I got my screwdriver out and started to unscrew the most obvious screws I could see. I must say, I did unplug the machine first.

Remember to always unplug the machine from the mains before you go in deep! Not just switch it off, but remove the plug from the wall. I once was at a workshop when a beautiful old Bernina started stitching all by iteslf!
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I started by taking off the foot and needle - pretty standard for when you clean your machine. (You do regularly clean your machine, don't you?) I removed those so I could easily get access to the bobbin zone and not damage myself on the needle.

Next, I removed the two small screws that hold down the needle plate. 

Put the screws into a little pot - or even a few if you are likely to mix up different screws from different places. Those things can get lost at the drop of a hat!

​If you have a machine with a drop in bobbin, you will be looking at something similar to this. See all those little fibres?  If this is the first time you have been in here make a note of which way the dish is positioned. 
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A quick photo is always a good way to remind yourself of where things were before you started.

On my machines I regularly take out the bobbin case (that little black dish thing). It is amazing how much fluff accumulates there. Depending on what you are stitching you may need to give it a clear out every time you change the bobbin. I clean mine with a tiny soft paintbrush, on both sides. Check it carefully and get your glasses out if you need to!
While it is out inspect the bobbin case all over. As this type is made from plastic they can become accidentally damaged by the needle. Look for scratches, burrs, and other irregularities. If they aren't major you can try to smooth them out with one of those boards you use to buff your nails (not an emery board), but be gentle and be aware that it might make the problem worse, so use your judgement. If there is a big chunk or gouge in the plastic it might just need to replace the whole dish. 

 
Once the bobbin case is out you will see the race mechanism. If you manually turn the wheel on the sewing machine you will see how the parts of the machine move and how it all works. (If your machine has a vertical bobbin it may be a little more difficult to see, and the removal of the bobbin case will be done is a slightly different way. The user manual for your machine will tell you everything you need to know.) 

The amount of fluff, odd threads and dare I say it, broken needle tips that accumulate down here is astonishing. Carefully and gently get as much of it out as possible. Again, I use a small paintbrush and have a good poke around deep into the workings. Get a little torch and shine it in; look for any stray threads that may be trapped or tangled. If you can reach them with a seam ripper gently ease them out. If you can't do this without risking damage to yourself or the machine now is the time to call in a professional.     
*Some people use compressed air from a can - I have used this in the past, and it really does blast out lots of fluff, but I have read it can also blast fibres deep into moving the parts of the machine too, (which can't be good) so I don't use that very often any more. I have also seen little vacuum cleaners for computer keyboards that might be worth trying too.

Then I went a bit off piste. Do you see those concentric dark circles in the centre of the picture. Right in the middle of that is a little bit of fluffy looking stuff (some machines just have a hole here). I took a pair of pointy tweezers and gently pulled on the fluffy bit which pulled up a long piece of felt that looked a bit like a wick.

Now, my machine manual says there is no need to lubricate. Ever. Well, I disagree. Having lived in hot, humid and sometimes sandy places I have come to realise that a sewing machine likes to be lubricated. So I ignore the 'no-lube' rule and use a tiny amount of very fine sewing machine oil from time to time. I lube wherever metal parts move and touch. So for this machine, I remove the little wick and put one drop of oil down the hole and then replace the wick. 

Satisfied that there was nothing else in this part of the machine that I could do myself, I reassembled the pieces then manually turned the flywheel  to raise and lower the needle post, just to make sure everything was moving freely and that I had put the puzzle back correctly. 

You did unplug the machine, didn't you?

Next I turned my attention to the top part of the machine - somewhere I don't often go!

I had a good look at my machine and found another screw on the back that I could easily remove. This screw hold on the plastic case that covers the sewing head. This is where the squeak seemed to be coming from and where there are lots more of moving metal parts. I was careful to put the screw into my little yellow pot so as not to loose it.

If you have never done this it is worth a look. Be careful not to dislodge any of the cables, and don't go poking around too much, but once again I was amazed at the fluff and stuff that had accumulated up here. 
I manually moved the fly wheel again and looked carefully to see what was going on. I could see there was a piece of thread metallic thread (that stuff is so tricky isn't it!!) that had got itself tangled in there. Using long pointy tweezers I was able to easily pull it out. I gave everything a good brush with my little paintbrush, starting from top to bottom and removed quite a few chunks of fluff. 

I also found a small lump of accumulated lint on the take up lever, which I used the tweezers to ease off. It came off like a tiny doughnut!

Once all the fluff was gone  I carefully put one drop of oil onto each moving joint for all the parts I could reach, then moved on to the next part of the machine - the tension discs.

​The tension discs on my machine are covered by a small plastic plate with yet another little screw holding it in place. After undoing it I gently eased the plastic cover off. 

And there they are - to the left of the big spring - the tension disks! Put the presser foot lever up and down a few times and you will see what happens. 

To clean between the discs and under the little thread guide plate I discovered (above right) ​I took a spool of thick thread and put two drops of my old favourite, 'Sewer's Aid' between my forefinger and thumb. I pulled a length of thread between them to add a little lube to the thread. Then I threaded the machine up as normal (minus the needle) and pulled the thread back and forth (think dental floss)  several times through the whole mechanism. Quite a bit of fluff and odd bits of thread were dislodged. To finish I put a drop of oil on the spring area and then put all the parts and screws back into place. 

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 It is good to know about how the tension discs are controlled, as when you thread your machine you should always have the foot in the 'up' position so the thread can slide nicely between the discs. Once the foot goes down the discs close together according to the tension setting you have selected.

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Birgitta Debenham: Holy Trinity Church, Turnerspuddle DT2 7JA
28th May to 12th June

Kate Dowty: 5 Lodge Lane, West Allington, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 5QR
28th May to 12th June

Blackmore Vale Embroiderers' Guild: Bishops Caundle Village Hall, Bishops Caundle, DT9 5NG
​28th May to 12th June

Rachel Wright: Obsidian Art Gallery
​11th to 26th June 2016


Barbara Shaw: 3 Linden Lea,Wendover
​11th to 26th June 2016

​Please feel free to share my website or blog with your friends by using the buttons to the right. If you would like to receive an e mail each time I post a new blog, please click here. I promise to never send you junk or give your address to anybody else.
 

Question 1: I honestly can't give a good answer - ages seems to be my best guess!

Question 2 is easier: I keep my eyes and ears open, take lots photos and collect nice images from brochures, magazines and the like, then put them into sketchbooks / workbooks to work on later.
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Question 3: well, this is the big one, isn't it?
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​Please feel free to share my website or blog with your friends by using the buttons to the right. If you would like to receive an e mail each time I post a new blog, please click here. I promise to never send you junk or give your address to anybody else.
 

​Please feel free to share my website or blog with your friends by using the buttons to the right. If you would like to receive an e mail each time I post a new blog, please click here. I promise to never send you junk or give your address to anybody else

Please feel free to share my website or blog with your friends by using the buttons to the right. If you would like to receive an e mail each time I post a new blog, please click here. I promise to never send you junk or give your address to anybody else.