Tartan

I had a small project to sew today and it needed an exact match of thread. I looked in my bobbin case and they were all full except one. It was half full but I didn't want to pull all the thread off it so I put my other colour on top. Anyone else ever done that?

mighty

I have not done that for a long time, but I have done it.

linda8450

I have been doing it for years! If I only am doing a small amount of stitching with a particular color, I don't need an entire bobbin wound...so I just pick up one that has some left from a different project. I have stitched it off and wished I had wound more, but never had a problem with the procedure. Only drawback is if you need that particular color that is underneath! Then you do have to pull off the top thread.

Neesie

I used to have a friend, who constantly did that. Problem was, she was constantly running out of thread because none were 'full' of any one color.

QuiltnNan

i did that at my aunt's house yesterday... not in my own realm, so dealt as best i could. it worked for the very short project, but would not on a regular basis.

DOTTYMO

My mother always did this . She would look down the colours if she needed a new one but she made clothes not quilts.

SueSew

Oh I have done that also when reluctant to throw out thread and short on bobbins or just in a big hurry. I wonder if the bobbins wind smoother if they start on the hard surface of the bobbin core, though, as opposed to on the softer thread pack. But I haven't had any bad side effects from doing it.

pattilynn

Absolutely, then when I am making a scrap quilt of all colors I use all my half full bobbins to use them up. Thread is so expensive these days, can't waste any.

Dina

I used to do that all the time, for 40 years of sewing. But when I started quilting, I was told "NO, NO, NO" and haven't since. Now I wonder why. At the time I thought my new sewing machine wouldn't welcome the practice, but I never had any problems when I did it with any other machine.

Dina

cabbagepatchkid

I've never done that, myself, but I have bought many vintage sewing machines and the bobbins all seem to have many layers of different colored threads on them.

I never really knew why anyone may have done that but now, after reading these posts I can understand why.