How do you UNTHREAD your machine?

[Lois B.]

Here's an idea. Moderation in all things. My Janome dealer cautioned me with these same instructions saying one of her customers pulled the thread from the top and backward through the tension mechanism and damaged the tension assembly. Now I have thought long and hard about this and I don't believe that is possible unless you are pulling with excessive force on a very strong heavy weight thread with the pressor foot down and the tension engaged. I pull my thread backward through the machine but I first look for lint on the thread at the top of the needle assembly, I make sure the tension is entirely disengaged, and only then do I gently pull it back through the machine. I really don't think I am living dangerously. Have a good day everyone. Be kind and gentle to those machines we all love so much.

[Dawn S.]

Judith, I was thinking about getting a couple of jars, for similar projects. (One for dark threads, one for light.) TQS Ritzy sent me an ATC a few years ago, and the surface was the threads from one of her previous projects. She captured them between the black background fabric, and a fine black netting. She did FMQ to hold it all together. It's pretty clever!

I measured my cut tails, and was also surprised! Mine are just over 20"! Wow! Another project could be to use them with fabric snippets on inchies or a larger project like the wonderful quilts Noriko Endo makes. The threads, added to the snippets, would add another layer of texture, which could look really cool!

Oh, and I have a friend who saves the tails all year long, and then sets them out in the spring, for the birds to snatch and weave into their nests.

Dawn

[brenda h.]

Well, great minds do think alike! When I realized how much thread it was I put a ziplock baggie next to my machine and have already collected a nice group of shiny threads. I was thinking of doing some Christmas ornaments with the threads sandwiched between layers of solvy! I also had already removed the front cover from the machine and safely put it away so I can get to the broken thread more easily.

[Catherine S.]

I would save the longer threads to use in hand sewing, maybe for basting, button sewing etc. They would already be cut a good length.

[Catherine S.]

I would save the longer threads to use in hand sewing, maybe for basting, button sewing etc. They would already be cut a good length.

Good idea Lorra!
Barb