Sewing Machines

I was giving my sewing machines a good clean up and oiling before doing some sewing. Just thought I would tell you about two bright ideas that friends have shared with me.

1: It's a good idea to have a piece of scrap fabric for each machine.
Whenever the machine is not in use, place the fabric between the presser foot and the needle plate and rest the foot. This prevents metal rubbing against metal and helps to prolong the life of the feed-dog teeth.

2: Have a mat for each machine. I made mine from a scrap of kitchen flooring material. I think it is called linoleum or sheet vinyl.

I turned the smaller mat to show the right side of the material. The right side touches the table and the machine sits on the wrong side.

When the machine sits on the mat, you can easily move it about; the heavy machine just simply glides away. Yet it is perfectly stationary when it is in use.

This way, you can easily create room to focus on your work without having to lift the machine, a real back saver.