Never had that happen...I can hear the motor running, but it barely turns the bobbin. Machine is a Brother 3500xl, not very old really.

Second question: Can you use an embroidery machine to straight stitch? Like, could I dust off the one that I've never used and make that my main machine?

My old Singer won't wind bobbins so I bought a Sidewinder. I love it. I wind bunches of bobbins and have them ready ahead of time. Before the Sidewinder I just used the bobbin winder on a different machine.

Second question: I have no idea

[quote=Rebecca VLQ]Never had that happen...I can hear the motor running, but it barely turns the bobbin. Machine is a Brother 3500xl, not very old really.

Can you push the winder over toward the handwheel? Sounds like it is not firmly against the wheel mechanism.

I use my embroidery machine as a sewing machine all the time. Check the bobbin winder to see if thread has caught up under the disc.

If your Brother bobbins fit on your embroidery machine bobbin winder, you can use the embroidery machine to wind your bobbins.

you may need to just clean your machine.

I have a side winder too (backup) but I do all my sewing on my janome 8000 which is a embroidery machine. You may discover a new machine after all

Did you try a different bobbin on the winder? I've discovered recently that all bobbins are not created equally even if they all came out of the package that says it is the right size for my machine. If the center is to big it will not hold on the winder.

Hmmm....

Well, I slid the bobbin post back and forth and tried it a couple times, tried to push it more toward the hand wheel, tried to help it along with my finger.

Have NOT tried to change bobbins...it is securely on the post, no slippage there. I've only got the three (clear) ones that I rotate through...seems like just last month I chucked all the ones that "didn't go with" my machine. Oh, the irony.

The embroidery machine is A Brother 350. Off to google the specs on THAT...

The Brother 350 is a combo machine so you can use it as a regular sewing machine :thumbup: - you can also use it to wind the bobbins from the first machine