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Sewing Machine Cleaning and Oiling

June 9, 2025 WeAllSew

Regular cleaning and oiling of your machine will keep it running in tip top shape for many years. There are just a few basic things to know about caring for your BERNINA sewing machine with the BERNINA hook, featured in our 7 and 5 Series machines.

Remove Hardware

Before you start your machine cleaning, remove the needle, presser foot, stitch plate, and bobbin case from your machine. Removing these accessories will give you better visibility for cleaning and make access to certain hardware that should be maintained.

remove needle

Clean the Cutter

Many of our newer machines have an automated thread cutter. This will sometimes leave thread snip debris in the hook area and occasionally some thread gets stuck in the cutter. It is easy to clean this device.

remove stitch plate

Go into your Setup display and select “Machine settings.”

Sewing Machine Love and Care - machine settings

Then select the “Cleaning/Update” icon.

Sewing Machine Love and Care - clean update

Now select the brush icon to clean the thread catcher.

Sewing Machine Love and Care - thread catcher icon

Touch the link to move the thread catcher out. This will open the cutter up and leave it parked open so that you can remove threads caught in the cutting mechanism.

Sewing Machine Love and Care - thread catcher link

thread catcher

Once you have removed debris from the thread cutter, select the link on screen to move the thread catcher in. You can then take a soft brush to remove lint and clean the feed dog.

feed dog

Oiling the Machine

Now you can turn your machine off to lubricate the hook. Be sure to use the oil that comes with your machine, as this is lighter oil specifically for this hook system.

Open up the hook area and wipe everything down with a cloth. Remove the hook and oil the two felt pads inside the hook with one drop on each.

felt pads

Place one drop of oil into the hook race as shown in the illustration. Do NOT add oil to the red-marked reservoir under the stitch plate, as this can lead to over-oiling the machine.

Clean and oil your BERNINA machine

Once you have finished with oiling the hook and everything is back together, sew a few seams on a little on a scrap of fabric to absorb any excess oil.

 General Tips

1. Microfiber cloths

dusting

Investing in a pack of microfiber cloths is great for any sewing studio. A quick dusting with this cloth is pretty much my daily practice for any machine that I have used. They also work great for dusting off work surfaces. 

2. Changing Needles

Changing Needles regularly and frequently is one of the least expensive ways you can keep your machine sewing a perfect stitch. Needles become dull, bent or burred with extended use. I recommend changing needles with each new project or about every 8-10 hours of sewing time. 

3. Regular Scheduled Service

Scheduling annual maintenance and servicing with a certified BERNINA technician is as important as taking your car to the mechanic. They are able to run diagnostic tests on the machine and update the software. In addition to that they open the machine up entirely and clean out any lint that has built up. Take any concerns or stitch samples with you to share with the sales staff and technician at this time. 

4. Keep it Covered

When you are not using your machine, it is always a good idea to keep the machine covered. This protects the machine from sunlight and dust, or your four-legged feline friends who might have a thread fetish.

dust cover

Difficulty level
Beginner
Time to Complete
Evening
Used Material
brush, microfiber cloth, sewing machine oil
Seasons
all seasons
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Congratulations to our winner(s):

  1. jmutc

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431 comments on “Sewing Machine Cleaning and Oiling”

  • I liked the pictures of how to get to thread cleaner. I always forget where it is. Since they replaced the thread cutter last year I don’t have that problem very often. I took a picture of the pictures showing where to find that on my phone so I do have to spend an hour looking for it. I’m going to looks for a brush like yours. The ones I have don’t do the job.

  • I really enjoy reading the tips you provide, whether it be on the machine itself or a how to tip.
    Bernina is a great machine and have owned more than one for over
    40 years. I use a 730 Arista 125 anniversary and have two sergers.

    Thanks….you do a great job for a great product.

    A Bernina friend.

    • I also have a 730 Artista Anniversary machine! 🙂 I bought it used from a private party. I haven’t had much time at all to work with it but am looking forward to more time this summer. I plan to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day by trying out the machine and hopefully embroidering some simple flowers on some kitchen towels for an upcoming wedding shower. Any hints on the machine or things you really like doing with it?

