Why take a sewing machine maintenance class?

Posted on by Teresa
  1. Sense of empowerment gained from learning how properly maintain the machine.
  2. A more pleasant sewing experience because the machine is well-maintained.
  3. Confidently troubleshoot and resolve common mishaps as they occur.
  4. Extend the time between professional service appointments.
  5. Save money.

There’s a shortage of qualified sewing machine repair technicians. Long-time sewing machine folks are retiring and no one is waiting in the wings to take offer that service. Customers now must travel farther and pay greater fees to have their machines serviced.

Sewing machine service in my area is $125.00+ for a basic clean, oil and lube. The good sewing machine service shops are backed up and not currently taking any in more machines in for repair and service. Given that 90% of machine issues are related to dust bunnies, improper threading and bad needles, it never hurts to try a few things first before automatically assuming you must take your machine in for repair.

Basic troubleshooting steps:

  1. Unthread and rethread the top thread with the presser foot up. Test sew. Repeat for bobbin.
  2. Check presser foot to make sure it’s the right foot and installed correctly. Tighten screw as needed.
  3. Check to see that needle is inserted correctly. Bent needle? Change the needle.
  4. Clean out the dust bunnies underneath and give it a drop of oil.
  5. Check bobbin winder to make sure it’s not accidentally engaged.

The previous steps should get you up and running again. If not, do a machine reset.

Computerized models: turn off machine, wait 5 minutes and turn back on.
Mechanical machines: turn stitch selector to straight stitch, length 2.5. Make sure tension dial is 3.5-4

Still no resolution? Refer to the back of your sewing machine manual. That’s where you’ll find additional troubleshooting steps and error codes specific to your machine.