dtreusch Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Do you ever get one of those bobbins that just aren't wound right and you need to unwind 100 yds of thread? It's a PITA to unwind. I've tried holding the bobbin loosely between my thumb and forefinger and let it spin while I pull the thread off. Invariably, I either drop the bobbin or pull the thread too fast and get backlash that makes a mess out of the bobbin. I've tried putting my feet together and dropping the bobbin down in between them. Don't try it. It doesn't work and you look pretty silly!! :P I've tried just laying the bobbin on the floor, standing over it and unwinding. This works until about half way through. Then bobbin goes flying across the room in random directions every time you pull on the thread. BTW - This is the dogs favorite method!! She likes to bark and it and chase it around the room. Cheap entertainment. My latest try was putting the bobbin under a mesh cup. Works wonderfully and the bobbin was unwound in a matter of seconds. Stand about a yard away and get both hands alternating pulling on the thread. You can unwind it twice as fast. An added benefit is some exercise for those flabby underarms!! :D Just thought I'd share my silly attempts at unwinding the occasional bobbin. Debbi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinneaMarie Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Debbi, I think you need more bobbins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 I drop mine in a mug and put my hand over it, same principle opposite way up. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Hey good idea, Deb! I need to get me a mesh cup. Hmmm... won't hold my coffee will it? But seriously, One thing I do on my badly wound bobbins is I take it over to my Bernina and stick it on the spindle and unwind it onto a new bobbin (using my Bernina bobbin winder) Works pretty slick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 I love the ideas that everybody comes up with. Great idea Debbi. Beats chasing that lost bobbin all over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcck00 Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Shana, that's a good idea! Debbi, I have been there, done all that.:mad: I started using my sharp pointed scissors and just cutting through the thread. It usually takes about 3 snips to remove it all. But I think I'll try Shana's method from now on, and not waste the thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted July 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Duh.... It never occurred to me to unwind it to another bobbin Shana. I'll have to try that. Although it probably won't be as fun as my methods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Yeah, you are right, Debbi. It's pretty boring, mundane winding bobbins like this. Plus (darn it) I don't get to exercise my flappy underarm thingies or entertain the dogs chasing that darned bobbin rolling all around the room. thank God I don't have a LAM Cam in my sewing room. You would surely see some stupid silly things that I do. I'll spare you this but you can imagine, can't you? (((hugs and love you, friend))) PS: I've used some of my newest pantographs and playing with the rulers. You are right,,, the "Spaced Out" panto is really COOL! I used it on a baby quilt. Very fun. Except I started going backwards and stitching over my stitches so I put little directional arrows on that pantograph so I don't do that stupid stunt ever again. See? That's why I don' t have a LAM cam!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadia Wilson Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 When I wind a bobbin and it is not done well, I use my turbo bobbin winder to wind it onto another bobbin....I use a thead net over the bobbin at the top and just run the thread through the winder again onto a new bobbin....it works well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted July 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Hi Shana. I'm glad you are having fun with your toys!! I definitely don't need a camera in my studio. It can get comical sometimes. Crawling under the table to look at the tension on the back, turning off all the lights at night and then crawling under the table with a flashlight to see how the quilting looks on the back, putting zippers on backwards, leaning over the belly bar and getting a pin in the belly, extracting pins from my fingers, forgetting to measure the backing, and the list goes on. I'm sure we all have our list of dumb and silly things that go on in the studio behind closed doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 ROFLMAO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmquilt Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Golly I'll have to remember this. The funniest way that I have unwound bobbins was accidentally with the vacuum sweeper. I was cleaning and it snagged the thread, the bobbin was flying and bouncing all over the place. Worked FAST too. Michele PS I don't recommend this method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Originally posted by dtreusch .....I'm sure we all have our list of dumb and silly things that go on in the studio behind closed doors. Yes, and we will utilize the "don't ask, don't tell policy" here. I claim the 5th amendment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted July 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Hey Michele, I never though about a vacuum to unwind a bobbin. Although I have used it to snare a stray thread on the floor, only to find out a few seconds later it was attached to a spool in my rubbermaid bin under the table. I wouldn't recommend this either. Oops Shana. I just told another one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherryRogers Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Chopsticks or knitting needles work!! Load em up, grab the thread ends and let em roll!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 I put mine on the Viking thread post and put the cap over it so it won't unwind off, and start pulling with both hands, letting it fall into the waste can. Goes quite well. Love all the comical techniques you've all come up with. May I share them at our Lock In the end of the month? (Guild is locked in overnight, with Police- checks on us every hour.) I'm going to let the battery weasle with the ball loose when everyones yawning about 3 a.m. ritaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 I always seem to wind too many bobbins. Well, "M" bobbins cost $3 so I only have about 25. When I finish a quilt, I put the bobbins with extra thread in a plastic box with a hole in it. You know M's hold 200 yds of So Fine so unwinding is hassle. When I run out of empty bobbins, I give the plastic box to DH to unwind the bobbins. He is pretty quick and no bobbins rolling under the sofa. I just wish there was a machine to unwind This is 16 M bobbins This is the plastic box. I think it is designed for embroidery, I just drilled a big hole in the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted July 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Funny Linda!! :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Linda, how funny!!! I use a screwdriver through the hole and then just pull until it's done. I have been known to just toss ones that give me trouble. I may also try the mesh cup idea. Never thought about winding them off. Hmmmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 I have always cut through the thread and unwrapped the bobbins. Goes really quick. I like the idea of winding the loosely wound bobbin onto another bobbin. Wonder how I could do that? I wil have to experiment a bit with my other sewing machines to find the proper fit. I also have wondered about Sherry RH's idea of using wooden skewers to hold the bobbins. I love this forum. So many ways to do things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted July 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 ROFLMAO Sherry!! I was picturing that you had a bobbin sitting on the floor or in your lap. You tied the thread around one of the skewers then starting twirling the 2 skewers around each other to unwind the bobbin. Then what happens to the skewers now that the thread is wound around them?? :P I wasn't picturing it right until I read Kristina's post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherryRogers Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Thread kabobs....yummo!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Now I am ROTFLMAO! :P Debbie you are tooo funny! Now this vision is stuck in my head of twirling skewers and chopsticks. Hope nobody gets hurt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IQ'd Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Plus (darn it) I don't get to exercise my flappy underarm thingies or entertain the dogs chasing that darned bobbin rolling all around the room. roflol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What I do to unwind-especially if there is too little thread on the bobbin is to throw it into a plastic shopping bag I have hanging on the end of the machine and do the overhand method..............HMMM maybe that's why I don't have the flabby underarm thingies (don't let me fool ya!).:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriasews Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 I unwind my bobbins, too, using my thread winder. It's just like winding a bobbin from a spool of thread, only it's from the bobbin. That way you never waste the goofed up wound bobbin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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