The Sewing Place

Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader

JudyN

Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« on: August 02, 2020, 10:16:05 AM »
I wound a bobbin on my Juki this morning, but it wound loosely, and some of the thread ended up wrapped round the spool rather than the bobbin (which I wound back on by hand). I'm not sure what I did wrong, but my question is, will a loosely wound bobbin work, or should I rewind it?

Also, does anyone else find automatic needle threaders temperamental? It doesn't want to play this morning, despite me fiddling with needle height, foot up and foot down. I'm wondering now if I just wasn't pushing the lever down firmly enough, but are there any other problems worth considering?

BrendaP

Re: Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2020, 10:20:28 AM »
Was the thread properly tensioned whilst you were winding?

The only machine I have with a needle threader is the overlocker and that hasn't worked properly since I pulled a bit hard getting a (user induced) tangle sorted.  I find it's just as quick to thread by hand.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

JudyN

Re: Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2020, 10:29:17 AM »
Hmmm, I might have wound it round the wrong bit of the tensioner. Problem is once I've sat down sewing I'm too lazy to get up and get my glasses :S Which is also why I'll spend 20 minutes fighting with the needle threader rather than 30 seconds getting the glasses and finding my needle threader thingy.

I suppose I should rewind the bobbin or my next session will be spent dealing with a mighty snarl-up in the bobbin compartment!

Iminei

Re: Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2020, 10:32:40 AM »
I would definitely rewind it. The bit the bobbin sits on whilst winding ... should ... pull off with a good tug

Then put the bobbin on the spool holder and rewind onto another bobbin perhaps guiding the loose bits that didnt wind on the bobbin at first, if you havent cut them off.

Make sure you get them through the tension discs and that the bobbin is sat properly ... there's a notch.
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Ohsewsimple

Re: Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2020, 12:44:07 PM »
Needle threaders are fairly delicate as the bit that does the work is just a piece of wire. 
What machine do you have?   

JudyN

Re: Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2020, 13:21:36 PM »
It's a Juki HZL-353z. User error is very much a possibility though, I'm very inexperienced!

I get frustrated because I have fibromyalgia and dodgy shoulders so can only sew/fiddle for a short time, and fiddling around winding bobbins and threading needles with gritted teeth because it's not going well is the very worst for my muscles... so I might leave it till tomorrow to have another go. On the plus side, my first project - Jalie Eleonore trousers - is almost complete and by some miracle seems to fit :o (Despite needing to be unpicked and redone when I realised that the seam allowance was meant to be 3/8" and not 5/8" :| )

WildAtlanticWay

Re: Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2020, 15:07:06 PM »
I bought a box of ready threaded white bobbins from amazon a while ago because my Singer that I was using back then was sometimes temperamental with bobbin winding. It’s very handy to chuck another bobbin on when you’re doing stuff that doesn’t need matching coloured thread.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pre-Wound-Bobbins-Polyester-Domestic-Machine/dp/B01N03PJ1C/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GYHXZ76CRSMQ7Y12649G

They were £20 when I bought them originally. I see there are other sellers offering similar looking items.

@JudyN  I use Gütermann in my top thread and these in my bottom thread on my Juki F-600 and even set on Auto tension, it seems to work ok.

JudyN

Re: Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2020, 15:22:53 PM »
That's a good idea, @WildAtlanticWay :-) In future I'll probably wind a couple of bobbins rather than one when I start a new reel of thread.

Actually, it would be good to know how many bobbins' worth of thread are on a standard reel because unless you're planning on using different threads top and bottom, you could then do them all in one go rather than faff about whenever one runs out. It'd depend on the thread of course, and the bobbin, and the machine... I've not managed to find an answer on Google, I may have to experiment at some point.

KayK

Re: Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2020, 17:50:17 PM »
I have posted on here previously about my temperamental Juki that got sent back - one of the problems indeed was the loopy bobbin, and the other was the needle threader, so don't start blaming yourself just yet!  Please don't use the incorrectly wound bobbin, it will cause an issue at some stage, and will probably jam itself up in the bobbin case!
I have learnt by my mistakes: Sewing machines now are Bernina 720, Bernina 1008, Bernina 801 from 1981, Brother overlocker, ancient but works well

JudyN

Re: Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2020, 18:01:40 PM »
That's interesting @KayK - it's always good to be able to blame the equipment ;)

JudyN

Re: Loosely wound bobbin and needle threader
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2020, 11:57:10 AM »
My bobbin winding is working this morning - wearing my glasses while doing it probably helped  :facepalm: Not so the needle threader. I might see if I can find a magnifying glass, or use my camera, later to see if I can see exactly what's going on. At least it didn't take too long for me to find my little wire needle threader! So having sorted that, I started stitching the raw edges on the waistband, unpicked them because though I'd adjusted the stitch width and length for zig-zag I'd forgotten to set the stitch selection, stitched it up again, unpicked a couple of bits as I'd changed my mind about the elastic in the front of the waistband and decided to remove it, and pinned the waistband to the body of the trousers, which took a couple of attempts before I got it the right way round. Though there seemed to be a distinct lack of matching notches - I haven't a clue how that happened!  :| That's my shoulder quota for today, and I'll need to concentrate when sewing them together so I'll think about that tomorrow. It's getting a bit hot for sewing in the conservatory now.

It'll all be so much better when hubby goes back in to work and I get my sewing table back - I won't have to spend ages wandering round looking for threaders, stitch unpickers, markers, pins....