When it comes to sewing machine maintenance the saying “...An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...” is so true.
Many of the problems that occur on your sewing machine can be averted by simply following these simple maintenance tips.
Keep your sewing machine in good repair.
This means taking it in for ‘well baby visits’. At its annual visit the machine will be cleaned and the timing checked.
It you are having any problems, to prevent any miscommunication write the specifics down and put this list under the presser foot. This is helpful to the technician especially if the problem is intermittent like skipped stitches occurring when you are free motion quilting in one direction only. If the technician doesn't know to check for this, it may be missed, causing you to make another trip to the dealer. What a waste, you could have been quilting!
Insert a new, properly chosen needle for each project.
Choose your threads first, then match your needle to these choices.
Remember as needles go, just because it's new, doesn't mean it's flawless. The needle is the cheapest part on the sewing machine and yet the chief suspect in so many problems.
Insert the needle into its proper position.
If the needle isn't inserted all the way into the needle clamp, the sewing machine cannot create its stitch at the optimal time.
Clean your machine regularly to remove lint, dust and dirt.
Make it a practice to brush out your bobbin case after each bobbin.
When changing thread spools, cut the thread close to the spool and pull the tail out through the needle so that you don't pull any lint back up into the tension disks.
Cover your sewing machine when it's not in use.
This prevents the buildup of dust and dirt.
Lubricate your machine in accordance with the directions in your manual.
For newer machines this lubrication may be done by your dealer at the annual checkup. Not just any oil will do, so for older machines check that you are using the correct oil.
Thread your machine properly. Refer to your manual.
Always thread the machine with the presser foot up. The tension disks are open and the thread will lay in between them. If the presser foot is down, the tension disks are closed or ‘engaged’ and you will not be able to get thread threaded through the tension disks.
Another common problem is that the take up lever or arm is missed when you are threading your machine. Or the thread comes out of the take up lever while you are stitching. A quick, noticeable change in your stitch tension is the clue.
Make these simple sewing machine maintenance steps a habit to help prevent many of the annoying problems that occur during quilting.
