Busy day!

Wow! Busy day repairing. The machines just never stop coming in. I'm definitely not complaining, a guy's got to make a living. I had a very challenging older Husqvarna today. A lot of what I do is routine, but this one was fun. Another shop had told the lady it was done. It took a while but it sews like a dream now. It's always such a great feeling to see someone happy to get their machine back! I'm so fortunate to be able to do something that I enjoy so much for a living! B

Thanks Sheena

For following. B

Duh!

I'm having trouble activating the comments section at the top of the page. Does anyone have any ideas? It's kind of funny. I can fix the most complicated machines, but, this gives me trouble! B

Love, hate the internet!

I love the net for the ease of getting info. I love learning, facts are exciting! Useless information fills my head. (along, of course, with the good stuff) Any time I have a question, I can get an answer. I hate the net for the misinformation. Opinions taken for fact. It's hard to sort out some times what is good advice and what is nonsense. I've been reading on some sewing machine sites about problems people have been having and I'm astounded at the amount of bunk that passes for help. Sorry, strong words I know, but, seriously, are people trying to help or hinder? I'm certainly not saying that I have all the answers, but, if I don't I'll absolutely admit it. I guess you can tell I'm a little passionate about what I do. Thanks for letting me rant. B 

Buying a machine

Often when my wife and I are teaching a class, we find that people have bought a new machine without knowing if it is suitable for the purpose for which it was purchased. Whew!! Long sentence. A good idea when shopping is to take with you some fabrics and tasks that you will be expecting your new machine to cope with. Then use the machine in the shop yourself ( of course, under the supervision of the salesperson, so they can help). Put it through it's paces.  Make sure it does the job that you want  it to do. You don't want to find out when you get it home, that it isn't what you expected. I've seen more than a few long faces in a class and I feel for those people. In future posts, I'll give a few hints on things to look for. Bernie

Threading

The most common call I get is about looping underneath the fabric. The top looks ok, but, the back doesn't. The majority of the time this is actually related to threading. On all machines when you lift the presser foot, the tension discs separate. This allows the top thread to slide between the discs and gives tension when you lower the foot and start sewing. Next time you have a problem with thread on the backside, just try re threading the top thread with the presser foot up. It just might be that simple. B

It's hardly ever the tension

It's rarely the tension mechanism that causes your stitch to look bad. There a number of reasons why might not look like you want it to. In further posts, I'll discuss some of these reasons. B

Just a quick note. If you are looking for help, please give as much info as possible. eg. make, model, fabric, thread and task. Also a good description of the problem. Thanks! B

Hello

My name is Bernie. I have been repairing sewing machines for about 34 years now. It's a profession that I really enjoy. One problem that I have seen frequently, is the huge amount of bad info given out to people with a problem machine.
     I thought I'd try to set up a blog to see if I could help sewers by giving straight answers to their questions. I have no idea if this will be welcomed or not, but, I'm willing to give it a try. I do specialize in Bernina, but work on all brands. If I can help, I will try. I'll also be truthful if I can't help.
     My aim is not to take any work away from your dealer, but to help you to diagnose or fix a problem. This may actually be helpful to your dealer. It might also help if you live a long way away from a shop. I'll try to check to  in every day and to answer promptly. I do keep long hours, so patience is appreciated. I also welcome feedback. Thanks for checking this out. Bernie