Mandy’s Top 10 Tips for using your Sewing Machine
They don’t make them like this any more. My 1870 Willcox and Gibbs machine.
Change the needle in your machine after every large sewing project, it will make huge difference and avoid slipped stitches.
Don’t buy cheap needles, they sometimes have a burr in the needle eye and shred your thread. Schmetz are a good brand.
Use the right needle for the job. The numbers on the needles are smaller for finer fabrics and bigger for thicker. I tend to use a 12/ 80 or 14/90 for everyday sewing. I use jeans needles for denim, leather needles for leather and a ball point needle for jersey fabrics, they work like a dream.
Sewing machines prefer polyester sewing thread. It’s smoother and doesn’t shed off lint to clog up the machine.
But still use good quality thread, not the cheap reels from markets and ancient threads from grannies basket as threads deteriorate.
Problems with Bobbins can be the reason your machine does not sew well. Each make of machine has a bobbin designed for it, they are not all universal so make sure you have the correct bobbin for your machine.
Make sure you wind your bobbin correctly and evenly, an unevenly wound bobbin is bound to cause problems.
Clean your machine regularly. Remove the lint with a brush then pop a drop of machine oil onto a cotton bud and clean your bobbin case. Do not squirt oil willy nilly into the workings. Always use your manual for guidance. If you have lost yours you can go online where you can pretty much find a manual for any machine.
If you need to update I strongly suggest getting a quality machine of any brand. You need to spend at least £300 and never, ever be swayed by a cheap supermarket or a brightly coloured one. Trade ins are a good choice because people are always changing machines chasing new gadgets, don’t be swayed by alphabet , you hardly use them. There is a huge choice of machines like cars, some cheaper some expensive but they all sew!
Love your machine, look after it, clean it, treat it to the right needles and threads and it will become a friend of long standing.
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