I loathe buying thread. I’d rather buy fabric. And I always always seem to run out of thread at the worst times…like when I’m in the middle of quilting and my nearest Joanns is out of the white Gutermann thread I love (which is always). So last time I was there I bought one of these biggie spools. Not sure what the real name is…so we’ll go with "biggie spool".
I didn’t really think about the fact that it doesn’t even fit on my machine. So it has been in a bin for 3 months…until I learned this slick trick from my local Bernina man (sorry Bernina man…I don’t know your name).
I cut off one end of my spool of thread (mine was a 1000 meter spool…but I think smaller would work too). I used a hack saw to cut it off….it looks really crappy but it works. Just make sure not to cut your fingers off please.
Then stick it into the biggie roll and voilà! You’ve got yourself a nice big roll of thread that fits your machine and cuts down on all the thread buying. Love that.
86 comments:
Genious!
Great idea!!
What kind of thread is the biggie spool? And do use polyester thread for everything? I've heard of piecing with serger thread, but not quilting with it. Just curious
That is ingenious. One of those "Why didn't I think of that?" tricks. Thank you Bernina guy!
Great idea.
Very clever!
Love you Bernina Guy!!
Wow! Such an easy solution and buying the bigger size of thread is always more economical!
Brilliant!
awesome!! thanks for the tip
Love it!!
Excellent idea!
What a wonderful tip! How do you store your thread when not in use? We are rather limited on space so I have continued to use small spools which can get expensive. Thanks!
I tried using a large spool of thread on my viking, I had to use a separate stand to hold the thread. I could never the tension right on my machine and gave up. I now use the large aurifil spools of thread.
Oh my gosh I'm headed to Joanns today. I'm going to give this a try for sure!
I rigged my own spool stand using a marker, a cool whip lid, and a bunch of masking tape. Shockingly, it works like a charm and has lasted for over a year!
Okay could you have posted this ages ago! I have several of these in my sewing drawer which were almost facing a fate of never being used! Thanks!
That is so smart! Where do you buy your thread?
Yay for smart men!
What a GREAT idea for using thread on cones! Much nicer than having the cone in a container behind your machine!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
so smart!
Oh Yeah!! I just did the same thing, only JoAnns is not that close to me, I do mail order. The spools that size were on sale and I never thought a wit about the size. When I got my package yesterday I cussed my self for being so stupid. Great tip I will try right away, first thing I will do is wind about 10 bobbins.
thanks
Thanks for the tip!!!
Great idea! I'm going to be trying that.
That's one of those "why didn't I think of that?" moments. I just wish you could've posted this yesterday before I went to Joann's! I stood in the thread aisle for a while and thought about buying the "biggie roll" since it would last so long and I had an awesome coupon, but I thought 'how will it work on my machine?' True story, LOL. Thanks, though! I might just have to take another trip to town, now ;)
Awesome! I like to get big spools too. Especially of white.
I buy the exact same thread, the larger Gutermann spool in white. And yes, Joann's is always out! SUCKS! I have been told about this technique in the post, but don't want to buy crappy thread in cone form! I want the same quality as the Gutermann without all the lint shedding in my bobbin holder. Can anyone help me with this?
So tell us about 100% polyester thread..I am seeing more and more people blogging about polyester. I was always told "cotton only!"...but things do change and usually for the better. Lisa in Texas
great tip! I hope this will work for my machine as well!
great idea!
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
What a brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome trick! You should try Aurifil thread. A lot less fuzz and I think it quilts better than Gutterman. Less thread breaking. ;0
So clever Idea! Thanks.
I'm screwed~~my spool on my antique Pfaff is horizontal. I thought about a 'stand' but like Anita said, the whole tension blah blah blah issue sounds like too much hassle.
I'll be ever so happy when one of the machine companies comes up with a ginormous bobbins.
genius!!
Great idea! Thank you so much!
That is awesome!
That's a great idea!
I think it is now called the creative cone of goodness!! Whooohooo!
That is brilliant! I'm going to Joann's today because I'm going to spray baste and do a LOT of quilting this weekend. This hint came at just the perfect time!
That's hysterical - I get upset with Jo-Ann's whenever they're out of that mondo spool in white, which I tend to buy in bulk, and mine's been out for a while now. I forgot about those super biggie spools, I'll have to give those a try sometime!
NICE! Always wondered how to get it to stop bouncing around!!! Thanks!
Thank you, Bernina Man and Allison!
That sounds awesome. I have been using biggie spools for a while but I have just been taping chopsticks to my viking to keep them on, I will definitely have to use this idea!
you are soooo awesome- biggie spools, here I come :)
Sweet idea! I thought you were going to say you used it to fill umpteen bobbins! That sounds like something I would do...hey I might be onto something! Great tip thx! Jenn
GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENIUUUUUUUUS!! (said in my biggest burliest voice ever!) Must do this!!
Oh I wish this would work on my machine. But I have a Singer from the early, early 80's and I couldn't get it to work on my machine as the thread holder sits horizontal and you have to slide the thread on.....but I never thought of putting it in something behind the machine and having it pull from there. Wonder if that'd work?? Hmmm.....because I DID buy three of these a while ago and then finally returned them because I couldn't think of a way to use them. Maybe I shall have to go get some and try!
Great Tip! Looking for my hack saw right now. hehehe. I have a few big spools of thread and am always trying to figure out how to make this work. You (or your Bernina man) are BRILLIANT!!! Thanks.
What a great idea!
My spool needs to go on horizontally on my machine, there's got to be some way to make it work . . . hmmmm.
