Machine Maintenance

I almost decided not to post today. I haven't gotten any projects done and couldn't think of anything profitable to say. Until I decided to clean my serger...

I got this baby for my 16th birthday
and never looked back since 

Now I love my machines and what they enable me to do but I am no mechanic. One of my biggest fears is taking my machine apart and putting it back together incorrectly, therefore breaking it FOREVER!!!
Then Steph of 3HoursPast wrote about needles and the importance of listening to your machine. Pretty sure I failed at this... My poor machines trapped in a relationship of take take take. So when I sat down to serge some loose threads before I threw stuff into the dryer I noticed my serger was not making happy noises and decided to take note.

I pulled out my manual, kept google close by and dug out my tube of machine oil. Soon I had undone tons of screws and was cleaning lint.

Corduroy is great for cleaning the lint off your brushes with
one quick swipe. Those tiny leftover knit scraps make great
wipe cloths for this stuff too.

Look guys! It's your tension dial up close and personal!

Now I do clean lint regularly from the exposed surfaces. I just forget to oil regularly and I don't unscrew things. On the bright side I figured out where Steampunk came from!

Some sewist decided to clean their machine and was mesmerized by the beauty and intricacy of its inner workings
and decided to express that in fabric! Steampunk was born!

Don't shoot me Steampunkers, I don't know much about it except you make cool clothes with gears and stuff....
So that was the extent of my "sewing" today. The serger sounds a lot better now and we'll see how it actually sews with new needles. I need it in tip top shape for our May Stashbusting Challenge!!!!
Speaking of Stashbusting, Cation's got April's Link Party open so head on over and enter your Vibrant Things and see if you'll be chosen as our second Challenge winner!
TTFN!