Thank you! As a new quilter I needed to see and learn this!

Absolutely! Some companies say to NOT use the canned air as it also blows moisture inside your machine. Some quilters pooh poof that idea. Gotta make your own mind up about that issue.

Itty Bitty vacuum-yes, Canned air blowing -NO!

I have also found that cleaning out (at least partially) each time you change the thread in the bobbin goes a long way toward keeping your tension under control....I at least clean the bobbin area and under the sole plate...Bernina makes it easy since nothing to unscrew...

Wow! That is a lot of lint. I always clean mine after every bobbin that I use. I got into the habit of that years ago. Sure glad your machine is ok

I don't know about you, but I think that I know why this can happen to me. I too have always cleaned and oiled, if called for, my own machine and never have they seen a repair place. However, these days, I don't use just one machine, I switch off to another machine or two for different functions. By doing this, you sort of destroy your inner clock-works that tells you it is time to clean up the bobbin area and do some maintenance. That's my story and I am stickin' to it. No, I honestly think that that is why I fail to do regular service as I forget how much time has been put in on each machine.

Good lesson to all of us.....

Whoa! I think I'll go check my machine.... LOL!

WOW! I've been having tension issues and it didn't occur to me to clean my machine! Thank you SO MUCH for the reminder! God Bless YOU!

I have a post-it stuck under the cover with the date on it, so I know when to clean next time. Having memory problems causes me more aggravation.....but in the grand scheme, I can live with it.