  • 1st…..love, love, love my Bernina!
    2nd…..yes, yes, yes to all cleaning tips & suggestions!
    I have promised myself after each project I do just that. Also, yearly checkup at Bernina dealer just to make sure she remains in perfect running order. So pleased with Bernina you ARE the BEST!

    • Hello grammybkm, our WeAllSew blog content is posted in an open format. If you wish to print the post, you can easily print your tutorials from the WeAllSew blog. If you attempt to print directly from the screen a pdf will be generated for your convenience. Please give it a try.

        • Hi. If you scroll to the bottom of the article, after the last photo of a Bernina with its protective case on, there is a little red button that says PRINT. I clicked on that and sure enough, my print screen came up and had I clicked Print, I would have gotten a 26 page document. Rats! Not a PDF. I then went to the upper right corner of my browser where the 3 horizontal lines are, clicked on it, and went to the Option “save page as”. A screen came up with the option to Save the page under Downloads. My little download clock started (located a few icons to the left of the horizontal lines) and the Blog Article was saved to downloads. I hope this helps you out! Linda

    • Yes, it is mentioned above. It is in the section on oiling your machine.
      “Place one drop of oil into the hook race as shown in the illustration.”

    • The hook sits inside the race, so you can put the oil on the hook or on the race inside the machine. I prefer to put it on the race inside the machine, as it seems less messy to me.

  • I have a 560 and I had it serviced recently, and since then when I use my thread cutter the needle unthreads. If I use it i have to rethread my machine, so I do not use it. Any ideas?

    • Bring it back to the servicing dealer. Perhaps something is out of adjustment and they should , as good business relations take care of that for you. I had a similar problem with a different brand of machine. .. trouble after servicing and I did return it to the dealer and it was made right.

  • My dealer recommended to add four drops of oil to the red reserve under the switch plate each time the other two areas are oiled. That’s now not correct? I specifically remember this from our Bernina classes.

  • The manual for my 765 indicates is SHOULD add oil to the reservoir under the stitch plate. The class I took from my dealer also told me to add oil to the reservoir. This article says DO NOT add oil to the reservoir. Which is correct?

    • hello–sorry to miss your comment. This blog shows the recommended way to oil the machines. It was discovered that oiling in the reservoir would often lead to over-oiling the machine and the oil would show up in the thread–most notably white thread (it would sew looking dirty- grey in color). So this amended version of oiling was proposed.

    • Good idea…it is similar, but the oiling part is a little bit different. Maybe we can add a featured post on that machine in the future. Most all of our newer machines have this hook system, but I believe we have 4 different style hook systems in our different models throughout the years.

  • I have a 770 and it is a dream machine. When learning my machine, somewhere it stated to no longer fill the “oil depot” under the stitch plate. Is this correct? I do clean the machine regularly and oil the hook as instructed. Love the Bernina video tutorials.

    • Hi madmail! In the past, BERNINA has instructed to oil at the reservoir under the stitch plate, indicated by the red dot. In practice, we have learned this often leads to over-oiling and can result in staining fabric and discolored thread. To remedy this, our suggestion is as stated above, simply oil the hook/race as demonstrated here. I’m glad to hear you enjoy the tutorials and we hope this tip serves you well!

    • Hi sellarl! In the past, BERNINA has instructed to oil at the reservoir under the stitch plate, indicated by the red dot. In practice, we have learned this often leads to over-oiling and can result in staining fabric and discolored thread. To remedy this, our suggestion is as stated above, simply oil the hook/race as demonstrated here. We hope this tip serves you well!

    • Hi azconnie! In the past, BERNINA has instructed to oil at the reservoir under the stitch plate, indicated by the red dot. In practice, we have learned this often leads to over-oiling and can result in staining fabric and discolored thread. To remedy this, our suggestion is as stated above, simply oil the hook/race as demonstrated here. We hope this tip serves you well!

