Simplicity Sidewinder Portable Bobbin Winder, White, 388175AUK

The written instructions for this wonderful machine are seriously lacking, to the extent I ALMOST returned it! My husband advised I search YouTube and it changed everything! Here’s what I learnt which the instructions in the box failed to mention. 1. They DO mention to lift the spindle for the thread, but not clearly. You simply lift it up (I didn’t and wondered why the reel kept falling off 🤦‍♀️! See pic with pink arrow. 2. Keep this piece of felt at the bottom. It’s not part of the packaging, it’s to help the reel to spin smoothly. See pic with blue arrow. 3. To thread through this tiny loop, don’t try and thread it through yourself, just put the thread across the front of it and it slips on. Pic with yellow arrow. 4. THIS IS THE IMPORTANT BIT! When feeding the thread around this corner section, the button can be turned to change the tension. It’s critical you know about this as of course if it’s too loose or tight for the type of thread you’re using, it will affect the evenness of the the thread to the bobbin. You’re not told this, and of course my bobbin was uneven and messy! See pic with red arrow. 5. Finally, another critical bit of info … The arm next to the bobbin can be set to run flush against the bobbin thread. On this setting, you press the red button once to start the winder and it completes the job automatically. However, if it’s pushed away from the bobbin, you can manually press and hold to control it yourself. See pic 5 with dark green arrow, and pic with the black arrow. The thing most helpful about knowing this, is that I find the automatic winder stops too short; there is more space available on the bobbin. So, I use the auto function to do most of the work, then I switch it so that I can manually add more. The reason I’m keen to share this knowledge is because it’s such a handy machine if you work it right! You can fill up your bobbins whilst watching tv! So simple! 😃. I did wonder why Simplicity would put their name to such a machine that failed miserably! It’s the instructions which are rubbish! I’ve taken the time to write this review as I want my fellow sewing enthusiasts to benefit from this handy gadget ❤️ Now I’m off to get a life!! 🤣🤣🤣

It's such a faff to wind a second bobbin, but this takes the faff away !! Great little machine. Recommended.

The instructions provided by the manufacturer are sparse to say the least. I had noticed when reading the reviews prior to purchase that a reviewer had written some detailed instructions and tips after watching a YouTube video. My thanks to this reviewer as I followed her notes and was able to operate it first time. It's a really useful item and saves all that cursing when your bobbin runs out and you have to stop, wind and re thread. I'm currently doing a batch of bobbins in front of the TV. I think it's quite expensive for what it is but I'll certainly get a lot of use out of it.

Does a great job easing stress on my sewing machine. I do several bobbins in the necessary colour before I start a project

Really handy. Great to be able to fill lots of bobbins to have when you need them. Once switched on it automatically stops once the bobbin is full so no need to keep watching.

I bought this little gadget when the bobbin winder on my machine stopped working and I was in a pinch. It is compact and sturdy and does its job. That said, while it works, it's inconsistent. The first few times I used it it worked fine and the bobbin came out evenly wound. Then it all started going downhill, with no changes. It now winds the bobbin in a conical shape. Sometimes the automatic button is consistent and others it staggers. Sometimes it winds the bobbin fine and others it creates a right mess of looping. I've tried to fiddle with the tension and can't seem to get it right, so maybe this is all just down to user error - even though I could work it fine for the first few times? Unfortunately I still haven't had my machine bobbin winder fixed so I am still relying on this and while it does do its job I cannot say that it does it 'well'. I also find that the bobbin holder is fiddly and difficult to get the bobbin on and off of (singer machine, plastic bobbin), so if you have difficulty with your fingers, I would say this may be an issue. If I had a working machine bobbin winder, I would think twice about buying this product. While it is handy and works to an extent, it's also inconsistent, at least for me. And if you are thinking, oh, this will save me time threading/unthreading my machine, well, you still have to do that anyway. All in all, if you are in a pinch like me, and somethings not working, buy it, it does its job - kind of. Its better than hand winding. If you aren't relying on it, I wouldn't really bother, buy yourself some nice fabric with the money instead. 😉

A neat and useful device for the crafter using a sewing machine. Battery operated and convenient. Not much else to say. Also, impressed with the supplier. Nothing is perfect and the first one packed up within the warranty period. Contacted the customer service department who were super efficient and replaced the item with a minimum of fuss. Excellent customer service. Five stars for the device and the excellent after sales support.

I purchased this as my first one , bought in early 2000’s, was beginning to slow down. When it “died “ I already had a replacement. What a shock , it is rubbish compared with the original , sometimes it works but at others no action at all!! The bobbin is almost impossible to remove and the reel holder is not straight when pulled up for a taller spool thus making the process very uneven and wobbly. It just does not have the sturdiness of the original . Very dissatisfied.