DIY Bobbin Cushion

You know those ugly tangles of thread under your needle plate? The ones that sometimes get knotted with the needle plate and you have to surgically remove the mess of threads just to continue your machine embroidery? Those are called bird nests, or bird nesting in your bobbin case.

And I have an easy and FREE trick that can help with bird nesting. Make yourself a bobbin cushion!

It’s just a simple piece of cut-away stabilizer that’s cut to the shape of your bobbin and goes under it. It prevents the bobbin from spinning out – also called bobbin backlash – which is a common cause of birdnesting. The photo below shows you how to create a bobbin cushion…

You can also buy a silicone bobbin cushion, but I find the DIY stabilizer under the bobbin works great on my older machine that doesn’t have good stitch control. The cushion also catches lint and makes it easier to keep the bobbin case clean – another bonus.