Have you ever found that you've been saying something for a really long time
and then, come to find out, it's incorrect.
That just happened to me.
I've been here at Sewing Parts Online for about 7 1/2 years.
In that time, I have always said that there is a regular bobbin case
and an embroidery bobbin case.
Well, there's a little more to it.
Stick around and I will tell you what I didn't know.
(music)
Hey, everybody. Tricia here with Sewing Parts Online.
So let's talk about these bobbin cases.
To begin, I want to mention that this information applies to Babylock and Brother bobbin cases.
So let's set these two side by side.
See how this one has the green on the tension screw?
And this one has a purple dot in the middle?
That is what I will be referring to with this discussion.
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So let's start with the green bobbin case.
This is the bobbin case that comes with your machine.
It has the little green screw on it.
This bobbin case's tension is preset from the factory.
It is intended to be used with a 60 wt thread.
This preset tension allows you to begin sewing as soon as you get your machine.
Now, this is the bobbin case that I always thought was intended just for sewing.
But that's not the case.
As long as you're using 60 wt. thread,
you can use it for both sewing and embroidery.
Now, the thing to note about this particular bobbin case is that
you cannot adjust the tension.
Loctite is used on the threads of the screw so it's not going anywhere.
Even if you could move it,
you don't want to because then you're going to have
issues with your tension and it's
just going to cause a mess.
Now, can you use other thread other than what came with your machine?
You sure can!
As long as it's a 60 wt thread.
Now if you're wanting to use a different weight of thread, that is where the purple dot bobbin case comes in.
Normally, there's a purple dot; however,
it's not always purple.
It may not even have a dot at all.
Just know that if it doesn't have the green on the screw,
then it is an indication that it's your alternate bobbin case.
So the difference is
this one does not have the Loctite.
That means you can adjust your tension as needed.
So, it's not intended just for embroidery.
It's intended for sewing and embroidery.
And you can adjust your tension according to what thread you are using.
How cool is that?
Seriously, my mind is blown!
Learning something new all the time.
Now this bobbin case has a preset tension to work with a 90 wt thread instead of a 60 wt.
It's a little difficult to see the difference, but I wanted to kind of show you the difference in the weight of thread.
This is a 30 wt.
This is the 60 wt.
And this is the 90 wt.
Have you ever had to use your alternate bobbin case and adjust your tension?
Did you find it difficult?
Comment below - I'd love to hear.
To adjust the screw is actually really easy.
When adjusting the tension screw, you want to think of it as a clock.
Adjust the screw in 15-minute increments
and then try again.
To tighten the screw- or tighten the tension,
you want to go clockwise.
So, if you want to loosen the screw or loosen the tension,
you need to go counterclockwise.
A little trick that my technician taught me is
Right to Tight and Left to Loose.
Or, the good ol' Righty Tighty- Lefty Loosey
To me, if possible, it makes sense to have both bobbin cases on hand.
Unfortunately, not every machine has both options, but if it's available,
I would definitely snatch them up.
I also wanted to throw in here that you may come across a light gray bobbin case in addition to these two.
That one is intended for bobbin work.
Unfortunately, I didn't have one in stock to show you, but your manual will usually give you some information
on that particular speciality bobbin case.
If you're finding that you are having issues with
thread nesting, breaking stitches, or just getting bad results in general,
and you've done all your troubleshooting according to your manual,
it may be time to change out your bobbin case and play with that tension a little bit.
I hope that this video has helped you to determine what bobbin case to use
and when to use it.
Until next time, Happy Sewing, Everybody!