wind 3 at a time. When I run out and have no prewound bobbins I know it is time to clean and oil my machine and no matter how much I am into sewing at the time I have never deviated from that.

On my LA my dealer told me to clean and put a drop of oil in after every bobbin full so I do. Even when using prewounds. Seems to me if you spend thousands of dollars on a machine (which is how much high end machines and LA cost) you would want to take every step recommended to keep it running smoothly.

I quite honestly can't comprehend not doing such simple maintenance on one's own machine but I am frugal by nature and want my things to last and serve me well.

Yeah, mine does too, but if I'm really concentrating on what I'm stitching I tend not to notice it until too late. Or when the TV is on...

This is a really interesting thread. I thought I had an "Aha!" moment when I asked hubby why in the world the machine hasn't been invented yet that would use a duplicate spool rather than wound bobbins, us new sewers have a lot of those moments, :thumbup:

That two spool machine is neat, I wonder why they didn't continue upgrading it.

I guess sewing machine companies don't have the billions of dollars the space program does.

Why not just call your dealer and ask this question? They are my go-to people when there is ever a question about my machines; it's just too risky to try something and ruin a machine that costs thousands of dollars.

I guess you are not up to date. Space program will be no more.

I had a Babylock Quilt Pro that I sold about a year ago. Unless yours is a newer model and they have drastically changed the bobbin area I don't see how that would work. Having said that, if you try it and it messes up your machine you have also voided your warranty.

I don't think this is right. The new BabyLock Tiara quilting machine has a bobbin that is about twice the size of a standard bobbin and it FMQ's beautifully.