Bobbins can be trouble

I have been throwing away bobbins. i have read posts on winding bobbins slowly and straight. and how bobbins can get out of true. or not to wind them too fast so they don't get too tight. so, when i started having problems with some of my bobbins i figured they were just old or getting out of whack....no idea how that happens. but my bobbins were tight and not fitting in their case. i couldn't get them out without a needle or pin to pry them out. and i couldn't stitch properly with them.

over the last year i have thrown away about 8 bobbins.

and just last week i figured out that i have been throwing away bobbins for nothing...it wasn't the bobbin....it wasn't the thread...it was ME.   siiggghhh!!!

check this out.

see that little bit of thread that is all curled up. that has been my problem all along. when winding the bobbin, i hold the end of the thread and then cut it off after it winds around a few times. and as it winds, the thread curls up on itself. when i just snip the thread and finish winding, there is a little curl of thread there. sometimes it goes down into the hole when i put the bobbin in the case. then the bobbin is caught and doesn't want to move. i have to take a needle or pin to pull the bobbin out. i would put in a different bobbin and it would be fine. so i thought the first bobbin was bad and rewound the thread onto another bobbin and threw that one away.

finally one day i guess i looked closer or something. when i pulled out the tight bobbin i saw the bit of thread curl. i pulled it up and there was about an inch of thread...all curled on itself. once i clipped that off, the bobbin slipped right in...no problem.

so, the new rule is to pull up and snip off that last little bit of thread before putting the bobbin in. works every time and no more thrown away bobbins.

sheesh.....it must be the Polish in me.....sometimes it takes forever to figure something out.  i guess it is good that i figured it out before i threw away ALL the bobbins and went and bought more.

i was thinking that if I had the problem...perhaps someone else did, too.  or not...you all might be more clever than i am and know about this already. but i feel so relieved that i have solved one of my life's little problems. now i love my bobbins again.