    • Sometimes engineers come up with a design idea that sounds great in the lab, but doesn’t work so great once a product is out in the field. The red hole under the stitch plate was supposed to be an easier, indirect route to oiling the hook, easier to get to (especially if your machine is sitting recessed in a cabinet) and easier to see where to place the oil. However, in real world applications it turned out to be not such a great idea because customers were putting way too much oil in that hole and then the machines “spit up” the extra oil, dirtying our projects. If you put one drop of oil directly on your hook race every 6-8 hours of sewing, then the oil goes right where it needs to go with no chance of it collecting where it doesn’t belong and ruining what you’re working on. Theoretically, that red hole SHOULD work to keep your hook lubricated, as long as you don’t put oil there too frequently and you never put too much oil. But it is really discouraging to have a project ruined by a dirty oil stain midway through, so most of us would rather follow the current recommendation to do just one drop of oil on the hook race and never put oil down that red hole at all. Better to be safe than sorry!

      • I think part of the problem with the red oil port is that it is difficult to do accurately if one is right-handed. I found it awkward and switched to my left hand instead and had better results. Wonder if the designing engineer was a leftie. Nevertheless, I appreciate Bernina’s dedication to continuous learning and adjusting protocols as called for.

    • Hi chocho- Yes, this is the cleaning instructions for the B750QE. The B9 hook is now more commonly referred to as the BERNINA hook. Hope the tutorial is helpful.

    • The information works pretty well for the 153 model as well. You have a different bobbin and hook–but it will come out of the machine the same way and should be oiled in the same place (along the race). Your hook will NOT have the little felt pads inside the bobbin case though. And you will want to use the oil that came with your machine. The newer machines take a slightly lighter oil-so it is important to know. If in doubt, your local dealer should be able to get you the correct oil if you tell them the machine model. Hope that helps! and happy clean sewing.

  • I’ve been maintaining my 830 Record for ? 40 years, (a hand me down!) and it is still my go to machine for most everything I do. Is there any change in the cleaning/oiling process after all this time?

    • Good habits lead to good results, right?! In general, the cleaning and oiling practice and recommendations are pretty much the same. Newer machines have a lot more electronic and circuit board components inside–so it is really important to take them in for regular service by a technician. Also-the oil for newer machines is somewhat lighter than that which you are used to using on the older 830, but otherwise what you know and practice is still what we recommend today.

      • Your comments about the red dot spot that my manual tells me to oil- should I stop doing that as you have suggested for the newer machines? I obviously don’t have any of the original oil left, so using a general sewing machine oil for my machines. More frequent oiling then?

        • No- on the older machines please still follow the directions for oiling in the manual. Sorry if I confused the matter. I would oil the same amount that you have been doing–I am sure you have developed a good sense knowing when your machine is needing it.Best Wishes

  • I love my BERNINA. Took a long time to afford it, but so worth the wait! I have an older machine as well, but I oil and maintain. This year has been difficult with so many shops closed for the virus, so still have my yearly checkup to go!

    • This post is specifically pertaining the to BERNINA Bobbin System that is in the current 4, 5, and 7 Series BERNINA machines. The bernette machines have a different bobbin system and you should follow maintenance directions provided in the user manual or given by your dealer. Page 67 of the user manual for the bernette 38 states that the machine does not require oiling.

  • I love my Bernini! It has helped me make so many beautiful projects. I have an Artista 170 and the manual says it doesn’t need oiling. Has this advice been updated? Do I really not need to oil it? I can’t made it to the dealer because of the pandemic.

    • Please follow the machine manual recommendations for your model number. There were some models that came with a version of hook that did not require oiling. Sometimes dealer’s technicians will recommend swapping these hooks for new ones and they will be able to advise you on the oiling needs, in that case. I know it is really hard to get into dealerships right now, but the general practice of just brushing out the lint will keep your machine operating well in most cases. Oiling gets a little more nuanced from model to model. Thanks for your BERNINA love and enthusiasm!

  • My thread cutter will cut the top thread but not the bobbin thread. I have cleaned it numerous times. What should I do now? My bernina dealer is in a different state and due to the pandemic we are not welcome to cross the border!

    • I’m so sorry to hear about your thread cutter issue. Sometimes they get jammed or broken and unfortunately, it takes a technician to repair them. If you have cleaned and looked for a jam- it most likely needs a certified tech to repair it. Remember- there is a manual thread cutter on the side of almost every modern BERNINA machine model, in addition to the automatic thread cutter button. I would propose using the manual method for thread cutting until you can get to a dealership and have the thread cutter repaired. I know times are challenging right now, and we certainly appreciate your patience and due diligence to your machine service properly.

