I thought it was dead!
 

Well, for the longest time I have been sewing on two el cheap o sewing machines. My DH uses one and I use the other. Neither of them have any fancy features. Nor, can I FMQ on either of them. I have been hoping for awhile they they would bite the dust. Last night one of them just froze up. I took it apart as much as I could and cleaned and oiled it and it still wouldn't go. So, I told my DH he was just going to have to break down and get a new one. Well, lo and behold, what do you think happened? the Phoenix raised from the dead. This morning when I went over to it and turned the wheel, the thing moved freely! I sat down and started to sew and it worked like a dream. I guess all that oil finally penetrated to whereever it need to go. So, I guess I don't get a new one for a while longer. Phooooooeeeeee.

Time to look at a Singer 66, 99 or one of the oldies.. You don't have a clue what sewing is like until you try one of the oldies..
Barri

maybe you could pretend it was dead and go get that new machine as a backup when this happens again?
surely there's some way to usher in that new machine ....

What are you waiting for? Retire it to the closet and go get a fun machine, you or the machine are not getting any younger.

I really like BellaBoo's answer..Maybe I should just get the new sewing machine, a long arm quilting machine and the Benz that I want.... I'm certainly not getting any younger !! LOL

You could have just pretended it didn't still work. LOL Retire it to the closet and tell DH he needed to buy you a new one. We wouldn't have tattled!!! LOL

I too have an el cheap o sewing machine but I love it and it does everything I need it to do for now. However, I often drean of it having a younger sibling but it may be a few years before that happens.

I dream of a long arm too...my monsters keep saying when they grow up and get rich they'll buy me one, I keep telling the DH I will be great with a short arm!! Love the family and the daily circus called our home lol
I sew on cheaper machines too, I don't dare try to even sample another at least I don't know what I'm missing!!! I'm really bad about oiling my machine where do you look for instructions on that and how often?

Come over! I'll give u one of my oldies!!

You can always look around for used, well-cared for machines. I have 2 wonderful workhorses that I paid less than half of list price for.

As far as oiling, your manual should have instructions for how often to oil, and an illustration that shows where to oil. I like to oil once for every 8-10 hours of use.