My Machine is fixed!

My husband of all things, whom I love dearly, but who has no mechanical skills what-so-ever, figured out that we had a tool that would fit this tiny hexagonal hole at the top of the needle housing.  He called it something like a hex-nut, haha. Anyways, all it took was putting the housing back in place and tightening up the screw. Way to go Honey!

In the Market for a New Sewing Machine

Several years ago I found a Brother XL 5600 sewing machine on clearance at TJ Maxx.  It was an awesome deal and over the past few years, my sewing machine and I have done a lot of work together.  But alas, I think my $70 deal from TJ Maxx may have run it's course.

I have been sewing a lot these past few months and my machine has been complaining. It let me know I haven't been taking very good care of it by revolting a couple weeks back. First the walking presser foot stopped working, so I took it all apart, cleaned it and oiled it. I started sewing again, going only a couple of inches before the bobbin started acting strange, pulling up threads. So I took that all apart and cleaned it and oiled it.  I got it all put back together, sewed a few more inches and then the thread got all caught up inside the top of the machine, so I took that all apart, cleaned it and oiled it.  Then I was finally able to finish sewing the seam I was working on.

Today I was sewing on the eye of Spots the owl, the prize of today's Giveaway from Honeybunch Boutique, and the metal clamp piece that holds the needle fell off.  It looks like there is a hole for a screw to go in and hold the piece to the piston that drives the needle up and down, but the screw is gone and I cannot find any missing pieces. 

I will have to take it in and see if it can be fixed, if not, then I will have to buy myself an early birthday present. What a chore that will be, to find my self a new, fancy sewing machine. ;)

Do you know anything about sewing machines? Check out the pictures and see if you know what I am talking about.