American Sewing Guild, Lansing Chapter: Lansing Clippers

Februrary 8, 2016, Kevin Conley of Country Stitches delivered an animated, informative, and entertaining presentation on machine maintenance.

Here are a few tips that he highly recommended to keep our machines in the best working condition for years.

• Use an audio surge protector.  These are more expensive than the cheap ones sold at discount stores. You need a minimum of 3200 joules, and one that provides insurance against failure. Save the box and receipt.
• Take your machine(s) in for yearly maintenance. Turn around time is usually 3-5 days.
• Clean your bobbin case frequently. Learn how to remove the throat plate and use a brush and/or vacuum to clean out all the lint.  DO NOT use canned air!
• Use the correct needle for the fabric and the job.  Refer to the Schmetz Needle website or smart phone apps.
• Kevin uses an 80-12 or a 90-14 for quilt piecing.
• Use a titanium or chrome 80-12 or a 90-14 needle for embroidery, as nothing sticks to them, and they don't heat up.
• Use a metallic needle for metallic, monofiliment, iridescent, sliver, and glitter threads. 
• Always use a good 100% cotton thread for piecing. Mettler, Aurifil are good for piecing. Gutterman is a good thread, but don't use for piecing.  It's so strong, it will cut fibers in the fabric.
• Kevin uses 50 wt. for piecing, and 30-40 wt. for quilting.
• Keep thread out of the sun; sun rots thread.
• Serger thread is finer than regular sewing thread. Don't use the cheap stuff. Maxi Lock is good.
• Schmetz, Inspira, and Organ are good needles.
• Use a joining foot for zig zag or overcast edges. The stitch goes over a wire, not a wire dividing flange.