An organizational tip for Friday Smiles # 94

Today I'm joining Annie at A Stitch in Time and the gang at Friday Smiles with an organization tip.
Do you remember this photo where I showed tubing I planned to use to curb my rambling bobbins?

This tip will keep your bobbin thread from coming unraveled in your thread drawer.   I saw this tip years ago on Quilting Arts, a PBS TV series.  This show may not be available in areas other than the US, but I'm sure you can probably find a similar tutorial or video by doing an internet search.

I bought one foot (12", or 30,48 cm) length of both 1/2" and 5/8" diameter tubing at my home improvement store (see first photo above).  The 5/8" diameter tubing was too large for the bobbins, but the 1/2" diameter was perfect.  I cut circles that were the approximate width (thickness) of the thread between the two plastic (yours might be metal) bobbin ends.  Then I cut a slit down the middle so I could wrap the tubing around the thread on the bobbin.  You can see I've already cut the circles to size and slit them down the center.

Next, I slid the tubing circles around the outside of the bobbin threads.  It doesn't matter how much or how little thread there is, the tubing is self adjusting.  I have one piece of tubing left, because I counted the bobbin that is in my sewing machine at the moment.  But look how well behaved the bobbin thread is, now.   And yes, that's my arm, camera, and curly hair on the top of my head that you see in the reflection of the tray.  I had to laugh when I saw my "selfie."  I hope this tip (and maybe even my selfie) puts a smile on your face, because I was definitely smiling when I finally got these bobbins organized.

One thing I might add (and you might need to consider) is, I don't (repeat DO NOT) want my top thread and my bobbin thread to match.  I sew paper to paper, and the back side of the scrappy journal page is as important to me color-wise as the front side.  By mixing top thread and bobbin thread, I am able to get two different "looks."   However, if you are a seamstress and not a wanna-be sewer like me, you might want to keep your bobbin thread with your top thread.  I believe my friend OHHH Snap found a way by using a golf tee.  Apparently, you place a golf tee in the hole of the bobbin, then run the tee through the hole in the thread.

I hope this tip works for your bobbin thread, too.

For Day 21 of AEDM, I shared an organization tip with Annie at A Stitch in Time for Friday Smiles.  Now please join Annie for even more Friday Smiles.