….of my sewing machine. This is EXACTLY why I refuse to invest in nice machinery……I run things into the ground. I broke a needle today and I think it bent the entire column of my machine. At the same time the bobbin guts jumped out. At the time, I was sewing at full speed through an ungodly amount of fabric, with the wrong needle, and some black thread from the 1960s because I ran out. Now my needle seems to be off about 0.1mm and will not catch the bobbin thread anymore.
Since I couldn’t physically crawl down into the machine to see what else I destroyed in the process I used my small cybershot camera to peer down into the guts. I love machinery…..so I thought the photos were sort of cool, even though they didn’t help locate the problem.
Way too much thread lint…..
Have you seen this cool animation yet on how a sewing machine works?
Maybe my new sewing machine will get here before I have to figure out what is wrong with this one. Thanks so much to everyone that voted for my projects on Instructables! I didn’t win the serger (I think I lost to an amoeba!) but I did win a sewing machine (almost the exact machine I have!) for the beanbags….and just in time it seems.
That is a cool animation!
Neat-looking sewing machine pictures too!
What kind of sewing machine did you win?
Looks like fun! I love taking things apart and fixing them. Luckily my uncle is a sewing machine repair man, how lucky am I?
If you get a chance, I just posted my first tutorial: http://noodleheads.blogspot.com/2009/10/zippy-wallet-tutorial.html
this are cool pictures!
good luck figuring out what is wrong…if not, enjoy you new machine!!!
That's why I keep a can of air beside my machine. Blow all of that lint out. Have fun with your new machine!
I second Kim – keep a compressed air can nearby! It saves SO much time and repair costs 🙂
I'm the same way…my plain jane, $150 machine does just fine. It's only a matter of time before I do something to it. lol
Congrats on winning! What kind of machine is it?
Congrats on your win!
Ha ha! Oh no! I am hard on my little $60 Kmart machine too. That is A LOT of lint. Holy Cow!
Haha! This sounds like me, I never change my needle, I'm so abusive to my machine!
P.S. Thanks for the link to that little video, I've always wondered how it catches the bobbin thread!!
OK, girl…they make these cool tools that are made so that you can clean your machine and remove all those dust bunnies!
Congrats on winning a new machine!
I was talking to the sewing machine man a while back and laughing about people coming in asking for replacement felt pads for their bobbin! I'm guilty of not cleaning out my bobbin area often enough – too busy wanting to sew.
Isn't it funny how the Universe works – just when your sewing machine breaks a brand new one appears… Enjoy it!
Awesome!! congrats on winning the sewing machine!!
I just stopped in to take a look at your blog and say Hi after I saw that you left a comment on my daughter's blog, Emily of Super Stitches at http://www.sewingsister.blogspot.com
You have a great blog. I went all through it.
Trudy
http://www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com
ouch.
gee I thought i was the only one with self-created sewing problems.
how lucky (unlucky) to have a break-down just as you win a new machine!
cool pics, i'm off to check out the tutorial, thanks
..i mean animation…COOL! the comments that followed, also entertaining 🙂
Sad…but Happy that you'll be getting a new machine!
Hi Ashley, I had a look at your blog and I love the things you make!!! 🙂
Can I insert a link to your blog into mine?
robygiup.splinder.com
If you want to have a look into my blog, you're welcome… but it is in Italian… I'm sorry…
Wow~I'll be taking a look at mine today 😉 So glad someone knew you would be needing a new machine soon, funny how things work out.
Neat way to capture all of that…
So glad that you won at sewing machine, just in the nick of time! What would we do if you didn't sew????? LOL
I have a serger, but I haven't felt comfortable enough to use it yet…maybe soon.
I had to laugh at all of your thread lint. I'm pretty sure my machine would look similar if I had the nerve to look. It's nice to know I am in good company.
Congrats on winning the new machine!
This made me laugh so much – I am SUPER obsessive about my bobbin housing getting filled with lint, so I keep a can of compressed air near my sewing table at all times! It blasts all that gunk right outta there. It's especially handy after I get done sewing with fleece or corduroy…or minky (shudder). But my machine – although barely a year old – is kind of finicky, and the feed dogs won't really feed the fabric properly if it gets too clogged with lint. :/
Congrats on winning a new machine! That's so exciting!
Congrats on your win!
this happened to me too!
my dad fixed it though.
it has to do with the belt – the timing belt needed to be turned a little to make the bobbin move a little faster for the thread would catch it. maybe it's still fix-able!!
good luck 🙂
O-M-G! Holy Lint Batman!!!
Congrats on the win — the bean bags are sure cute, and a great gift! Haven't made them yet, but definitely on my list!
On a sewing note, I always keep a smaller soft paint brush next to my machine and clean out all the lint-bunnies from my bobbin at the start of every new project! Can't wait to hear about the new machine!! CHEERS!
Bummer about the broken machine, yay for the new machine! I'm a fan of compressed air too. Maybe keep it in mind for the new machine 😉
Bummer about the broken machine, yay for the new machine! I'm a fan of compressed air too. Maybe keep it in mind for the new machine 😉
No lie, the same thing happened to me, somehow I fixed it but thought what the hell, I can't make it any worse right? My bobbin holder looked like that last night, I had never noticed it before and blew it out….P.S. I thought you'd like:
Noooooooo D:
I tried clicking on the animation but it doesn't work. I've been looking for something like that for ages!