  • I love my Bernina! I have always wanted one and finally got it. My last machine died about 4 years ago Andi haven’t been able to get a new one since. A very wonderful man I took care of for 12 years left me his life insurance and it let me buy this machine. It seems like a dream! I was a little intimidated at first but the users manual and this blog made it easy to learn how to run. I thank you Bernina for a CT wonderful machine and look forward to years of sewing all kinds of projects!??

  • 570 Quilter’s Edition:
    I oil my machine no less than once a week. I know how important this is. I often check to make sure the pads are moist and if not, oil them.

    My question is oiling the hook race. There doesn’t seem to be any clear place to put the drop of oil. I’ve been just putting the tip of the oil tube into any open area (and the whole circular area is open.)

    It seems anywhere is ok, but I can’t visualize the oil going where it’s supposed to.

    Can you clarify? Thanks so much.

    • Thanks for the question. The main idea is to get the oil in around the area that moves- so it doesn’t really matter at which point you place the oil as this hook will move around on all sides. I typically turn my handwheel through a few rotations to distribute the oil around more evenly–but this will also happen when you start to sew.

  • I am a new Bernina owner with a 570 QE. I cleaned and oiled my hook for the second time as the video shows. The hook went back with the magnet attaching it in place; however, when I put the bobbin case back the case rotated so the clip on the bobbin case was at 6 o’clock not 3 o’clock as shown. I took the hook and case out again and it still happened when I put the case back. I checked a sample stitch and it stitched fine. After the test switch I opened the bobbin cover to check the bobbin and the bobbin case was orientated the right way. Why did this happen?

  • I plan on celebrating national sewing machine day by cleaning my 770 and working on one of my unfinished bag projects. I liked the blog about cleaning the machine. I always forget about the thread cutter.

  • For National Sewing Machine Day I plan to be working on the T Shirt quilts from my son’s T shirts, I have them all cut out and ready to go!

  • “How do you plan to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day?”

    Prep – clean and oil – the machines I’ll be using to teach sewing to 9 kids next month!

  • National Sewing Machine day is the day I take my machine in for annual maintenance. Rod at Dave’s Bernina in St. George, Utah is the best! I love when my machine is back home, cleaned and oiled, and running at tip top speed and smoothness! I love my 830 quilting/embroidery machine. She’s my best friend!🥰

  • I plan to spend National Sewing Machine Day trying to use a twin needle on my Bernina 570QE to try coverstitching on a knit pair of pants! Just picked up two types of twin needles from my local dealer. … Would love to win a Bernette for travel 🙂 Also, I love the blog for cleaning because what I forget is to clean the thread cutter area. I need to put an asterisk in my book to do that!

  • This is such a great reminder to give my machines the love they deserve today! I plan to clean and oil both machines and fill all my bobbins and then I have a quilt to finish!

  • Is this where I say what I’ll be doing on national sewing day? I’ll be using my bernina 770QE or my Bernina long arm with the Qmatic. Both are awesome machines. My daughter and granddaughter also use my domestic machine. It is well loved.

  • Most recent project is making bowl cozies for friends. I made a few a while back and now have requests for larger ones as well as more smaller ones. Quite the hit.
    My 590 makes it so easy to sew even on multiple layers. After that my guild is making flannel cancer blankets as our service project but I take my 485 to meetings.

  • I plan to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day by showing my machines some extra love. A day of cleaning, oiling and, of course, use is in order. Love means never having to say I’m sorry I neglected you.

  • These cleaning, maintenance tips & pics are much appreciated. I’ll continue sewing a patriotic quilt on National Sewing Machine Day … finishing up by cleaning & covering my BERNINA !

  • I am a lover of Bernina machines. I upgraded to a 790 pro upon retirement and still exploring all of the fun it has to offer. My Bernina dealer helped me purchase a rehome Bernina that has embroidery but does weigh as much so I can take it to classes and retreats.

    On Natiional Sewing Machine Day I will celebrate my 80th Birthday with working on a current project I’m making for myself and celebrating with birthday cake.

  • To celebrate National Sewing Machine Day, I am working on 3 clothing patterns from Cashmerette. My Bernina 770 QE plus sews the specialty fabric like a dream.

