M.I.A.

Hello friends! Just a quick little update for a bit of an absence.

Did you know that if you use your sewing machine A LOT,

you will need to have trained sewing machine masseuses give it TLC more often than expected??

I jest, but Yes, My Dearest Pflorence, has been taken for a mini-servicing. 

You see, I use Pflorence like a workhorse.  And it's probably a very close race on whether I use her sister, Pfanny, more... Anyways, I learned a long time ago, these ladies must be maintained to give superior results.  Kind of like the "Oil-change Service" on your vehicle. 
Now, I don't claim to be any kind of prognosticator of when your specific machine will need to be serviced, but way back when -when I was logging hours for my senior project to graduate from college, I came up with a pretty good gauge of when to get your baby tuned up.

Basically, you want to brush any fibers you can see, from your machine away each time you sit down to it.

If you are working on a project that takes more than 6 hours of sewing, or every 6 bobbins (when you would change that needle -wink-) you want to get in to your bobbin area and swipe out any fibers. You will be surprised stuff accumulates down there!
On the Serger, you are going to want to clear out those fibers every time you open the thread cover area.  I usually start by clearing it out each day and then every time I change thread colors. That can be lots of times a day if I am really working on lots of things.
I have been advised lately NOT to use spray air on the machines.  It blows the fibers into the oil and reduces the life of the machine.  It is better to use a clean debris brush or a vacuum.

Now, depending on what type of machine you have -electrical vs. mechanical, you will need to oil your machine.  Refer to your owners manual on how, how much, where and when to do so, but where I sew everyday, on a mechanical machine, I sparingly oil once a week.  But currently, I have a machine that does not require me to oil it, so I don't.  I let the Service Guy do it.
On the Serger, this is about my rule of thumb also, except if I am using the serger a lot more -then it gets oiled more often. Like twice a week.

The next step in the servicing of the machines is the full on Service.  The rule of thumb that was passed to me was every 500 hours of sewing time. And yes, this is hard to gauge -unless you are logging your senior project hours...  But from what I understand, that is normally once a year.  Same thing goes for your Serger.
During a full on Service, the technician will take your machine apart and evaluate the belts, gears, and in some cases computer circuits and then he will change and adjust anything that is not functioning properly.  He will oil all the parts and clear out the fibers you can't see.  He will re-calibrate the needle and the bobbin mechanism and adjust the tension to the correct settings for optimal stitch locking and stitch length and width proportions.
Now, all of this may sound like it could be a perfect DIY project, but please, PLEASE, leave this one to the professionals!  In the case of my machine, I brought it in and they said right off the bat, that there was an update for my machine, in this case it was an actual part that will be replaced.  If I had tried to do this myself, well, I would not have had the part.  And I am positive, I would not have been able to get the machine open, let alone put back together...

Anyway, the ABSOLUTELY wonderful people over at LindaZ's Sewing Center, are amazing to get my machine in and turned around in under 3 days!  Mostly because I purchased the machine from them, but also because they are efficient and professional and miracle workers in every aspect of their business... If you are looking for a sewing machine in your area, you are looking for this type of retailer.  They have their techs ON-Site.  They have educational classes.  And they are HELPFUL and KNOWLEDGEABLE! 

Well, I get my machine back shortly and I can't wait to get back to the project I was working on!  And I can't wait to show it to you! So, stay tuned...