Butterfly Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Hi everyone, I just had a very frustrating day. I started my day hopeful that a pantograph job would be fast. Well, I was mistaken. Here's what I did. I used So Fine on top and tried, for the first time, Bottom Line in the bobbin using a metal bobbin. I had to stop frequently to rip out lots of eyelashing and extra thread on the back of the quilt. I called APQS and after that I loosened my bobbin tention till there was basically no tention at all. Still had the problem. Then I switched to the aluminum bobbin and things went better. Oh, I also wound my bobbins with my Bernina. I don't know if that matters but maybe it does. Do you have trouble with Bottom line when using a metal bobbin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 I've been using metal bobbins, but they aren't the ones from APQS, they are some that I used in my Pfaff Grand Quilter. They are working OK with the Bottom Line. Right now I'm using a Bobbin Genie in the bobbin case, no check spring, with the metal bobbin and Bottom Line and tension is fine. I find that I get the eyelashing just before the bobbin runs out of thread. Occasionally I have a bobbin that doesn't give me good tension and I'm not sure if it is from the winding or if the bobbin is bad. I've dropped a few on the floor so that may be a problem. I'm using the Turbo Winder to wind bobbins. I do have some aluminum bobbin but haven't used them for a while so can't tell you if the metal are better or not. Do you have a bobbin winder that you can use, or some prewounds to try? Good luck working through these problems, they can be so frustrating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltlover03 Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Hi Butterfly, I use both metal and aluminum bobbins and wind them with bottom line on a stand alone winder. I have my bobbin tension set so that if I hold the tail of the threaded bobbin in my right hand and give it a little jerk, it drops about 2 inches into the palm of my left. That is how i adjust my bobbin tension. After that I always adjust my top tension. If you have railroad tracks on the bottom of your Quilt it means that your top tension is way too loose as your and your bobbin tension is most likely too tight. You have to find a healthy balance. Adjust your bobbin so the thread has just the slightest of resistance as you pull it through. Also when you wind your bobbins make sure the tension is proper and they wind fairly even. I hope you get your problem solved and I was of help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly Posted October 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Thanks for your input ladies. I think I will go ahead and order a cone of Bottom Line so I can use my turbo winder. I had just bought a spool at the quilt shop I work at to see how I liked it. Maybe the turbo winder makes the difference. I'd like to keep using the metal bobbins because they look like they hold more than the aluminum. I will also look into the bobbin genie. I've heard good things about those. Jessica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Jessica, you can wind bobbins from the spool of Bottom Line on your Turbo Winder. I always use a thread net when winding the bobbins because it helps keep the thread running smoothly off of the spool or cone and maintains tension. Let us know how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Jessica, I only use metal bobbins and don't have any problems. My tension is set a little looser than Monika's I think. I put the bobbin case in the palm of my hand and give a tug. My goal is to have the bobbin case lift up but not pick up when I pull the tail. Then adjust the top tension. I have a backlash spring and bobbin genie on top but honestly I haven't noticed a huge difference by using the bobbin genie. The biggest help that I found was to no be afraid to adjust that tension. I loosen the top tension completely. I get ugly stitches. Then I tighten it one turn at a time until the stitch starts to look beautiful. When it is almost there then I tweak by a 1/4 turn at a time. It really made me comfortable with adjusting tension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 I have used both types of bobbins with no problems. I do use a TOWA gauge for checking bobbin tension because it saves me time. I don't care for bottom line, it is slippery compared to So Fine and the difference in from a 50 wt to a 60 wt is not much as far as I am concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcarmickle Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 You might also want to look at the Bottom Line pre-wounds...they last FOREVER...I think I can quilt much longer between bobbin changes with the pre-wounds as opposed to the ones that I wind myself. Just an idea.