  • I have a Bernina machine that is a little older. I am sure it could use some TLC. That will be my project, and this guide is helpful. Thanks!

  • I’ve owned several Bernina’s dating back to 1975 and still have my original 807! I plan to spend National Sewing day making wheelchair quilts for charity.

  • Love my B790 and my Q 20, would love to win that bernette for my grand daughter I want to get her started out right, and if she learns on anything other than a Bernina, I want her to love sewing and not be frustrated so please, Bernina help me out here with the Bernette!

  • I love my Bernina Jubilae that I have been sewing with since 1982. I will be sewing I’m sure on national Sewing Machine Day. I couldn’t live without my Beautiful Bernina Jubilae! I clean and oil my machine regularly. Best Sewing Machines in the world are Berninas!

  • I am going to spend sewing machine day planning my next projects I will be sewing. I hate I’m not able to sew today. thanks for reminder to clean my thread catcher and past due to take my machine in to be serviced.

  • I plan to spend National Sewing Machine Day sewing! I am working on class samples for future workshops.
    I clean and oil my machine every time I turn it on.

  • I have three Bernina sewing machines, A serger and a Qmatic longarm. I love my bernina machines and clean them regularly. I appreciate the review of how to clean so that I am sure not to forget any steps.

  • I plan on celebrating National Sewing Machine Day by gathering up and working on some long languishing WIPs! Thanks for the opportunity to win!

  • I love that machine. I use it at our local library to teach beginning sewing. The students are just amazed at the ease to find the various stitches.

  • On June 13th I will be working on making summer dresses. I’ve already altered the 2 patterns I’ll be using and cutting out fabric, then sewing. I have a summer dress and skirt that I’m currently completing.

  • I have the day off, so I will be taking the information from the post and give my machine a deep clean. Then off to sew and celebrate National Sewing Machine Day.
    HAPPY SEWING MACHINE DAY everyone. Sew and be happy!

  • I will be cleaning and oiling my machine. Then I will explore double needle work so I can use them in some projects I am doing, placemats and napkins.

  • Very good instructions on cleaning the machine and I will print this out because I always forget a step. Thank you. I will be spending National Sewing Machine Day getting to know the features of my new Bernina 770 QE Plus that I just traded for recently. I think I will sew out a stitch book for a quick reference of all the different stitches on the machine and I think I will include which foot to use while I am at it. It will be a long project, but I think it will be worth the time taken in the long run and I will have used every stitch available to me that way. I like to have a smaller machine for quick repairs and hemming set up for quick access at any given time – the 770 QE Plus is a little bulky and takes up a lot of space, so unless I am working on a sewing project (other than quick repairs and hemming), I like to put the machine away out of harms way and to keep it clean. Note: I do not have a dedicated sewing room or large space to have a large machine set up at all times – I will be checking out the Bernette 38!

  • I plan to be sewing on my fabulous B990 on June 13, 2025, National Sewing Machine Day. What a spectacular celebration it will to have owned every top-of-the-line machine, except the 1130 and 1530, since 1971, when I purchased my first BERNINA, the 830 Record. My experience and superior educational training that I have received through the years propelled me to owning an award-winning BERNINA dealership, 2003 – 2012. Now retired, I’m have continued to purchase new machine and currently work with my new dealer. What a great experience of a lifetime! Wow, 54 years with BERNINA!!!

  • My morning will be sewing with my usual group. Our focus is supporting our community: placemats for Meals on Wheels, NICU quilts , teen size quilts for a local foster care agency.
    Afternoon graduation party and more sewing. The grad is focusing on room decor and I will be helping her start her sewing journey. Just purchased a Bernette 35 at my LQS last week for this occasion! Thank you all !

  • For National Sewing Machine Day, as I do every day, I will be in my sewing room, sewing on my Bernina 770QE. Yesterday I made a Cielo top for myself, and am today I’m free motion quilting a large quilt. By the way, my 770QE runs like a champ because I vacuum, clean, and oil it every Friday.

  • I have an old machine that I purchased a cleaning kit for, so that would be the best thing I could do on National Sewing Machine Day!! 🙂 Thanks so much for the chance to win, and the great diagrams for cleaning and oiling our machines!
    Blessings,
    Vivian

  • How will I celebrate National Sewing Machine Day? It will start with a through cleaning of my B480 followed by a quilting marathon. It’s going to be a great day!

