Quilt Layer # 1 - Bobbin

bob·bin
ˈbäbin
noun
plural noun: bobbins
a cylinder or cone holding thread, yarn, or wire, used especially in weaving, machine sewing, and lacemaking.
a spool or reel.

I’ll bet you‘ve never thought of a bobbin as one of the quilt layers before. In my personal opinion it is a VERY important ingredient in the entire quilting recipe.

The list of bobbin options these days is impressive. Almost every thread company doing business has a prewound option. Any thread on the market can be wound onto the bobbins which come with our domestic and quilting machines. These machines can be a size ‘L’, ‘M’ or even ‘15A’ bobbin. 

The key to a good bobbin is to wind it correctly, with good tight tension on the winder. A bobbin should never be mushy or soft. If you were to press on the threads it should feel hard to the touch. I also recommend that quilters use a lighter weight in the bobbin than top thread. My personal preference is to match the bobbin color to my backing instead of matching to the top thread. Luckily, we get beautiful tension on our APQS machines so I never need to worry about top thread showing on the back of quilts. 

My absolute favorite prewound bobbins are Magna Glide by FilTec. What sets them apart from the others? They are unique due to the core of the bobbin having a magnet which attracts to the inside of the bobbin case. This eliminates backlash of the bobbin when stopping/starting or changing directions. The trick with these bobbins is this: inside the bobbin case is a flat checkspring which must be removed for the bobbin to attach. Many quilters like to have a second bobbin case just for magna glide bobbins. 

We are giving away a bobbin prize pack on the Sparrow Studioz FB page. Be sure to check it out!
*Note: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. 

This post was originally posted on Tumblr.