#Sewing Machine

[ub-sessed]

How Not to Break Your Sewing Machine

I work in a shop where we repair sewing machines (a LOT of sewing machines), and unsurprisingly we see a lot of the same problems over and over again, so I'm here with some advice on how to keep your machine running longer.

When you break a needle, dig around until you have found the broken piece. If you leave it in there, it can end up in the wrong place at the wrong time and break something vital.

SLOW DOWN. The function of your sewing machine depends on the different moving parts ending up in the right place at the right time. Having to go through a lot of/heavy material slows the needle down, but it doesn't slow down the mechanism underneath the needle plate. If you try to go your usual speed, the needle will arrive too late and collide with something it shouldn't, breaking either the needle or the bobbin case. If the material is especially heavy (say you're sewing several layers of denim, or sewing webbing onto canvas), take your foot off the pedal and turn the machine by hand.

Clean out the bobbin area after each project. Really. Your machine comes with a little brush for this purpose. If it doesn't, a little dollar-store paint brush will work just fine. Remember what I said above about things being in the right place at the right time? Everything needs to be able to move freely for this to work. I know it looks like it's just a little dust and fluff, but it will jam up your machine eventually.

If you can, get your timing adjusted by a professional. I know most people don't have a sewing machine repair shop in their neighbourhood, but if you can do this, it's worth it. If the machine's timing is good, then you're more likely to have a little leeway for heavier fabric or a lintier bobbin case. When the timing is just a bit off, it takes less of an obstacle to put the needle in a place it shouldn't be.

If you can, buy a machine built before 1980. If it's still working 50 years after it was made, it's gonna keep working. Those older machines are made with metal gears and therefore weigh a ton, so they're definitely not a good choice if you don't have a permanent setup for your machine, but it means they basically last forever. Newer machines are made with plastic parts, and no matter what you do, they will break.

Don't buy a Singer Heavy Duty. I'm sure those machines have their benefits, but they are absolutely not heavy duty. We repair more Singer Heavy Dutys than any other single model of sewing machine. If you're already stuck with a Heavy Duty, then follow my advice above even more scrupulously, and start shopping around for a replacement if you can. You can get a used sewing machine of better quality for significantly less than a new Heavy Duty.

To keep things working properly, make sure you're:

threading your machine properly

using the right kind of bobbin

adjusting your tension properly

and using the right kind of needle for the fabric you're sewing!

(These things are unlikely to break your machine, but they will keep it from sewing properly.)

Other than that, get your hands on your machine's manual and read it carefully. If you can, bring your machine in for a cleaning and adjustment now and then. Your machine will need repairs every once in a while: it's a lot of little moving parts! But these are some basic precautions you can take to avoid some common problems.

[sexypeople-contests-2025]

[elythegardeningbard]

My new theme song

[14-opossums-in-a-trenchcoat]

and the sewing machine's winning

tumblr sexy machine contest is so funny. they got i have no mouth and i must scream vs a sewing machine

[samimarkart]

Blackwater Dive

2024, hand bleached and dyed denim, cotton batting and thread

inspired by blackwater photography of plankton! this was my first time layering bleach painting. All the silhouettes were painted with bleaching gel, loosely tie dyed, and then bleached again to make the highlights. I quilted the piece using my free motion foot to outline each individual animal and tacked down the rest of the quilt with small satin stitches that remind me of marine snow. I dyed bias tape to match. super happy with this one and excited to show it in a gallery setting soon!

[cowbuild]

June 2025 Set (1) - Hobby Room

Carve out a little time for yourself and do what you love most. Whether it’s crafting, creating, or simply unwinding, this cozy hobby room is the perfect escape. It even includes a functional pet bed so your furry friend can join the fun 🐾

PATREON

[aluhnim]

Fabric Obsessed Witch

[vincentbriggs]

My uncle's friend asked if I wanted this machine that he has no use for, and yes I very much did want it, so now I have a beautiful crusty old friend to clean up!

I've never sewn on a White before, but from what I've read online they're very good. Quite a bit different from the Singers I'm used to though. The hand wheel moves in the opposite direction.

It was manufactured in the U.S. (more specifically - Cleveland, Ohio) sometime around the mid 1880s. I'm told it hasn't been used since about the 1970s, but that it used to belong to a woman who made her living by sewing on it for many years.

There's a lot of gunk and old dust to remove, and I need to shorten the drive belt and probably replace the rubber ring on the bobbin winder, but the moving parts are already spinning very smoothly and quietly so I'm hoping it won't be too much trouble.

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I was in a warehouse and found a magic sewing machine that could make a piece of clothing instantly, you just had to give it pieces of fabric, but you couldn't choose what it would be and one of the sleeves/pant legs would always be wrong.

[clipitcutout]

Cute sewing machine pngs!

Follow for daily uploads 💖

[objectum-confessions]

i think i hauve covid (link)

[sexypeople-contests-2025]

[kieraoonadiy]

Another teardown video! This time, this machine is going to a new owner! The new recipient of this well loved machine will be @theshitpostcalligrapher for their future sewing shenanigans!

Watch as I go through parts, try to locate where a mystery part goes, and strugglebus through taking apart a Singer Esteem II, and putting it all back together, while adjusting the needle arm for smoother stitches!

[its-where-the-wild-things-are]

[gummi-stims]

🌀🧵Machine quilting from sewshabbyquilting on tiktok!🧵🌀