May I introduce you to my new friend - the sewing machine hoover.
(Yes, yes, I can hear Alan Partridge in my ear telling me that what I really mean is "vacuum cleaner" since Hoover is a brand name. I know.)
A few weeks ago I could've sworn my machine was broken. It was spluttering all over the place and getting jammed up good and proper. I unscrewed the needle plate and spent a good couple of hours tinkering with the insides trying to get it working again. In fact, some of you were involved in diagnosing the problem since I was live-tweeting the whole thing (thanks, guys!). Fiiiiinally I found a teeny tiny piece of thread hidden away behind the bobbin holder. That's all the problem was - the smallest bit of thread caught in the system. Which is probably a metaphor for life.
Erm... and I also found this embarrassing state of dust and fluff. Oops.
Determined to take better care of my machine in future, I invested in a mini hoover to reach the parts that my sewing machine brush can't reach. (When I say invested, I mean £5 on Amazon.) I think it's designed for cleaning computer keyboards so it plugs in as a USB. The suction is fairly weak, but I guess you don't want super strong vacuuming on delicate machinery. It has a little light on it so you can see into dark spaces. The nozzle is flexible so it can reach into tiny crevices, although it does have a tendency to fall off mid-flow, which is slightly annoying. Overall though, I'm very happy with my new gadget!
Does anyone else use one of these little babies?
[Soundtrack: 'Clean Up Woman' by Betty Wright]
