Once again it is time for a post from the series: Project Sewing Room. I was at my new class about free motion quilting (FMQ) last week, and my machine got all jammed up. I was having problems with dropping the transport (and needle) and getting the right tension on my bottom thread. I had a bunch of Kuddel-Muddel on the bottom of my fabric. And then, all of a sudden, it locked itself down! We tried to pry it out, but didn't want to damage the machine. It was time to shut it off, sit back and relax until the class was over. I practiced my quilting by drawing doodles on paper which was a great exercise! I think most Long Arm Quilters do this before they start with a new pattern.
The next day, I took my machine to the local sewing machine dealer/repair center to check it out. I also inquired about routine maintenance, because it had been a while since it was last serviced. I was actually thinking about this the last couple of weeks, because I have been so hard on my machine recently. It was starting to look a little ragged and shabby. So, the repair man just broke down the machine and serviced it which means, oiling, blowing out all of the threads, making sure the tension is correct for the top and bottom thread. He, Hr. Fuchs (that translates to Mr. Fox in English), was extremely fast with the maintenance; I picked up my machine the following day and was ready and rearing to go.
Here it what my Kuddel-Muddel looked like. This is the bottom side of my quilting sample.
So, it is very, very important to have your machine serviced or maintenaced every so often. How often should it be done? I asked and was told," the more you use the machine the less maintenance it needs." Now, I am not so sure about that, but when you start to notice that the machine just isn't running as smoothly as it used to, you should think about having it tuned. I think I have my machine maintained every two years and costs about 60€ which includes tax. It is so nice to get your machine back, and it is all shiny and free of fussles again. That lasted about a half a day!
How often do you have your machine maintenanced or what type of service do you periodically perform on your machine? We would like to know, so please share. Thank you!
Mine just came back from the sewing machine doctor and is running like a charm! It doesn't take much to mess up a machine. I had a small piece of thread lodged into the tension mechanism in the bobbin casing and it effected the top tension! I couldn't adjust the tension anymore and thought I'd just worn the poor thing out (it's a 1974 machine). Luckily it was a quick fix. I'd recommend at least a yearly professional servicing whether you think you need it or not.
ReplyDeleteMeine Maschine kommt jedes Jahr einmal zu Herrn Fuchs, es sei denn es ist noch etwas außer der Reihe kaputt.
ReplyDeleteLG
KATRIN W.
Hi I service my Pfaff machine every year whether I have a problem or not. But for the Bernina 830 the dealer says the machine will advice about the service. I am personally happy with my Pfaff dealers and the machine but not so happy with Bernina machine and service from the dealer. After service cleaning your bobbin area and oiling it each time will keep the machine smooth running and less noisy.make sure you run it on a scrap immediately to take away the excess oil.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh, ich glaube ich muss auch mal meine Maschine zum Service bringen...
ReplyDeleteGLG
Deborah