what kind of machine do you have and do you have spare bobbins? are you able to use any bobbins? I have a Kenmore 150 and the metal bobbins I bought for it are bouncing when I wind them. Anyone else have this kind of problem?

My machines only like the bobbbins that are made for them.

In other words, one size does not fit all.

I have a Bernina 630 and I buy Bernina bobbins. I like having lots of bobbins just ready to go so I have at least 40 bobbins and I wind most of them up with ecru or light grey. When I am ready to quilt a quilt I will wind at least 3 or 4 with thread to match the back. Sometimes the spool of thread spins a lot as I wind and that makes noise. Even JoAnns carries bobbins for different makes, I bought 3 pkgs with a 50% off notions sale. 4 came with my machine and I bought 4 more from my dealer and then bought a batch of 15 or 20 on e-bay

I have a Bernina 200 and a 440QE. They just happen to use different size bobbins :evil: Just make sure the bobbins you're using are the correct ones for that machine. Also, your bobbin probably winds faster than you sew, so it could bounce the machine a little. You can put that rubberized shelf liner underneath. My 200 is the one I use for embroidery and without the shelf liner stuff, it sounds and looks like it's going to bounce off the table... :wink:

I only use the plastic bobbins that are made for my Kenmore. I've tried the metal ones that say they CAN be used with Kenmore, but, like yours, they bounce. So I fixed that problem....I tossed them all out.

Do you order them from Sears? I bought some plastic ones and they were too small.. Thanks for the tip

The lady at the sewing machine place told me that the repair place calibrates the machine for either a plastic or metal bobbin.

I've used both metal and plastic bobbins with my Pfaff (mid 1980's ) and the old Singers (1960s) and they seem to work okay to me.

I also like to have LOTS of bobbins on hand. Can't waste that last 20 feet of thread on that bobbin, now, can we.

I usually have people send them to me. Every once in a while there may be one or two in the package that just "aren't right". Usually don't find them until the bobbin is fully wound, but I'll just rewind onto another bobbin and toss the wonky one.

It's funny, I hate wasting thread so I will either throw in my almost empty bobbins when I am piecing small items or sometime I will just use it on the top where I can keep an eye on it. I never start quilting with a partial bobbin. Always a full one, hate to run out while quilting!!!!

I have 2 Kenmores and a Brother and found that Class 15 metal or plastic will work on all of them. The only bounce I have had was because the bobbin was not snapped in completely and left too much wiggle room.

while shopping in JoAnn I was looking at bobbins and noticed there are a number of different sizes. They are marked by the term "class" But this page has almost any kind you could want, if you knew what you needed.

http://www.sew4less.com/category/2/Bobbin

Just look at all the sizes and varieties! Is it any wonder we get confused and purchase the wrong bobbins? For a long time I thought bobbins were all one standard size, then I began to find out some of the more expensive machines had their own special bobbins. Nothing is standard anymore.

Get out that manual and see if you have some notations on what size to buy, both bobbins and needles.

Happy quilting, girls.
June

I use only the plastic ones for my Kenmore too, like Terri does.

For my Bernina 640, I use only the Bernina ones.

I have a Bernina too and I only use Bernina bobbins. I probably have 25-30 bobbins, so when I start a new project I usually wind 4 to 5 bobbins. I cannot stand to stop in the middle of my project and have to wind a new bobbin.

I seen somewhere........you can get little plastic washers that is suppose to stop the crazy bobbin....I think they call them Bobbin Washers.....my machine use's whatever I put in it....guess it don't bother me....


http://jhittlesewing.funoverload.com...ls/page_1.html

look for "Little Genie Magic Bobbin Washers"

I ordered some from Sears last night. Plastic ones, I did use my metal ones from my first machine, but I wanted a lot more. I think I may have to get rid of some that I bought. Thanks for the tip about putting a washer under the bobbin, my first machine had a felt circle under the bobbin.

i have tons of bobbins - plastic - that fit the Janome machines - i don't know if they fit any other machines or not, but i would be glad to mail a bunch to anybody if you want them.

Cathie, I have purchased some of the Little Genie Bobbin washers at JHittle and use them in my Bailey Home Quilter.

I also purchase their generic rotary cutter blades and have bought their box of 400 pins which are the best for pinning fabrics on the quilt frame leader cloth.

J Hittle offers lots of variety in products as well a customer service. He is a small business man and these are the people we need to support during this time of economic crisis. Wal-Mart did not care about us when they closed their fabric department. We can order from home and have these items sent to our door. Help save one American-owner business and make a purchase from this family.

http://jhittlesewing.funoverload.com...ls/page_1.html

June

bobbin bouncing while winding -

on my machines, when the bobbin is seated for winding, it behaves itself.

On some bobbins there is either a hole or notch near the center - some machines have a place for that to sort of settle into. It sort of clicks when it's in the proper position.

(I know what I mean here, but I'm having trouble articulating it)

I love the jhittlesewing.com!!!! They are fast, inexpensive, and you know what the heck you're getting.......

Boyfriend bought me a singer sew simple machine . It has several quirks ! Singer calls them safety measures , I call them a pain in the butt ! The bobbins listed in the manual are not the right bobbin size ! Only plastic . I like the older machines that have metal bobbins . :D Just try winding monofilament thread on a plastic bobbin ! Broke several :mrgreen: Annie

I have a Singer Merritt. All of my bobbins are made to go in Singers. I would be afraid to try anything else. I worry because of the age of my machine.

For my Pfaff I use plastic bobbins specifically made for Pfaff. They are smaller than the ones I use in my cheapie Brother. I also use prewound bobbins in echu or lt. grey that have thin cardboard bobbins and never had a problem in either machine. I also have some old metal bobbins that only fit in the Brother, but sometimes they do rattle a bit. For my Feathweight I only use the bobbins that came with it.

Liked the idea one gal had to use up small amounts in bobbins on the top, that's what I do when I make string quilts.

May in Jersey who hasn't touched any of her machines in a long while and is getting withdrawal symptoms, LOL!

I have a Jamone 6600. The place I bought the machine gives bobbins away when you go in for any reason. Needless to say I have lots of bobbins!!

My Viking Designer 2 uses green plastic bobbins made special for it alone. They do not fit on the side winder either. My Kenmore uses plastic bobbins. Thanks for the bobbin site from Joanne's , I found just what I needed.

I found with both my Babylock and my Pfaff that it pays to use the bobbin made for that machine. I couldn't figure out what was wrong when there were so many nests on the bottom of the embroidery. Turns out it was the bobbin. Also matters how the bobbin is wound. The pfaff bobbin can be wound on the "bobbin winder" gadget but I finally figured out after many errors that those Pfaff bobbins that were wound on the "Bobbin Winder" were the ones causing all the problems. then i read in the small print on the box that it doesn't work with Pfaff. So although the bobbin fit on the gadget to wind it, it didn't sew well. After so many problems I learned my lesson. if you are using pre wound bobbins that's another problem to figure out...some work with some machines and some with others. with the Pfaff, it works better to take the cardboard sides off. the plastic ones don't work well with Pfaff at all. They may be ok with Babylock.