Tailoring Machine Pxg
Sharyn Requena
Since the 1850s, the SINGER brand has been a household name in top-quality sewing machines. Today, SINGER offers many types of sewing machines, from heavy-duty workhorses that stand up to daily use to light, portable machines that can go wherever you sew. Your sewing machine can be as simple or enhanced as you need. You may opt for an entry model with an intuitive interface. Beginners enjoy basic stitch choices and ease of setup.
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Since it's spring I thought I'd share some quick tips on how to clean your sewing machine at home as well as other sewing machine maintenance tips to help keep your machine running smoothly. It's really easy to follow a few simple routines that will improve your sewing machine performance as well as the life of your machine.
I always recommendation taking your machine into a local sewing machine dealer when something is really wrong with your machine - you don't want to risk making things worse. But before you do that, when was the last time you cleaned your machine?
A few years ago I had a good friend ask me if I knew how to fix her sewing machine. My default was to say, let's take in your machine to the dealer, but then asked when she'd last cleaned out the inside of her machine. She replied that she didn't think she ever had - she was afraid of doing something wrong.
So we opened up that machine and it was FULL as full could be of lint. After spending a few minutes cleaning out tons of lint (it was actually pretty satisfying), she tried sewing again and the machine worked like a charm!
So, important lesson: give your machine a regular lint cleanout and you'll have a happier machine and you. AND it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Simple, routine home maintenance will keep things running smoothly for a long time!
I'll walk you through the process with my Baby Lock machine. If you have a different machine, the mechanics may look a different but the principles are the same. You will want to follow the recommendations and instructions in the owner's manual for your specific brand or model.
(If you can't find your manual anymore, you can check with the manufacturer - most sewing machine manufacturers have an online library of past manuals. You can also often get a free replacement manual from the manufacturer.)
Get the necessary tools ready. They don't have to be fancy and many already come with your machine. Here are some of the cleaning tools I recommend. (You don't need all of them, but here's a variety to choose from.)
One of my favorite tools are these micro-tip Sewing Machine Cleaning brushes from Quilt in a Day. They reach into small places and pull out lots of gunk. You can find other inexpensive sewing machine swab options here. There are a lot of other cleaning brushes and tools options available here as well.
Needle plates are often held in by small screws. Your machine should have come with a tool for loosening those screws. Be very careful not to loose these screws or drop them into the machine because they're difficult to replace.
If this piece is removed you can also use canned air to to blow dust out of the machine as long as the can is held straight and not at an angle. The biggest reason to not used canned air is the risk of blowing lint and thread deeper into the machine. With the outside cover removed you can blow the air (and the dust/link) away from the machine, not deeper inside.
I learned this trick from the From the Workbench with Doug video series. If you have a Baby Lock Machine, Doug has over 25 troubleshooting and teaching videos that will teach you SO many things about your machine!
Refer to your owner's manual for instructions about oiling your machine. If you have an older, mechanical machine it probably needs oil more often than you think. Only use quality oil that is recommended by your manufacturer.
If you have a newer computerized machine, you do not need to oil the machine. I have not put oil in any of my Baby Lock Machines except the Baby Lock Accomplish because this is a purely mechanical, straight-stitch machine.
Change the needle often - I try to remember to change it every time I clean out my machine - (after 2-3 bobbins). If your machine is skipping stitches, breaking threads, etc, this is the first thing to do to trouble shoot.
I have a post about the different types of sewing machine needles here. Doug also has another helpful video about the sewing machine needles and how they work with a machine.
Many new machines have tension disks that run through the machine to control the amount of pressure on the thread and feed it evenly through the machine. Because these disks are so sensitive it's important not to pull your thread backwards through the machine.
I know how pretty spools of thread look on those decorative stands. But we also know how dusty a sewing room can get. And if you run that dusty thread through your machine, you're going to add more dust and dirt to the interior of your machine - especially those sensitive tension disks.
To prevent dusty thread, I recommend storing thread spools in an airtight box. My box is by Art Bin and I got it at Joann's. (They have a similar thread storage bin here.) You can find lots of other airtight Thread storage containers here.
When not in use, keep your machine covered and unplugged. Most machines come with a cover. If not, a simple light-weight blanket will work too. Or if you want something pretty - I've got a list of quilted sewing machine cover tutorials here.
If you're looking for recommendations for buying the right sewing machine for a beginner or ideas for upgrading your current machine, I've got a post here on how to choose the perfect sewing machine, for any level or budget.
I am a computer dumy but I have learned these 2 tricks!! To print almost anything you are reading you can hold down Control button & (the letter)P and it should show the page and give you options to print. Also you can right click the title od the article and "Save as" which will save it to a folder you designate then you will have it on your computer to reference.
I have a regular cleaning routine with my Janome. After each project, I clean the lint and dust and change the needle.
Your detailed information is extremely comprehensive and useful to all. thank you for the tips.
Great post! Thank you for sharing such useful information on how to clean a sewing machine. Your step-by-step instructions are easy to follow, and the tips on how to maintain the machine's overall health are invaluable. I especially appreciated the information on what products to use and what to avoid when cleaning the machine. I will definitely be using your advice the next time I need to clean my sewing machine. Keep up the great work!
Best Coverstitch Machine
Thanks so much for this blog! I have a Babylock Allegra that I bought at the end of 2023 and my standby-a 1948 Singer Featherweight that I still use. I did full maintenance on my Featherweight 5 months ago, but your tutorial helped remind me of what I need to do now. And what I should be doing on the Allegra.
Tailoring involves creating new shirts, pants, skirts, shorts, and hats at the sewing machine located inside Emily and Haley's house or the Sewing Machine received as a reward for the "Rock Rejuvenation" special order. Boots and shoes can also be custom-tailored, which does not create a new item, but transfers the stats from one pair to another.
Tailoring and Dyeing are unlocked in a cutscene the day after the player acquires at least 1 Cloth. Emily will appear in front of the player's house and tell them that they can tailor clothes using the sewing machine at her house.
Each item requires Cloth in the feed and one other item on the spool. Prismatic clothing is random, so Cloth + Prismatic Shard can produce any of the 5 prismatic clothing items (including duplicates).
There is a small, fixed chance to find a random cosmetic item when the player kills a monster, breaks a crate, tills an artifact spot, or shakes or chops a tree, as well as a higher but more variable chance when panning.[1] The possible cosmetic items include most shirts, as well as some hats. Pants and Boots are not obtainable from these drops. Furniture may also be dropped.[2]
Note that there are three shirts called "Bandana Shirt", none of which are dyeable. The non-dyeable "Sailor Shirt" chosen at character creation is visually nearly identical to the dyeable "Sailor Shirt" that can be created with a variety of fish, and has a dyeable neckerchief.
Boots and shoes cannot be created, but the stats can be transferred from one pair to another. To custom-tailor boots or shoes, place the item with the desired stats on the spool at the upper right and the item to be tailored in the feed at the lower left. The item on the spool will be consumed in the process. The resulting item in the feed will be called "Custom-tailored [name of shoe/boot]".
A sewing machine is a machine used to sew fabric and materials together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies. Since the invention of the first sewing machine, generally considered to have been the work of Englishman Thomas Saint in 1790,[1] the sewing machine has greatly improved the efficiency and productivity of the clothing industry.
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