I have a simple Janome, Sew Precise machine for about 2 years now. Lately when I was sewing the fabric startet to pucker and it was hard to start a seam.Most of the time I had to do the seam twice or three times...or...or...or... otherwise I couldn't use the piece.More and more it was driving me crazy. I was thinking the feed dog has to be fixed I already imagined how many dollars would fly out of the window. In additon there is no Janome dealer around here. This morning after I got more angry than ever then I had a bright moment. How about looking in my manual in the chapter troublshooting, the fabric is not fed smoothly : the feed dog is packed with lint. Took everything apart and was very surprised how much lint was there , I pulled out a lot of junky pieces. Put everything back together...made a sample seam....oh...how nice...and how quiet the machine was working...humming like a busy bee.
My world was centered again.
Why I didn't clean the machine before...I don't know.

Now I asked everyone out there how often do you do this job ???

Was someone so stupid like me and had an aha moment before you tried to throw out of the window your machine?

looking forward to read your posts, thank you :) :) :)

I remember, years ago, I was doing a lot of sewing on my Pfaff machine, this was before I was quilting and I started having trouble similar to what you were experiencing. Then I noticed that my throat plate wouldn't sit properly. Well, I finally popped off that throad plate and the lint was so bad between the feed dogs that it had lifted the plate up. Since then, I pop off that plate all the time and clean the feed dogs. Probably every other bobbin or so, I will clean the feet and the bobbin area. Glad you got it figured out before you took it somewhere to get "fixed"

I check my feed dogs and bobbin area after every 2-3 bobbins. Usually a quick peek will tell me if I need to stop and clean. I do a very thorough cleaning after every project.

We must be related. Yesterday my Janome 4900 memory craft started breaking the thread every time I tried to sew then it the needle wouldn't go alway down to the bobbin , it would hit the holder for the bobbin. I said same thing, oh no, what is this going to coast, how long without a machine? Guess what there was so much lint behind the bobbin holder, i have been cleaning it out. I stuck a pin down in the sides as far as I could move it around. terrible lint...Poor baby.

We had a post recently that was named "Have you cleaned and oiled your machine lately". Everytime I see that title I am reminded I need to do it. It is amazing how many little critters can be in there. I am glad your world is back on the proper axis. (Kinda makes you think the manufacturer was serious when they included that owners manuel.) :P

My Juki says every 8 hours to oil and clean. I do so faithfully. I like seeing how much lint comes out.

Glad you have your machine running again!

One of my first quilting books had a section at the end of each project suggesting you hug your machine, put in a new needle, and give it a good cleaning. It was a great introduction to how to treat our partner in making our creations :)

You also mention difficulty getting started on each seam ... since I started using 'leaders' I have never had a seam get sucked into the feed dogs ... I use a little scrap and start and end my seams - besides doing a better job keeping those seams straight at the start and end, you've already got the threads neatly snipped.

I blow into the bobbin area everytime I change a bobbin... I only consider cleaning/oiling my piecing machine ( Janome) when it starts sounding loud, and 'pound-y'. I know,.... baaaaaad owner!

Oh my don't blow into your bobbin. That isn't good for it. I learned this from the HQ 16 people and my Pfaff dealer and the Janome dealer. It can cause something like condensation because your breath is moist. Get a lint brush brush it out. Don't use canned air either unless you oil extremely well this can dry out your machine.

Nettie

It's like instant gratification to see all that lint and little pieces of thread...that's one chore I don't mind doing! :)

Don't use canned air on your machine, or blow into the bobbin case. It drives the lint and thread bits into the moving parts you can't see. It can cost you big bucks to have it repaired. Save that money to buy more fabric!

I regularly clean and oil my machine. The very first time I hear something that I don't like, I whip out that oil bottle.

It was breaking threads earlier today, I am going to change the needle and clean her up! I am kind of weird about the needles, too. I used to use one until it broke, but no more, the needle gets changed every project. My seams are better now.

Oh OH, I'd better go check mine! It's been awhile since I did any sewing and I cant remember the last time I cleaned it. Thanks for the reminder!

I clean mine after every project. Or if I am sewing with fleece or flannel then it gets cleans two or three times during the project.

I service my own machines, and if I can't. I take them outback and shoot them........j/k

About every quilt or so ever since my GF tore my machine apart and pulled out a dust bunny that was bigger than my little dog. Ok it just seemed that big was it was sure packed down in there. I was SO EMBARASSED that I clean my machine regularly now.

I clean mine each time I start a new quilt, along with new needle.

