Sewing Machine Issues

By the wonders of modern technology, this blog post is winging it’s way to a computer screen near you, while I am actually on holiday. I would like to say I was sunning myself on a beach somewhere, but depending on the vagaries of the British climate, I will either be a) cooped up indoors with 2 stir-crazy small boys while it chucks it down with rain outside; or b) wet and soggy outside with 2 small boys while it chucks it down….

While we are away, I am taking advantage of a break in the Making, and have booked my sewing machine in for a service.

And I thought this might serve as a timely reminder about the importance of Regular Sewing Machine Maintenance 😉

This is my machine

It was my Nana’s and it might not be the most fancy pants machine in the world, but she used to make entire wardrobes full of clothes on it, so I figure I should be able to knock up some bunting with it.

It started messing around the other day, and the top thread kept snapping. I did what I always do in these situations, and consulted the wise folk of Twitter.
The general consensus was to check the tension, which I did, to no avail.
I was kind of aware that I *might* not have oiled it for a while, so I dug out the instruction manual, and took it apart.
To my shame, this is what I found….

Not the greatest pic ever, but there is a LOT of lint there…

I have cleaned and oiled it before, but don’t remember ever taking this bit apart…!

It seemed to help for a bit, and the snapping thread issue did improve, but then it started doing this:

Missing a stitch every so often

So at this point, I finished what I was doing, and rang up to book it in for a service..!

The man on the phone immediately said “Have you snapped any needles lately?” and then said something about timers. I think. He seemed to know what he was talking about. And even better, offered to come and pick the machine up from the house, to save me lugging it into town-happy days 🙂

Hopefully when I get back, my Nana’s machine will be back in fine form again, ready to take on all that I throw at it.
And I promise to clean and oil it more often…