Thanks girls for the positive input. It is true there always is a possibility for quirks with any machine. I have never had bobbin troubles in fact I am one of those who get almost around a quilt and find out I ran out of bobbin thread half way around. Hate to admit it. Don't have the almost empty bobbin feature on the 3500. :oops: :oops: :roll:

RE prewound bobbins - in addition to the convenience, I think some folks like them due to the amount of thread on them. It's a fine thread, so more than if using a thread that's a bit bulkier. (Not all 50 weight thread is the same thickness - I was recently shocked when using up some old Mettler silk finish now that I'm used to Aurifil.)

To get similar results, you can be sure to use a "fine" thread. If you want something finer than the usual piecing thread, you can buy Bottom Line on spools and wind your own.

Now, for my perhaps crazy question... I've always wound my bobbins by holding the thread that was threaded from the center out straight up, and let it just wear itself off. That's what I was taught way back when in 4-H, did it on my mother's machine, my original Kenmore, on my Bernina, and now on my Janome Platinum that I take to classes. I've never had a problem with any of them... Is this a bad way to wind bobbins? Has anyone ever heard of it being done this way?

I did a search on the Yahoo group Janome 6500/6600 and found an article on Jumping Bobbins (which might not be the end-of-bobbin issue, but is related to other bobbin problems that I've experienced on my 6600). I quote:

"TANGLED THREADS & JUMPING BOBBINS:

Last night I talked to my friends John and Shirley at my Janome dealer about this issue. (Please note that I have NOT had the problem - knock on wood!)


John showed me what was happening, and I'm hoping this can help those who are having the problem.

Remove the throat plate.
In the lower right corner, looking into the machine,
is a tiny guide with a spring on it. There are two arrows - when the bobbin case is in the machine, the arrows on the spring should line up, and the spring should be TIGHT. There is a Phillips screws that holds the spring in place.

If this spring is loose and is moving around, it allows the bobbin too much movement, which allows it to 'jump'. Line up the red arrows and tighten the screw. My personal theory is that some machines left the factory without having this screw adjusted properly - it is an easy fix, and if it saves
someone a long drive or shipping their machine out, that would be wondrous."

There is a Santa Clause.!!! LOL Thank you Newestnana. I'm going out right now to buy my 6600. Seriously, I am going to but I hope that alieveats (sp) a lot of problems from all those machines. Usually there is nothing b ut positive said about Janome's. I've had one for 6 years and LOVE it.

I highly recommend that any Janome 6500/6600 owners (or potential owners) join the Yahoo group (actually called the Janome6500 group...and then 6600 came out so that's part of the same group...there's a new group for the Horizon users). You can do a search on bobbin problems among the messages. But you can get lots of suggestions by going to the Files section, the Bobbins folder, and there are even more good articles.

It's an extremely good resource!