While reading yesterday's topic about how you're supposed to cut the thread near the spool and pulling it through the needle when changing spools, I realized that there must be many more tips and tricks like that which would make my sewing life easier and my machine work better and longer without being serviced. I do have a fantastic sewing machine (the Pfaff quilt expression 4.0) which at the moment is being serviced because I had so many troubles with the tension. The shop was so kind to give me their demonstration model of the Pfaff 2.0 so that I could keep sewing.

But before I keep rambling on, let me get to the reason for this topic. How about collecting all our tips and tricks for daily sewing machine maintenance here? I'm sure it has been done before but a quick search produced no real result. What I did find, though, is one single post topic giving this link, which seems a good starting point:

http://www.generations-quilt-pattern...intenance.html

I look forward to reading further tips and tricks which my machine would sure welcome.

thanks for the link

Looking at your avatar, I felt like having seen it just minutes before, so I went back to check the topic where I initially found the link, it was you who posted it originally. So thank you for the link! :D

Hopefully it gets more attention here and triggers many more tips and tricks.

Edited to add that I should have attributed the origin of the link more clearly. I'm sorry, I'm quite new to this and I'm still baffled by the huge number of users here.

Regarding the foot thread thing - I can double raise the foot on my Janome and completely disengage the tension discs, then I can pull the spool off with thread intact. As long as the discs are disengaged and you're gentle, there's no problem. :-D

I think the biggest thing is keeping it cleaned and oiled, I know so many sewers who neglect this!

Keep your machines covered when not in use. Dust is bad for electronics.

I vacuum my bobbin area out after EVERY bobbin change, and lightly oil. I never skip this step, and my machines all run like a dream. When I have them in for annual servicing, the tech always comments about how well maintained they are.

Great link, thank you. :thumbup: