Today I wanted to go into detail on a very important topic that concerns all of us quilters: sewing machine maintenance! 

 

I know it's tempting to keep sewing and quilting through one project and straight into another as if your machine were immune to wear and tear, but your machine is going to work so much better if you brush it out occasionally. Check your sewing machine manual to see if you can remove any plates or pieces to the top or bobbin area of your machine easily.

As you can see in the video below, I can remove the needle plate, and pull out the bobbin and rotary hook in my machine. This is really helpful for accessing all the nooks and crannies in the bobbin area, which is prone to filling with lint, especially when quilting fluffy quilts.

I use a small brush to catch all the bits of lint and stray threads that fill in this area. Apply a single drop of oil to the end of your brush and it will catch even more lint and help you nab those tiny bits that are almost impossible to remove.