I also have heard that it is better for the machine to clip the thread and pull it through at the needle. Half of the time I remember to do this....the other half I do not...

Teresa

Maryliz, in recent years I have been hearing this...even to the tune of teachers saying NEVER NEVER NEVER pull your thread back toward the spool.

But...I've been sewing for about 35 years, and I always pull the thread out toward the spool. My one Kenmore machine was about 15 years old when I gave it to my niece and my current Brother machine is 5 years old, and I have never had any kind of problem that couldn't be fixed with a good cleaning and oiling.

Maybe it's a conspiracy with the thread manufacturers so we'll have to buy more thread!

Donna

Hmmmm....a thread conspiracy....?

But I've also heard this from a teacher who did not sell thread or machines.
Teresa

I asked that question of a very knowledgeable woman at the dealer's where I bought my BL Espire, and she said that the reason for clipping must be to prevent lint buildup, but she seemed to think it wasn't terribly important. Since I bought an agreement that will have them repairing my machine for free for three years, I presume that they have no interest in clogging up my machine and having to service it.

Like Donna, in something over 49 years of sewing, I always pulled the thread out towards the spool on all of the machines I had up until now and had no such tension problems. Furthermore, it was only within a month or two of buying the Espire that I did have a tension problem, so you'd think it couldn't be from lint, wouldn't you?--and I was clipping and pulling the thread out from the bottom more than half the time, because I had read someone's warning here.

It wasn't a very bad problem, but I could see the little dots or loops of the bottom thread (a different color) all along the top of my work, while the top thread appeared to be stretched very tight. No matter how much I lowered the tension of the top thread, it made no difference.

After a day or two, I called the dealer and the upshot of the conversation was that I would have to bring the machine in for them to look at. They didn't want me to mess with the bobbin tension. Frankly, I don't see why not! I always used to with my original Juki and other machines, if it seemed necessary. Do the makers and/or dealers think the customers are such idiots?

It is about a 40-minute drive one-way to the dealer's, so I hated to go. I went back and did the same things to the upper tension that I had done before, and suddenly the problem fixed itself. Then I was embarrassed and had to call back and tell them I wouldn't be going. They said probably "a bit of thread had gotten caught somewhere" and then worked itself loose. I sure would like to know WHERE and be able to look for it the next time this happens.

My conclusion is (if you could call it that): If pulling a thread towards the spool creates lint in the tension disks, why wouldn't it create lint when pulled towards the needle as well?

I was thinking the same thing that Biwako mentioned about pulling the thread towards the needle when you are threading your machine. Also, the thread is constantly going through the tension disks anyway when you are sewing.

I read that you should also loosen your tension disks and clean that area out when you clean the rest of the machine. I don't do that very often except when I remember to. Old habits die hard.

I have also heard this warning - regardless, as someone said, old habits die hard - I have NEVER clipped the thread and pulled it out the other way - I have always taken hold of the spool, and pulled it off, pulling the thread out with it. I can't remember when I have had tension problems - and I also do another no-no -- I've been known to adjust the bottom tension on the bobbin case with a tiny screwdriver. Who knows??? Maybe I'm just lucky. I do oil my old Kenmore from time to time, and clean out lint frequently on all my machines, and have taken them all in occasionally for a "tune-up" (Bernina once in 5 years, and Kenmore maybe 2 times in 15 years). I don't know what the answer is.

It doesn't matter which way you remove the thread. One does have to clean between the tension disks occasionally, but it's no big deal.

This is one of those "urban legends" that seem to take on a life of their own. Another one is "Never blow the lint out of your machine with compressed air". I had a major invisible thread mess in my machine and took it in for emergency help during my Christmas rush. The first thing the shop owner did was blow through the machine with compressed air. This is a very expensive computerized Pfaff, with a service contract. He wouldn't have done that if it were not safe.

My studio has compressed air lines, since I used to do upholstery. I use it all the time on all of my machines. It keeps them really clean and has never damaged any of the 8.

Mary

I should also have pointed out the third big "urban sewing legend" that you should never adjust the bobbin tension.

Ridiculous. I even keep two bobbin cases for each machine, set up with different tensions for different threads. The same bobbin tension isn't going to work with every thread.

I've never understood why people are are so fearful about the bobbin tension.

Free yourselves!! Adjust that bobbin if you need to! LOL

Mary

Haha, Mary - all those urban legends are keeping the sewing machine repairmen in business!

Donna

I think the reason they tell you not to mess with the bobbin tension is because a lot of people can't get it back to where it should be,and they start messing with everything else trying to fix it,and make a bigger mess.I heard this in a lot of sewing and quilting classess i took over the years,and also heard it a lot at the fabric store i worked at.

For my Bernina i had 2 bobbin cases,and marked one with nail polish,and that's the one i used for speciality threads.

For years i've bben clipping my thread and pulling it thru the needle,when i change colors.

I also use canned air to clean my machine and have never had a problem.

i also use dual duty thread on my machines more often than not,and still no problem.I won't however use that cheap 5/100 thread on anything,never even buy it.
Kathi

When I bought my last machine the dealer told me to cut the thread and pull through the machine. I try to do that, but sometimes forget. I never did that on my old machines and they still sew just fine. I'm not fearful of adjusting my bobbin, but if it's working OK I rarely adjust anything. I get that from my computer work. Carolyn

I've been thinking a lot about this thread (pun intended!), and trying to remember where I first heard about the clipping of the thread.

