Tips and Tricks....clean your machine

A few weekends ago I went away with some stitchy friends with big plans first for some quilting on Lorraine's frame and then some piecing and hand quilting.

On Saturday morning I was up bright and early for a walk and then settled into loading the quilt and  starting up my machine. All went well for the first few passes. And then my machine stopped. I re-threaded, fitted a different bobbin, oiled and it still kept beeping and flashing an E6 error message at me. Google told me that meant a tangled thread. I couldn't find it.

To cut a long story short the quilt was unloaded and I took to the couch with some hand quilting.

On Sunday morning I attacked the problem with renewed vigour. I wasn't having much luck up top so I decided to unscrew the plate and this is what I saw....5 years worth of lint.

In my defence my machine tells me not to oil it and a screwdriver the correct size to remove the plate did not  come with the machine. To sing the machines praises this accumulation of muck didn't affect performance until a few weeks ago.

It's  been to the doctor and has returned but I've not yet unpacked it - the Contessa and I have been becoming reaquainted. She isn't as loud, as tempremental  as I remember her but she is a tough old bird!