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2491I use the small amounts of thread from my bobbins for basting which is going to be pulled back out from my projects. Since it is bobbin thread it's not really strong enough to use for regular sewing.
26316Does your machine work as an embroidery machine as well as sewing machine? If so, then you can save the small bits on the bobbins for when you are doing regular sewing. It will use up more than when you are embroidering. You can use up almost everything that way. I know what you mean; I hate wasting thread. I've also saved up cartons of bits of colored thread, sandwiched them in between a piece of organza and a piece of felt and stitched out a coaster with the decorative thread scraps trapped inside so they give a splash of color. White thread works if you use colored felt.
16260I use mine till they are empty. My machine stops when there is no thread so it's just a matter of dropping in a new bobbin and starting again.I always back up a few stitches before I start again and never have a problem.
4436I have a plastic tub I am putting all mine in - I plan on adding them to some Free Standing Lace ornaments for interest - single color ornament with little bits of color showing in the open areas.
107PLEASE READ
i have seen a reply that suggests cutting the thread and putting it out for the birds.Please,please make sure the thread is cut into very short pieces i have rescued several birds over the years that have taken long threads left from a local sewing class and have ended up being caught up in the bushes and got trapped amongst the branches with the thread around their legs. Some birds have died that way from starvation or exhaustion, other have had to be destroyed due to broken legs. No longer than two inches is best as they can carry them in their beaks and nothing is left traiing behind to trap them. may i allso sugest that any cat or dog combings be put into one of the mesh bird feeder tubes so the birds can gather it up for their nests, the bits of cotton could go in with them. annie in the uk
by noah
17 Nov 2011
oh thanks Annie i never put out thread only crochet cotton but never thought of it hurting them thanks!!hugs carolyn
by fannyfurkin
17 Nov 2011
I am very careful with my thread now. I have never intentionally left thread for the birds but I had some strands that found there way to the garden. The magpies must have used it in there nest and one of the baby birds got it tangle around his foot and as he grew his foot became deformed. He fell out of the nest and landed in my yard. I had to call the wild life rescue people. I am not sure if the bird survived. I was so upset, I had not even thought about the thread hurting the birds, I felt that made me as bad as those horrible fisherman who leave their fishing line lying around and the pelicans get their feet tangled up in it. I am much more careful now.
14995I always use it on short colour changes. That way I don't waste
10179I even tie the ends together and rewind all on one bobbin. Mine are prewound and it works fine. My machine doesn't like it when they start to get low so I do this to use up more before throwing.
48168Before I switched to prewound I used to knot them together. It was fine and my machine did not worry about the knots. With the prewound I just go to the end. I hate waste.
253107The only thing I can add is the longer pieces I put on embroidery thread cards, for color cards, or hand sewing! I do save all scraps for other projects with organza or wss! Live Laugh Download Stitch
173580Lots of great ideas. I love the one about the birds! We find nest with horse hair sometimes. It is so neat to see what birds can use.
9888my new machine's bobbin thread beeper goes off quite early, so now I wind a different colour thread over the top of the last bit so the machine uses the whole amount of the second colour. xx
7199I either keep the bobbins with the thread still in them and use them on some FSL or run the Machine slowly until all of the thread has run out.
29801If the bobbin threads are coloured or white doesn't matter, I put them in a container and use them later to make a type of material by putting it between to layers of WSS and sewing across and up and down it then drop it in water and hey presto. It can be used decoratively when embroidering or sewing.
by kazza
16 Nov 2011
I even keep the threads I have trimmed when embroidering from jump stitches etc.
by lucypiwow
17 Nov 2011
me2 i keep all leftover threads even surger thred ends wool ribbon cotten scraps that i fray and sandwich them betwen wss and sew over them with my free foot attachment makes a nice decorative square. or straight on a coat or sweater.then you can hand sew beads or what ever. have fun...lol lucy
6831My machine shows me when the bobbin is low then I work very slow until the bobbin is empty, No wasted tread. Love Marie
11877I always use it on short colour changes. That way I don't waste.***
21543When my bobbin gets low, I watch my machine stitching very carefully so I can tell when the bobbin has run out. Then I can insert a new bobbin without wasting the thread and start up the machine where it left off. I agree, I hate to unravel the thread from the bobbin and throw it away as well. This may not be a good solution for a commercial machine, however.
Patty
14667My machine doesn't like knotted thread so I use up the odds and ends to make greetings cards. They only take a small amount of bobbin thread.
140716I saw a suggestion that you cut them in shorter pieces and put them out in spring for the birds to add to their nests. Maureen
by eggyannie
17 Nov 2011
please make sure the thread is cut into very short pieces i have rescued several birds over the years that have taken long threads left from a local collage and have got trapped in trees with the thread around their legs. some have died that way other have had to be destroyed due to broken legs
2079I have a commercial machine, so I end up with lots of wasted threads. Sometimes I just toss the bobbins (I use prewound throw away. The extra thread that I get when changing out my threads, I put in a basket and cut them into 3" pieces. My grandson hangs them in the trees in the spring, it fun to watch the birds take the threads to help make their nests. No waste, and he loves doing it.
by lawmedassistant
16 Nov 2011
Great idea. Definitely will have to do this ... we have tons of birds in the country. :)
17488I remember someone suggested winding new bobbins by joining the small pieces with knots. You just keep on connecting them till you've wound your entire bobbin. It's a bit time consuming, but I have tried it and it worked for me. I feel less wasteful that way.
by i2amanana
16 Nov 2011
do the knots get caught on anything in the machine and does it hurt the machine
9945
70767You can do hand sewing with it. Save it in a container and do stained glass ornments with it. Sandwich it between two pieces if sheer chiffon and sew an tree orniment with it. It looks like stained glass with all the pretty colors and no waste. Suzanne
111092If you have another regular machine you might be able to use it in that. I can't so I use them for hand work or just toss them. Seems a waste, but I don't know what else to do with it.
MJDG
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