Thanks BellaBoo, great idea.

It is a problem with my embroidery machine. So have to unwind and throw away.
It would be a disaster to run out in the middle of a design.

I often have this problem and I just use them to piece scrappy quilts together, no one sees the stitches and I get rid of the little bits!

I use them up when piecing a quilt- the color doesn't matter to me since it's really not seen. Gives me lots of "clean" bobbins- the quilt police have not knocked on my door either!!!!!

I use that thread to handsew down my binding. It is also really convenient to carry with me when I take handwork to a get together. I put them in a baggie with several needles on a piece of folded fabric and a small pair of scissors to carry with my quilt so I don't lose them. Quite frankly I only use several thread colors to piece--white, cream, tan or gray and occasionally black. Since my Pfaff tells me when the bobbin is almost empty I don't mind using the those bobbins. My Janome does not have that feature. Boy do I hate to realize I've been merrily buzzing along without thread.

I also just use the low bobbins for scrap quilting unless i'm in a hurry.....it works.......

I usually use neutral colors for both piecing and quilting, so I rarely have this problem these days. When it comes up I try to use them for basting, but extra bobbins are on my back-up list of things to buy when I just "have to" use a coupon for something.

Sometimes over the years I have bought old sewing accessories at garage sales and such, and it's funny how often I have found that old bobbins will have several colors of thread wound on top of each other. There would be no way to get at any color but the last one wound, so why did they do that? I guess it just felt frugal somehow. They weren't throwing good thread away, but they were making it impossible to put a full load of new thread on the bobbin. It would have driven me nuts. These were metal bobbins, so there is no way to see what colors might be on there if you're looking for one. Exposing the layers of thread is like an archeological dig through someone's sewing history.

I use them to practice FMQ on scrap sandwiches.

YUP, I use up whatever is already wound (unless it will show thru on white or light fabrics)....my brain will simply not let me throw it away....do the same with top thread for piecing....have lots of poly leftover from making clothes and just can't toss it.

Dab a little clear glue on the end so the thread doesn't come loose....and string them with some beads to make a quilters necklace and sell them or give them for gifts. :O)