Ooooh, that is an AWESOME trick. Thanks!!
Did Bernina Man know any tricks for making the bobbin thread last longer?!?!?!
i agree with the comment above ... it's that dang bobbin that always runs out on me! haha.
great tip!!
This is so, so fabulous! Thank you for sharing and tell your Bernina man, "Thanks". Can your Bernina man share more little tricks like this with you so you can pass them along to your readers?
Ppffftttt...you are so stinkin' smart!
Cool! Wish it would work with my machine that loads thread sideways.
OH...KAY...that is just too Earrr-y! Did my mind send a telepathic request to you for this info? My mind has been wondering around aimlessly looking for a solution to the "big spool" problem. THANK YOU!! Immensely for the pictures and information.
hugZ,
annie
rubyslipperz.blogspot.com
this is brilliant! thanks!
Beautiful. The Gutterman white is my fav too.
Please be careful using this thread in making quilts. It is designed for sergers and in combination with 3 to 4 other threads. It is not strong enough to handle the stress of piecing. Cheaper is not necessarily better. A friend used this thread and her quilt fell apart.
I have a couple of other ideas for you. There is a "cone stand" at Joanns for around $5.00 that holds the cone on a stand behind your machine. I also use a canning jar and set it behind the machine when I go someplace else with my cone in tow. Just put the cone in the jar and bring the thread up into the threading tracks like you would otherwise. If you are having tension issues, put the jar on the floor behind your machine. As the thread comes up there will be a little more pull on it. I have three different machines and have never had a more than a slight tension issue. Be sure to use good serger thread!
light tension issue. Be sure to buy a good brand of serger thread!
Score! so smart!
Okay I used to have the biggie on my machine, but the weight of the bigger spool messed up my machine, so I got a stand so the spool sits on my sewing table and lifts straight up off the spool...no pulling by the machine. Just a tip.
That is an amazing tip. Thank you so much.
very cool tip! Thanks for sharing.
Hugs
Julie
LUV that idea! I always wanted to save and buy the cone thread. I know they sell attachments for using them, but I never wamted to bother with that. This is a great idea! Thanks for sharing =)
Lisa
Never in a milliom years would I have thought to do this~ thanks sooo much for this tip.
They have the thread cone holders for this, but this is so convenient and less cluttered around the machine/
Thanks again!
I will link your blog from my "Great Tips" segment o n my website~ Sew Much Talent, www.sewmuchtalent.com
Then I should tell you that Pat Bravo is coming out with cones of thread to match all the colors in her fabric lines. So pretty.
This is so much better than my solution! I have my serger to the right of my sewing machine, but I only use three of the four cones on it. So, on the leftover space, I have my cone of thread and run it through the wire tension loop that allows the thread to come off the cone straight up. It's about a foot away from my sewing machine's tension, but it's worked thus far. This idea seems a bit less... um, 'rigged', if you will.
Years ago, my sis-in-law gave me a little doo-hicky that is made for this, but I've never used it. Search "Dritz Cone Thread Holder" and you cand find them down around $4. Or, follow Jude's advice and get one at JoAnn's (with a coupon or on sale!)
Now that is one super tip!!!
wonderful, but my silly machine has one of those cassette thingys!!
Please Please nobody use this thread in anything but a serger! This is only designed for use in a serger ---- hence the name MaxiLock. If you need to find Gutermann at a cheaper price I have a great source, http://sewtrue.com/Store/Thread-C4/. They have 1100 yard spools for $3.50 and 5500 yard cones for $16.50. They have a color guid on the left hand side of the page and you can also order one. Basically any color thread that your normally buy at Joann in Gutermann you can purcahse at Sew True in a larger size. The Maxilock is only designed to be used when serging with three or four threads at a time for stability and will NOT withstand the test of time.
What a useful idea!!! OMG, I have been trying to figure out how to rig up something that would work. You rock for sharing this!
This is genius. I am now getting up from the computer to go get myself a hacksaw from the garage. Genius.
Another good online source for Gutermann thread and others is Atlanta Threads.
Great Idea for cone thread!
But I can't recommend Guterman thread, it is not the same quality that it used to be. I prefer Mettler, aurafil, and others.
I tried a similar contraption, but the bigger spool was so much heavier, that it messed with the tension. You don't have that problem?
amaidenhairfern.blogspot.com
OMG This is genius! Thank you for sharing!
This is such a great tip! Thanks for passing it on, Allison!
Amanda
Wow!!! I have the same issue since a few months, thanks a lot !! Your idea (well, Mister Bernina's) is going to go in France ;)
So smart! I'm glad I stumbled on this - now I can use the giant spools of thread I got for Christmas! I had despaired of finding a good way to make them fit my machine.
Genius! My machine only really likes that jumbo spool. I threw mine in a washed out yankee candle jar to be able to use it.
oooh nelly, I love this idea! I have a bunch of big spools and this will help me actually use them up! Thank you for sharing!
Yesterday I made myself a really simple thread stand (so I could have one at each machine) that is working just great. Maybe something similar would work for you too: http://doraquilts.blogspot.com/2012/04/tutorial-thread-stand.html
There is a great very cheap gadget at Erica's that would work too. It is like a flat piece of plastic approx. 8" long (guessing) with a hole in one end that slips onto your spool holder and a small hole at the other end you put the thread end through, then continue threading your machine as usual. Hard to explain - go have a look on the website. I think you could probably make up something similar yourself, but it costs so little why would you? Also, the thread comes off the tall spool straight upwards which is a much better thread delivery than coming off the side.
thank you sooo much for this tip - its eternally good :)
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