Whether you are new to machine embroidery or have experience behind the needle, these tips will help you achieve projects without lumps, bumps, registration issues, and thread nests.
 
It took me a while to realize the importance and value in pulling the bobbin thread to the top. I had heard about it, read about it, but not until I had issues did I give it a try.
 
It is very easy. Simply turn the hand wheel, drop your needle and pull it back up out of the embroidery. It loops the embroidery thread around the bobbin thread, making it easier to pull it through to the top of the hoop. You can easily keep both thread tails out of the way until it ties off and can be trimmed.
 
Here are five reasons you should pull your bobbin thread to the top with every thread change.
 
The finished product has a neat and professional appearance.
So what? The back will be hidden in most cases anyway, right? It will, but any knots and thread jumbles will often show through the embroidery. Thread will not lay flat in filled designs and applique surfaces may appear lumpy.
 
You have less of a chance for a stabilizer malfunction.
Thread nests can cause a snag and, when you reposition your hoop to trim or change thread or bobbins, it can pull, causing a tear in the stabilizer. Much of the time, you can fix the tear, but any time the stabilizer is compromised, there is a chance that future stitches will not line up properly. This is particularly bothersome when you are one thread change away from finishing the design.
 
It makes it easier to clip thread jump stitches.
When threads on the back of your embroidery are dangling out of control, they can easily become embedded in other stitches of the design. Thread can cross several other embroidery areas and that makes it difficult to trim jump stitches on the back.
 
It is necessary with freestanding lace and freestanding applique.
When you want the back of the embroidery to look just as good as the front, pulling bobbin thread to the top helps to make that happen. That is particularly true with freestanding lace (FSL). FSL designs are digitized so the thread interconnects with other thread and builds a piece of lace that, after rinsing stabilizer away, stands on its own. If you have nasty bobbin tumbleweeds on the back, it ruins the presentation.
 
You save time and money.
This is supposed to be fun. When you destroy an otherwise perfectly good, nearly complete embroidery, you are wasting more than just your time.
 
Pulling bobbin thread to the top is a quick and easy way to eliminate other problems later in the embroidery.
 
Have a blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy new year!
 
Debbie SewBlest