One other thing that I check when my Janome is acting funny, doing a gathering stitch or being noisy....I pull the top thread out and re-thread it. It's amazing how many times that is the problem!

I try to clean my machine after every project. Sometimes I will even clean it mid-stream, particularly if I am sewing with batting or sewing flannel. They create a lot of lint.
Glad you found out that cleaning was all you needed. :D

glad you figured it out! see your machine was trying to tell you, clean me, clean me clean me

one of the best tools I have used is a pair of long sorta twisers. Sort of like a hemistat. I can pop my plate off and the use those to find any and all pieces of lint or piecdes of thread. They also work very well when you take out the bobbin holder and then drop the "guts" out which I hate cause it takes me for ever to get that one piece to lay back in. I would imagine most of the quilters have these handi-danndi little problem solvers.. and maybe they could explain them a bit better then I can. I know they are also much used when threading a serger also.

I clean mine often and am always amazed at what I find.

you are supposed to clean it out? J/K I actually am going to look up in the manual to see how to clean it. I got my machine and was so excited that I didn't even think to clean it up. I have sewn a couple of pieces together and gotten this rust colored lint pop out. I think that I will do that tomorrow at nap time.

Oops! Gotta go clean my machine!

Okay, now I plea guilty of attempted murder of my poor sewing machine, or at least badly neglecting it...won't happen again thank all the responses about how important it is to clean the feeding dog on a regular basis.

Thanks a lot for your nice quotes and maybe it helped other board readers too. :-D

At least after every small project.

I tend to have to clean mine often. If I have a heavy duty day of sewing i might clean it one or two times through the project and I always find lint. It will make a nice little rats nest on my seem if I don't. I use a toothbrush that I keep for that purpose in my sewing table. I even take the toothbrush to class with me to use if I feel any hesitation in the machine.

I totally agree with what everyone said, but I also use pipe cleaners to get in the tight areas of my machine. The dust and lint just clings to them and they work great. No canned air or blowing into my machine as someone said your breath is moist and it is not good to do that. I also change my needle often. marge

I blow out my machines every time I use them. I use that air in a can that is used for computers and it gets all those fussy lint balls cleared out. It doesn't hurt the machine , heck it is used on computers and computers are real sensative electronic components.

I check almost every time I change a bobbin. Between quilts I always take apart and clean and drop a bit of oil in. OH I bought one of those tiny attachments for the vacuum cleaner it works well to get into places I can't reach with a brush and I like the idea of sucking the lint out instead of blowing it in. Its works Really well on my serger too.

EVERY TIME I CHANGE THE BOBBIN!!! lint builds up quickly and can cause all kinds of problems, when i purchased my machine i was told how important it is to keep it clean...I paid alot of money for it and want it to last for many years; so;
every single time i change the bobbin i take it apart and clean it with a brush, then between each project (sometimes twice if it's a big project) i vacuum it all out as best i can. then the shop kind of got after me for not taking it in for a full servicing at least every 6 months...i still don't manage that, it only makes it once a year...since it's 90 miles one way to take it in...but i take pretty good care of it myself between servicing,.

One of our workshop leaders suggested using a Q-tip moistened with a bit of sewing machine oil to clean under the bobbin area of the machine--down there where you can't see or get the brush. You'd be surprised how much that will pick up. Can also run it around inside the bobbin case to get that dust that isn't seen by the eye.

I take a paint brush after every bobbin to the bobbin area and check plate

I have made it a habit to clean everytime I change the bobbin. It only takes a few minutes and makes a huge difference.

read somewhere [here]? that blowing into bobbin area is not a good idea because of the moisture .....true ? or myth?

i worked at a lqs and could not believe how many women never cleaned their machines or oiled it..used cheap thread that would break and never changed the needle..no wonder they get frustrated and dont sew..your machine neds tlc..every 2 weeks or so clean it..oil it,and change the needle..buy the best thread you can afford and you will be luvin life..

I clean mine in between projects but I have always taken it in once a year for a fine tune-up. There is always those places we can't get to.

Eleu16-You're in Boseman?? I'm outside Stevensville...

Yes I live in Bozeman since April last year...but I have no idea where Stevensville is....close by ?...I have to look into the map....
yes was looking into google earth...it is almost 4 h away....do you know Bozeman ?

I clean it out when I change the bobbin. A stitch in time as they say!

We've been to Bozeman once, a long time ago. Stevensville is south of Missoula.

i use a can of air ,and blow out the bobbin area every 2-3 bobbins

som