I do try to take my machine for service once a year although I only have one so I hate to part with it for a week or two! I have a Janome and it says in the instruction manual not to oil it. Anyone out there know if this is actually the proper care of it? Just seems to me like it should be oiled.

I also vacuum around needle and under throat plate, while using a stiff brush to coax out any boogers - well, that's what I call any debris.

I think the only thing I can add is that sometimes you can hear a change in the sound of the machine and you will know it is time to clean under the throat plate. Also, a popping sound when you quilt means you have waited too long to change your needle. We understand--completely--the need to baby the thing that brings so much pleasure.

Congratulations on your new machine! How exciting. Yes, the others seem to have it about right. I usually use my birthday for the reminder to take my machine in for service sometime within the next month (I think once a year is just about right unless you are on your machine nearly full time--then once every six months). I clean and oil my machine about every 10 to 15 hours of sewing time, or when I break a needle cause I'm being careless, or after I change the bobbin several times. I've used this formula for all the 50 plus years I've been sewing and my machines have all served me well. I have a little vacuum cleaner attachment that I use to vacuum out the crud, which I do about every third cleaning. That way you get a little better cleaning and it doesn't push stuff up into the machine like compressed air does. Though I confess, I sometimes use compressed air and try to focus it out instead of in. I've never had any problem with it, but Margo is probably right--not a real good idea I suppose.

Hi -

Like Margo, I clean out the bobbin area with every bobbin change. I use a makeup brush. I also lift the throat plate and clean under there with the makeup brush with every bobbin change. I try to oil the machine reasonably often. A friend told me I should oil it after every second bobbin and I tried to do that for a while, but that just seems too often to me. So I shoot for after each project, but that's tough for me since I'm usually working on many projects at once, which means that I don't finish them very often. So I just try to do it "reasonably" often. When I oil, I also take a Q-tip and try to get any gunk out of the bobbin area. I'll also using my stiletto to try to get things out of the narrow groove around the bobbin area. I try to take my machine in every year for servicing, but it usually ends up being more like every two years. That has been fine for me, but that's mostly because the day job cuts into my sewing time. When I do finally retire (still too many years off), I'll probably have to take the machine in more often. But that's a happy thing since it means I'll be sewing more!

With my new machine I got three sessions of how to care for and use the machine. Well worth the time. There was a wealth of information given.

I carefully clean out lint with a soft brush and add one drop of oil in my bobbin case with every full bobbin change. NEVER blow or use canned air into the area, it just packs the lint deeper into the machine.

I change my needle and clean out under the throat plate with every new project, unless I need to do it more often.

Professional service once a year if you sew something on most days.

Hope that helps! You will love your new machine!

I clean out the bobbin area after a major project, though I check when I change the bobbin.
I get my machine serviced 1 or 2x per year...but I quilt a lot!
TEri

Hi everyone

I am relatively new to quilting but have been bitten HARD!

I just broke down and traded in my $150 bottom of the line Kenmore machine for a Bernina Aurora 440.

I know the book says that I should oil it when it asks for it and clean the lint occasionally but only you quilters understand me when I say this thing is my BABY (in line after my real babies of course).
Right now I think I'm excessively OCD about my machine and I want to have a guideline for what is normal.
How often do you clean out the lint and dust, how often do you oil and how often do you have it professionally serviced.

Anything else I can/should be doing??

Thanks!!