  • On National Sewing Machine Day, I plan to work on a couple of dresses during the day – and in the evening I am volunteering at an event at the local library where we are teaching kids 8-13 how to sew! Wish me luck! 🙂

  • I plan on spending as much of the day as possible in my sewing room. There will be a little bit of housekeeping–cutting and organizing the leftovers on my cutting table from my last project into usable sizes. Then I can sew to my heart’s content!

  • I plan to spend National Sewing Day sewing on my Bernina which I LOVE. I have 3 so I will probably sew on at least 2 of them. That is after I clean and oil it.

  • Thank you for the great topic! I do this as a priority after a project and have found my machine performs like new. My 590 is my go to machine and the embroidery module is a wonderful asset as well. Bernina rules!

  • I plan to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day by doing some machine embroidery on hand towels using my Bernina 580.

    It is also my (adult) daughter’s birthday so I will hopefully have a nice phone conversation with her.

    Perhaps I will try out the instructions above to clean my machine.

  • On National Sewing Machine Day, I plan to make Chair covers with my Bernina 790 Plus Machine. The fabric is a heavier weight grade, but I know my Bernina can handle sewing it!

    Linda

  • Love all the tips/tricks for keeping our sewing machines in prime condition between “spa days”! Working on finishing a new quilt pattern that reminds me of spinning wheels or maybe I’ll begin a new embroidery project. Decisions, decisions. LOL

  • I am going to be sewing on a quilt. I just have 3 quilts going at one time. Hope to finish one so I can start another one. I don’t like have too many going at on time.

  • Mostly I will spend SEWING MACHINE DAY dreaming of the day, coming soon, that I can unpack all my sewing equipment and get them into my new, big, sewing room. A new Bernina machine going into would be icing on the cake!

  • I have an appointment with my Bernina dealer on the 13th! I’ll be celebrating National Sewing Machine Day by having both my 8Series 820 and 830 serviced. In their absence I’ll fall back to using my beloved Artista 170 to complete some summer themed home decor projects.

  • I’m going to print off your cleaning and oiling instructions and keep them in my sewing table. Thank you for sharing them with us.
    A Bernette would be perfect to take to workshops as my 770QE is too heavy for me to carry.

  • Awesome notes on cleaning your machine. I need to be better about doing that regularly. I am sure I will be using my machine to sew up something for my grandchildren or myself.

  • On National Sewing Day I will be completing a quilt top and if time allows a couple of table runners. I always learn something from the tips email even if it is just a refresher Thank you

  • I hope to spend National Sewing Day, first by organizing my sewing room and then working on the newest Moda Blockheads blocks. I just had my 770 QE serviced, so I’m ready to go!

  • I promise I clean my machine faithfully, but it’s because I’m a quilter and cotton is so linty! Once I was over zealous and one of the 2 tiny springs– the one to the right of the feed dogs– popped out. So my comment is to be mindful of the springs when clearing out lint. My plans for the Sewing Machine Day celebration? To finish the comfort quilt flimsy that has been lounging around my sewing space for over 3 weeks!

  • I’ll be cleaning my wonderful 770 machine again! Then making sleeping bag liners out of older flannel sheets. Probably will mend some of my husband’s barn jeans. Sewing up some hunting meat sacks out of quilting cotton, as well. I love that my machine will sew through all my heavy projects without a hitch!
    My daughter and granddaughters are starting to be interested in sewing and I’d love to give them the little Bernette to get them going!

  • Nat’l Sewing Machine Day!!! I will sew, as I try to every day! Love my Berninas! And I clean and oil mine nearly every day that I sew!
    Thank you Bernina!

  • I would start with cleaning and oiling and a quick exterior swipe with a microfiber cloth. Then work on embroidery mug rugs for a charity project for my Bernina dealer. Love my B 570!!

  • “How do you plan to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day?”

    I plan on 2 cleaning and oiling my 330, inside and out!
    AND I plan to begin a new quilt project – a dinosaur quilt for my newest nephew.

    • I have be n in a big sewing slump so I’m actually making plans to start sewing on Ntl Sewing Machine Day. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.
      Thank you for a chance to win such a lovely machine!