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliagraves Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 I use both metal and aluminum, and Bottom Line almost exclusively. I too have a Towa gauge and it is invaluable! I could never really master the drop test. If your bobbin doesn't wind smoothly, it won't sew smoothly. I too use thread nets. You can also look at the little springy thing in the bobbin case - I've had to bend the little ends up to make sure the bobbins don't overspin. Sharon Shamber sells Bobbin Genies to replace this little springy thing. I've tried them, but didn't see much difference. Make sure you're not overfilling your bobbin. If you take the bobbin case out and there's a loop of thread outside the case, the bobbin is overfilled and some is spilling out and will cause problems. I know it's frustrating, but keep at it - it does get easier to troubleshoot! Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg_marsh Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 I wind all my own & use aluminum. What I have found is that once I have wound the bobbin and popped it on the Towa, I pull out 2 arms length of thread - the Towa registers better and all sews better. Crazy? Maybe yes, but it is what works for me. I use the Turbo Winder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laststitchstudio Posted October 17, 2009 Report Share Posted October 17, 2009 APQS recommends that you use that you use the akuminum bobbins when using the Turbo Winder. Less friction! The metal ones are too smooth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted October 17, 2009 Report Share Posted October 17, 2009 Kate I had never heard that about the turbo winder before. I use only metal on my turbo. I put a small piece of painters tape on the shaft and now the bobbin spins around no problem. I had problems with the aluminum bobbins and tension on my milli. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njquiltergirl Posted October 17, 2009 Report Share Posted October 17, 2009 Hi Jessica. Yesterday must have been the panto problem day! About bobbins and winders and tension, unless you have a damaged bobbin, I do not think it makes a difference what material it is made out of. I also do not think there should be a tension problem with our APQS machines (in good working order) with either SF or BL. Use the winder that came with your APQS. It took me a long time to get the whole tension thing worked out in my mind but once I did, I've not had a huge problem again. I hope I did not jinx myself! Try to be patient and give yourself some experimenting time. Say a morning. Really, a whole morning and just try everything with your combination and see what makes a pretty stitch. I started with my bobbin...get the flow that Heidi described. Not too tight, not too loose. Our manual describes it well, Dawn also shows it on the video we got with our machines. Then get the top tension set...make it pull from the needle as smoothly as it pulls from the bobbin. Just slowly and gently pull out each one, use the bobbin as the reference. You can do this with the SF and any APQS bobbin. Just give yourself some time to figure it out without the pressure of finishing a quilt. Good luck! Lisa APQS Liberty NW NJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laststitchstudio Posted October 17, 2009 Report Share Posted October 17, 2009 Yup! It's true Heidi. It was brought up on the forum before and at the Rep Rally last year. When I got my Turbo Winder, my metal bobbins were taking a longer time to wind than aluminum bobbins, plus they weren't winding the thread very well. I called APQS and they do recommend using the aluminum....less friction and stress on the machine. I haven't had a problem with either bobbins in my machine...although I did end up giving back all my metal ones to APQS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilter 4 Jesus Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 I have the new turbo winder also, and only use aluminum or prewound. A tip I would like to share with everyone is when using spools instead of cones on the winder I recommend putting a thread cap (I use the small one off my Janome DSM) to hold it while winding. It is no fun trying to catch an out of control spool of thread attached to a winder still going full steam ahead. Still don't know if I can use the remaining thread on that spool? I also always use the thread net (cone or spool). May God Bless all your quilting! Sherry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolinequilts Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 There is a great article in Quilting Unlimited mag (March 2008) if you happen to have one kicking around. It talks about bobbin case care - the tension spring, the backlash spring, how to clean and care for everything to do with your bobbin case. He mentions that if there is even the slightest thread or lint in there it can mess up your tension. He suggests loosening the tension spring so you can get under it to clean it with a brush. I cleaned and oiled my bobbin case as per the instructions and am using BL in the bobbin right now. I am noticing a difference between the quilt I am working on now and the one I just completed (also with BL in bobbin). The tension is better and more consistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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