When do you know your machine needs a tune up?

 

 

Our guild program for April  is a man who is going to tell us about how to take care of our machines! 

I first met Bobby in Sept of 2010.  I gauge my quilting experience to that month when I also met my friend Pam  when we took a beginner’s quilting class at The Sewing Center.  It was a 6 week class and Bobby was there to help us buy our wares and I discovered that quilting was not a cheap hobby.  I still have that quilt, my first quilt.  I wonder if Pam has hers. 

At any rate, Bobby had a little “nook” at the shop where he would work on the machines, eventually moving home into his garage where he has a tidy business, taking care of my machine and many others. 

I bought a Viking Sapphire 875 in 2009 after the shop owner had several demo Vikings in a session at a local quilt show.  Most were sold but I was able to come home with one from the shop, along with a Sew Steady Table.  Bobby has been taking care of my machine ever since. 

I usually take my Viking to Bobby at least once a year for a tune up and cleaning.  Last year, she was beyond her time needing to be cleaned  but last fall I finally took her into the Spa.   When I picked her up, Bobby said I would be needing a new set of feed dogs in the future.  I asked how I would know when?  And he said, you’ll know!  Its going to be sooner than later I think.  I’ve noticed just this week that the fabric sometimes won’t go through without a tug.  And I’ll need a new cutter soon as well. Its annoying when the cutter won't work and leaves a thread hanging.  This will be the second cutter I've gotten.  I guess when you sew every day, it just wears itself out.  

My six year old granddaughter, Evelyn, has been here this week.  I wondered what I would do to entertain her but it hasn't been difficult at all.  She is enamored with my sewing room.  I don't remember what took me in there the first day or two but she followed and when she saw my lamb's wool duster that I use to clean my machine bed, she immediately wanted to clean and tidy my "desk".  Everything was put into a neat pile and she cleaned up all the dust and threads.  Then she wanted to move over to my cutting table which was a complete mess!  

I sure wasn't going to argue with that!  I got the little ladder she could stand on and we both folded and sorted and put away.  My table was so tidy and I could actually see the top!  I do have to be careful to make sure I keep my cutters closed, teach her about the sharpness and not to touch a hot iron.  While I was sewing, she wanted to press the foot peddle and I let her, telling her when to stop.  It worked out just fine until she pushed the peddle and I wasn't there.  I had to teach her about that as well.  

Evelyn will be coming back to visit this summer and if I can keep her helping me and interested in sewing, it will be a wonderful thing.  We made some doll pillows and she stuffed them and I showed her how to hand sew the opening closed!  Makes my heart happy!