[Lesley Silvester]

I was making bags for my fleeces yesterday out of charity shop bedding (double duvet for £1). It took me an age to get the machine ready to use. I've only used it a couple of times before and the last time was two years ago to make goat coats.

Doing well and I was on the fourth bag when the bit that the needle goes into suddenly fell out of the machine, still with needle in place. there must be an easy way of fixing it but I can't work out how. There is no hole for a screw in the pole thing that comes down although there is one in the needle holder. In any case, I couldn't find a screw or anything else that looked as if it came from the machine and I didn't hear anything drop.

Anyone got any ideas?

[luckylady]

Did you get an instruction booklet with it?  Generally they are full of detailed pictures of all parts of the machine.  Not sure exactly which part you mean fell off but it doesn't sound good.  Could understand if it was just the foot or the needle itself as that is just a tightening issue, but not so sure about the needle shaft  . On some machines you can flip out the 'nose' casing where you replace the bulb, have you done this to have a look inside?  It goes without saying, but I may get shot down if I don't  , unplug first.  Good luck.

[spandit]

The shaft is often held in place with a screw that presses against it, so it can be adjusted up and down if needs be. This may have come loose but you'll have to look inside to check - as mentioned, there's often an access panel for bulb changing

You'll need to check the timing once it's done or you'll have huge problems with broken needles...

[Bionic]

You can get instruction booklets for most things on line these days so it may be worth you searching if you didn't get one with the machine.

[Lesley Silvester]

I do have an instruction book but couldn't find anything that looked remotely like it. The part that fell off is outside the casing so I wouldn't need to look inside. I did wonder about a screw because of the little hole in the side of the part. The shaft that comes down has a slit down the side so it being adjustable makes sense. I couldn't find any screw though and the floor has been hoovered since so I've lost it is there was one. I think a trip to a sewing amchine engineer is called for. 

[Beewyched]

I do have an instruction book but couldn't find anything that looked remotely like it. The part that fell off is outside the casing so I wouldn't need to look inside. I did wonder about a screw because of the little hole in the side of the part. The shaft that comes down has a slit down the side so it being adjustable makes sense. I couldn't find any screw though and the floor has been hoovered since so I've lost it is there was one. I think a trip to a sewing amchine engineer is called for. 

You have time to vacuum    Wow MGoM - how do you do it?

[Lesley Silvester]

Don't be silly. I didn't vacuum. I leave that job to the OH. 

I rang a sewing machine repair place today and the man suggested removing the screw that hold the needle in place, putting the bit that fell off (which is called the needle clamp apparently) back in place and reinserting the screw. Then slacken if off a bit to allow me to replace the needle. I haven't had time to try it yet but will do soon.

It goes without saying, but I may get shot down if I don't  , unplug first.  Good luck.

Oh I did, LL. I've only just progressed onto an electric machine because the electric side of it worried me ever since I was told by someone that she had once managed to sew between her fingers to her knuckles.

[luckylady]

Oh I did, LL. I've only just progressed onto an electric machine because the electric side of it worried me ever since I was told by someone that she had once managed to sew between her fingers to her knuckles.

I knew you would have done MGoM  .  My sister has had quite a few sewing machine needle injuries over the years resulting in hospital visits.  She is a professional seamstress so it goes with the job.  We were both brought up sat at a machine but I have never done it professionally.  She also collects and renovates vintage machines and sometimes prefers to sew with them.  The old mechanisms produce a beautiful stitch.

[happygolucky]

I had a freecycle sewing machine ages ago and something dropped out of that while it was in my garage and as its dark and dusty, I never ever found what it was and it no longer worked without it, so I got rid of it, and, since reading but making no comment on this post, I saw one for sale for £15 localy so I went and bought it and tonigh, we have been sewing up loads, my husband has been sewing up his cycle helmet!! (don't ask) and of course got it all tangled up and wrong so we spent a while unpicking it, he is laughing now as I said it was my present not his and he would not like me ridding his bike around!!!!
Anyway, I got this one as I have some ideas of making dog beds and a posh apron for me.....

[Lesley Silvester]

She also collects and renovates vintage machines and sometimes prefers to sew with them.  The old mechanisms produce a beautiful stitch.

