Such a pretty time of year

 I guess we will start to get some cooler weather now.  It certainly has been a bit steamy the last couple of days.  I really can't remember a time that we were still picking things in the garden after October first.  I'm not complaining.  We certainly have enjoyed the fresh veggies.

With holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, I start thinking of sewing stuff.  And, the first thing with planning to sew is to pull out a featherweight to clean up. Sometimes it's a FW that I own that  needs to be cleaned so it's ready to sell.  Sometimes it's a FW that a customer has asked me to deep clean for them.  Not everybody wants to do that dirty job.

When you open up the spool pin cover, you get a good idea of how badly a FW needs a good deep cleaning.  I was told this machine had been serviced.  I don't know who serviced it or how long ago it was done.  My work was cut out for me. Where do I begin? 

First, you have to remove all the old gunky grease.  I use a wooden toothpick and get as much as I can.  Don't use a Q-tip because you don't want to leave fuzzy fibers in your gears.  Sometimes I use a wooden skewer if there are wads of grease farther than what a toothpick will reach.

Once I get as much old grease out as  possible, it's time to squirt some kerosene on the gears and use a toothbrush or lint brush to finish getting everything clean.  Then I use a rag from an old t-shirt to wipe everything clear. Use a clean toothpick to wipe every tooth of the gear you can reach.

Of course, the gear under the machine needs the same attention.  Usually the bottom gears aren't quite as bad.  Don't run the machine until you've put a new dab of grease on those gears.  And when I say a dab, I mean a small amount about the size of a green pea.

There is still a lot to do before any machine is totally cleaned.  I thought you all might like to see the very first step to getting a FW back to the best condition possible,

If you have any questions, email me.  jdquilts123@yahoo.com

If you need to order parts, go to the featherweight shop through my link:   https://singer-featherweight.com?aff=70.

There will be 2 basic and 1 advanced maintenance classes at the Quilt Patch in November.  Check out all that information on the Class Schedule tab on the right.

And, get out and enjoy the fall colors.  Mother Nature sure does a great job turning our green world into a spectacular display.