I'm sure most of us had done this to some degree in the past. I have a little spot next to the bobbin case where I can see through my clear bobbin cover. When I start to see some lint building up in there, I stop what I'm doing and clean it ou, it saves a lot of headaches later on. Also, be sure to clean between the feed dogs. I find a soft, used toothbrush helps there, and I have a small, short bristled brush that I use to clean out the rest of the cavity area. The first time I cleaned out between my feed dogs, I think I could have used the lint as a piece of tiny felt, it had built up that long. Look at it as a lesson learned that you won't repeat in the future. Every day we have a new learning experience. Happy quilting - lint free.