I have a wonderful Frister and Rossman machine that I think dates back from the 1920s or thereabouts. I love it but now my hands are giving me trouble, think the electric one will be better. And, of course, it does a variety of stitches and even sews buttons on which the old one doesn't.

[jaykay]

It would take some doing to sew between your fingers, even with an electric machine.

I am a great one for injuring myself, usually trying to do everything too fast, but I have never managed that!

Drunk or desperately clumsy, or both!?

[RUSTYME]

My mum was a seemstress , that's how i learnt to sew , i now know i have forgotten nearly everything . I can just about manage a hem lol .  I will get one of the machines out and relearn though . I have half a dozen or so old hand crank ones dating from the 1880's , plus a converted to leccy singer . Most have bits missing , bobbins/shuttles , but from memory 3 work lol .
Got a box of different feet for a singer 66k . I can only work out what one is !
My mum sewed her fingers sometimes , we had 3 industrial sewing machines in the living room .
Mum on one , one of my sisters or sometimes dad , on another and me on the third .
Mum was on the machine  all day till 1 or 2 am everyday . No washing machine so when she wasn't sewing she was washing clothes and nappies , 7 kids !
It was a workhouse really . If i wasn't sewing front panels or backs , i was glueing the seams on sleeves down . The main thing made was leather jackets for C+A .

I sewed my fingers umpteen times , christ it makes you jump when that needle hits thd bone , right through the nail BANG! Needle shattered , finger sewn to leather panel .
Dad would get the pliers and dig out the bits of needle .
It sounds daft but those industrial machines just power right over your fingers .
I also designed jackets , skirts and trousers , all in sued and leather . All were sold in C+A , Thousands of them .
I was going to work at the factory when i left school , in design , and go to design college , but i went elsewhere instead .
 Must sort my machines out and get them up and running .

[happygolucky]

Thats very interesting Rusty, who knows what would have happend if  you had been a designer for a living .....I suppose that early start has enabled  you to make your own clothing now...maybe not quite C&A though.....I never had a leather jacket but I did shop there, my ex did have a horrid C&A pretend leather jacket, I hated it......it was that plactic orange material and stiff as cardboard, think he loved it

[RUSTYME]

Although i did buy clothes , i made most of them . I would go into London , see the latest 'in thing' come home and make a copy .
Those were the days eh ?
We only ever made real leather jackets etc , 1966 -75 ish .
Before mum worked at Nixons , she worked at a place called Brownes making house coats , remember those quilted things with lace edging .  The front room would be full of them , piles of parts waiting to be sewn together .
How we lived in among that i have no idea , it was just normal .
The child singer Laurrie London , was a delivery boy there for a few years . He was a pillock . Always trying to chat my mum up , singing his old hit "he's got the whole world , in his hands" . Mum just used to tell him to sod off " and stop singing that song , you can't sing anymore " .
She was right too , he couldn't sing but he could run . My dad knew he tried to chat mum up , and one day he chased London up the road , poor sod was petrified lol . He left the van and wouldn't come back to get it , dad drove it back and did the deliveries and pick ups on the way . He got a job delivering in the evenings .
London never came back to our place though . I went round with London helping for a while , he was ok to talk to , but he did love himself .
He tried it on with one woman , my mates mum , he came out of that house followed by my mates mum with a huge pair of shears in her hands . He just legged it and left the van and me . My mates mum came back laughing and asked if i wanted a cup of tea ! So had my tea and some cake and then drove the van back to Brownes , i was 9 ish !
Dad was a milkman at the time and i used to go out with him and drive the milk float round , empty roads at 5am in the mid 60's .
Ahhhh the good old days .

[happygolucky]

You do paint a wonderful picture, almost a 1970's sit com , we just had a house full of psychiatric patients and lodgers..not far off what I do now funnily enough.
Bloody sewing machine I got yesterday came un threaded as I started to make a dogs bed, did 2 sides then the spool ran out, then, I could not do anything and its all gone wrong, I get cramp in my hands every time I go to put the shuttle back in and no idea why I cannot continue sewing, going to look at You tube with the make and model, seems like I lead a parallel life to Mad Goat Women but without the goats