Before you start your next big sewing project your bobbin case will need some T.L.C.. Coming into Christmas we all start sewing more peculiar things like burlap, glitter or sequins fabrics, or metallic insulation, and we are usually sewing a heap of them in quick succession to meet gift-giving deadlines. These tougher items will blunten your needles more quickly than cottons, so make sure that you have a spare pack handy for sewing way into the early-hours of the morning. The other effect these can have on your machine, is the debris (tiny pieces of broken fibres that look a lot like fluff) that they leave behind in your bobbin case. This debris will build up and actually block the path of your thread as a stitch forms, causing skipped stitches, or the frustration of broken thread. You’ll need to get into your bobbin area every now and then, and give it a good clean out with that little white brush that came with your machine (and has been kicking about in your accessory box all this time). Your instruction book will give you details on how to do this, but essentially you need to unscrew your needle plate, remove it, get over the shock of how much fluff is in there, and then carefully pull the fluff out with your brush. This is a great bit of self-maintenance between servicing by Mike, and will help improve the performance of your machine.