Before you head out on a road trip, it's a great idea to get your vehicle looked over to make sure everything is in good working order, so you won't have any unexpected breakdowns. We may not be doing any driving, but it's a great idea to give your sewing machine a good checkup and cleaning before we get started!
Even though I brush out my bobbin area every time I change my bobbin, I do like to do a more thorough cleaning about once a month. The first of the month is a good time to do this, and since we are at the beginning of August, time for that pre-trip inspection and maintenance!
My Juki has a side loading bobbin, so it's pretty easy to get in there and see where all the lint is. Not too bad, but it's good to keep it clean!
Now, I take the throat plate off. It's easy to take out the screws, and this lets me get all the lint out of the feed dogs, and from the top of the bobbin area.
Then I like to change out the needle. I like the 80/12 for piecing.
And don't forget to swipe your brush inside the bobbin case itself! You'll find a bit of lint there as well
This is my handy-dandy brush - it's just a cheap paintbrush with a metal handle, but it's just right for getting into all the tight places! After I clean, I add oil in the appropriate places. Be sure to follow the advice of your sewing machine manual, not all machines require oiling! After cleaning and oiling, be sure to do a bit of stitching on an scrap piece. You don't want to get oil, or maybe just a fluff of lint that didn't get brushed out to end up on your good project!
My second machine is a Brother, and it has a top loading bobbin, so I thought I would show you how to clean that, too. I don't use this machine a lot, and it hasn't been cleaned in a good while.
The throat plate comes off in a similar manner on this machine. You can see it's pretty dirty in there!
You can carefully take out the bobbin case. I try to make sure I keep it oriented in the same direction so I don't try to put it in wrong. You can see there's a lot of lint sitting in there! It's a little tricky to get it seated right, but there's really only one day it fits in correctly so patience and care will do the trick!
I got quite a bit of lint out of this machine! Guess I should have cleaned it long ago. Refer to your manual for instructions on how to clean your machine, and remember to do it on a regular basis - it's good preventative maintenance! When you are done, take a clean cloth and give the outside a good wipe down. Lots of lint does seem to accumulate around the sewing room!
Now, take a little time to clean up and organize your sewing area so you can find all your things easily! For some reason, all my scissors end up on the opposite side of the room and I can't find a single pair by my sewing machine. It's always nice to have everything in place and ready to go when I am ready for sewing.
Well, I think that makes us just about ready for our Road Trip Quilt Along! If you are still on the fence about joining in, feel free to download the instructions as we go and file them away for the future. Sign up by clicking the link below and you'll get the link to each week's blocks in your email. I'm excited to get started!
Sign up for the Road Trip Quilt Along!
No comments:
Post a Comment