Most machines come with a cover but you can make one out of something from your stash or use a pillow case.
With Each New Project:
• Change the Needle
A bent or dull needle can result in skipped stitches, broken or looped threads, runs or pulls in your fabric or worst of all, damage to your machine!
• Clean the Bobbin Area
Remove the bobbin case and brush around the bobbin area and under the feed dogs. DO NOT not use compressed air, canned air or your own breath: this introduces moisture into the machine that can corrode metal and electronic parts and will likely push the lint farther into the machine.
• Clean Adhesive Spray Residue
If you have used spray adhesive, remove the needle plate and clean both sides, remove the bobbin case and clean it, the hook and adjacent areas, and clean the embroidery hoop.
• Oil
If your manual instructs you to do so, oil only where indicated with good quality sewing machine oil - never use other lubricants. Machines with drop in bobbins generally do not require oiling by the user. Bernina machines do.
Video
Watch our home sewing machine maintenance video, available on our videos page.
Annual Maintenance by a Technician
Please call for an appointment.
Dust, lint, pet hair and grit can get into the interior of every machine, even those that have been well maintained by the owner. When lint gathers around lubrication points it can act like a wick, drawing the oil away from the parts that most need protecting. Lubricants also dry up over time.
You should have the interior of your machine cleaned and lubricated, the firmware updated, the thread tension checked and the machine examined for wear before there is a problem.
Have your machine serviced annually and at least every 2 years or 1,000,000 stitches. On many computerized machines, you can find the stitch count on one of the pages of your display. "Service count" refers to the number of stitches since the machine was last serviced by a technician; "total count" is the number of stitches over the lifetime of the machine.
Repairs
Please call for an appointment.
There are hundreds of parts in a modern sewing machine. Many are computer controlled and their sensors and thread control systems are sensitive to rough use, poor quality thread or well-meaning home mechanics. Even the removal of the covers requires special knowledge and skill.
Rose Cottage Quilt Shoppe has a technician on staff who is trained and certified by Bernina and Brother who can do the work using genuine parts and lubricants.
Updates
We update machines during the annual maintenance, but you can check for updates and do it yourself.
Not all Bernette machines can be updated. Those that can need to be done at the dealer and are routinely updated as part of the annual maintenence.
Machine and software updates are available . We will routinely update your machine during the annual maintenence.
