sewjean

my bobbins are plastic,and they work fine. my machine ,a singer, is 12 yrs.

Kellie G

I have a baby lock, decorator, there is no "safety" stitch width. I leave it on the default setting.

wilma A

some sewing machines will only use plastic bobbins and there is no screw on mine to adjust so you can only go up or down on the numbers to adjust.

Annz

While moving your quilt from one quarter to another you may have accidently moved the tension setting. Double check and rethread top and bobbin.

sentimentaljourney2974

By using metal bobbins only in the beginning (when machine is new) and doing this (activating/magnetizing) 'sets your bobbin'. You can’t use tension control to keep your bobbin operating correctly in the casing. Tension control is for thread only. When plastic bobbins first came out they had a small notice on the packaging that stated ‘not to replace metal bobbins’. Plastic bobbins are ‘temp bobbins’. They are for taking with you if you need to take your bobbins somewhere or to loan to someone etc. The plastic bobbins were very cheap and not a great loss during a time when metal bobbin prices increased a lot. I saw it happen, metal bobbins used to be 3 for 49 cents and one day they were 3 for 2 dollars. The manufacturer had a supply and demand monopoly and capitalized on it. Another manufacturer came up with a cheaper bobbin made of plastic and there were clear instructions that the plastic bobbin was not to completely replace the metal bobbin. I am not the only person who knows this.

Baloonatic

The eyelashes are caused when tension is WAY off for one or another reason. Try rethreading top and bobbin too

angieh1964

on the good side at least it is easy to take out it could be a HUGE very tightly wound birds nest.

MagicT1

When my Kenmore sewing machine does what yours is doing, I have to take it in to Sears to be repaired. The bobbin case is worn out. Mine is a plastic part, and does not last long when I sew every day.

omak

I don't have time to read all of the comments and suggestions, but there is one thing I would highly recommend.
Magic Genie Bobbins ... BEFORE you buy them, consider this ...
We had these in all of our machines in the factory, but they weren't teflon, they were simply pieces of muslin, cut to fit into the bobbin, with a drop of oil on the fabric once in awhile.
Until I saw the ad (don't remember where) ... I had forgotten all about them ... the bobbin, moving in the bobbin case, creates warmth ... if you don't believe me, imitate the action in the palm of your hand with the fingertips of your other hand ... a few back and forth motions and you will feel the heat.
Oil not only lubricates, it acts as a coolant ...
I think the gapping of the bobbin thread is based on two factors ... the bobbin free wheeling as it warms and perhaps (a tip I learned from the Quilting Board) ... slow down your movements a bit ... I was absolutely amazed at the difference created by slowing down.
And, one other idea - - which I am sure that everyone has mentioned:
RE-THREAD your machine.
I JUST went through this with my machine. It wasn't a problem the first quilt, but with each successive quilt, the problem became more pronounced. I had to rewind my twenty bobbins and that was when I discovered that I had been making the machine sew while threaded through the bobbin-filling path as well as whole regular path.
To be sure that I was doing it correctly - - I actually got out my owners' manual and followed it step by step (made a world of difference!) ... why is it that reading the directions is the LAST thing I tend to do???? LOL <wave>

Marguerite

I think you're going too fast. It's like a clutch. I haven't mastered it yet but the foot pedals on a car is similar, coordination wise.