It was maybe 10 years ago on a "Sewing with Nancy" episode. It was a sent-in reader hint. Honestly, I can't ever remember anyone being concerned about this until after that show. Certainly they weren't about 15 years ago when I started buying specialty sewing machines.

And all of a sudden sewers were concerned about this, thus birthing yet another urban legend. If Nancy Zieman said it, it must be true! Except, she didn't say it. Some random sewer said it, and people are slavishly following it. The worst thing is that some sewing machine shop owners are also passing it along.

I've been checking various on-line machine manuals, and haven't found a one that tells which way to pull the thread out. There is nothing in my Pfaff manual about it, nor in the Singer manual for the elderly machines, nor in the Consew manual or in the APQS manuals for the industrial machines.

Pull your threads any way you want.

Mary

I usually clip and pull through the needle or through the needle area, if the needle itself is unthreaded. I've heard this story, too. It may indeed be a sewing urban legend - or not.

Regardless, I keep doing it because the thread "pulls" easier in "down through the needle" direction.

When I pull from the top, often there's a lot of resistance, and it's more difficult to pull the thread out. Sometimes (not always) there just seems to be more tension on the thread when I pull it that way and I can't imagine that it's a good thing to yank and pull on thread that doesn't seem to want to go that way.

Pulling from the bottom goes very smoothly.

YMMV,
CMC

I've never even thought about it.

My current machine (a Singer 301), all of the thread is on the outside of the machine - so I would think it wouldn't matter one way or the other which way I pull it out, right?

I've had my Kenmore since Mother's Day, 1978, I've always pulled the thread back through the tension disks.
And I've always adjusted my bobbin, and I have an extra one too for speciality thread.

CMC, I think the reason you feel a resistence on the thread is you may not have the pressure foot raised. In down position, there is more resistence.

My Kenmore has served me so well over the years.

A few years ago, I was making three flower girl dresses and a mother of the bride dresses for my Aunt. I got everything late, to help out, so I was running against a deadline.

Everything was going pretty well when my Trusty Kenmore decided to mess up. Well, I couldn't figure out what was up with her, so I took the tension disks apart.

Let me tell you, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, incase I didn't say it, NEVER take that thing apart. It comes alive and shoots all over the place, bouncing off every surface in sight.

There is this spring in there that will pop out without warning knocking you between the eyes and then scoot across the floor and out of sight. If you're in the kitchen doing your sewing, that squirelly little thing will most definately head toward the stove or the fridge. and under there it'll go.

After pulling the stove out, I finally found it. It took for ever to get it put back together. While I was making all those uncalled for repairs, there didn't seem to be any lint build up, But then again it probably was planted between my eyes where the spring hit.LOL

My problem ended up being the bobbin tension.

It was smooth sailing until I surged the center of one of the dresses cutting a giant hole across it. That's another story all by itself.

Urban legends, hmmmm I wonder how many of them we swear by without even thinking about their validity.

doris=^.^

Oh, Doris. Hahahahahahaha!
I have to say that on the subject of thread pulling, I can see NO reason not to pull the thread from the spool. As Mary said, where, in any manual, does it even suggest that we will damage out machines by doing that?

When hand sewing or quilting don't they say that you should thread your needle with the end that comes off the spool because there is a sort of "grain' in the way the thread is spun? Maybe this is the reasoning behind this idea of pulling through the needle. I have always pulled from the top, but maybe I'll try the other way.

Wheb I got my Bernina last year, I was told that the reason to clip and pull through was that the machine was designed for sewing and therefore for the thread to go in one direction. Specifically, they told me that you can get away with pulling towards the spool in older machines but the with newer machines - as Bernina likes to call them "sewing computers" - the systems/workings are more sophisticated. With what the Bernina cost my husband, I give them the benefit of the doubt, do what I was told, and clip and pull through.
Helen

My Bernina dealer didn't say any of that so........next time the tech chappy is there to do the annual checkup (we get it free here!) I'll ask him.

Have you ever heard the term 'backwash'? As in cleaning stuff. I have had no problem with my Viking for the six years I had it and I removed thread from the spool all the time.

Backwash, the process of thoroughly cleaning a pool filter pump by reversing the flow of water through it with the dirt and rinse water going to waste. The water softener backwashes also.

Hmmm. Perhaps it's just the amount of thread that goes through my machine, not the direction it's going. Lots of sewing = lots of lint buildup? (I can't get anywhere near the tension disks, but I clean out the bobbin case regularly.)

Some threads shed more lint than others. My machine is not sensitive to types of thread so I use a variety and I don't see any lint buildup and I pull my thread out towards the spool.

Also glad to learn you can take an air compressor to these computerized machines and keep them really clean....much cheaper than the repair guy who might just do a few unwanted adjustments.

The manual for my new Bernina says you do not need to oil the bobbin shuttle assembly. I asked the dealer and he said, yes, oil the shuttle case but not anything else.

It seems to me that we have all owned machines for a long time and kept them in good running condition ourselves so we shouldn't need to change our practices just because "someone said" and if it were a debate I think we would be the smarter ones!
Jean

The dealer told me to oil the bobbin shuttle area of my new Baby Lock Espire, too. Not often, and just one drop of oil, but that it is a good idea to do it.