  • I plan to start the Bloom and Grow quilt. My niece gave me some beautiful aqua fabric and a piece with magenta/fuchsia accents that will be perfect with black and white scraps in my stash. Finally feeling confident with my serger and ready to tackle this pattern!

  • I wull clean both machines, a sewing and serger, and then start reorganizing my sewing closet so the fabrics are in organized project bins and then bag fabrics that need to ‘move along’.

  • To celebrate National Sewing Machine Day, I plan to spend the day doing what I love most: quilt piecing—and honoring the machine that helps me stitch stories into fabric. My sewing machine will hum along as I work on a collaborative quilt made from scraps gifted by friends and family, each piece carrying its own memory and meaning.

    I’ll also be hosting a small, informal “Sew & Share” gathering in my studio, inviting others to bring unfinished blocks or fabric treasures to swap, share stories, and sew side-by-side. We’ll celebrate the way sewing machines have connected generations, empowered creativity, and stitched together not just quilts—but communities.

    For me, National Sewing Machine Day isn’t just about the tool—it’s about the rhythm of making, the joy of color and pattern, and the beautiful, imperfect mosaic of time, hands, and care that quilting represents! Quilting Rocks!

  • Sewing of course! I have three quilt patterns going at once, when I’m tired of making blocks for one I’ll switch to one of the others. It’s working out great and when I’m done I’ll have three completed quilt tops.

  • Sewing, of course. probably make myself a new dress. I’ve also had a request for a quilted table runner, so I’ll problem start looking at that.

  • I try to remember how to clean my machine and oil it. These videos are very helpful in remembering. They make it easy to do. Love my Bernina.

  • My dear friend recently became a first-time Grandmother. I plan to make her granddaughter baby clothing. Such joy to sew for little ones!

  • Do a little quilting on a project I am currently working on. AND yes, I clean and oil my machine regularly. It’s amazing how much fluff gets under that needle plate!

  • I plan to gather my sewing supplies for my weekly sewing at church tomorrow. We are going to be making aprons, cleaning cloths, napkins, and tablecloths for a preschool.

  • I plan on spending National Sewing Machine Day sewing on my Bernina machines! My husband even owns one! Love your machines and would love the have the Bernette machine to use for all of my general purpose sewing! It looks a dream! Thanks for the opportunity.

  • My local quilt guild participates in a fall craft fair to raise money for speakers and projects. My plan is to get a head start on several small items to donate for the fair. National Sewing Machine Day is a good day for working on those items.

  • I plan on sewing on a quilt of Valor on National Sewing Machine Day. I appreciated the information on cleaning and oiling my machine. I am also a big proponent of changing my needle regularly during a project. It is our least expensive notion and can make the most difference!

  • I plan on finishing up a few patriotic projects that I’ve started for the kids. A table topper, a queen size quilt and a pennant. Looking forward to gifting these to my family. 💕

    Love all the inspiration that WeAllSew shares!

  • I have a 77oQE and an 880 plus. They are real work horses! I plan to spend the day with my wonderful machines making projects for my home.

  • You’ve inspired me! On National Sewing Machine Day my beloved 830 will get her much deserved spa day. Thanks for those beautiful, up-close pictures. That REALLY helps.

  • I plan to spend National Sewing Day working on finishing more UFO’s and some gift and charity projects. I will also be watching some sewing/quilting videos for help or new ideas.

  • I plan to sew on the quilt that I started this past weekend at a class/event. This quilt is very modern with plenty of open free space. Today while sewing my machine screen came on with a message to clean my thread cutter. first time I’ve seen that message on my 790+. Oiled & cleaned, now ready to get back to sewing again.

  • To celebrate National Sewing Day, I’m going to be sewing items for my upcoming craft sale. My Bernina is close to 10 years old and is in great condition!

  • On National Sewing Machine Day I will be using my QE770 Plus to finish another lap quilt for the VA Quilting Bee I belong to. The quilt will be given to a veteran from our area.
    I will also give my machine its weekly cleaning and oiling!

  • Hi thanks for all you newsletters! I always look forward to reading them and learning from them. Though I’ve been sewing for over 61 years and have 3 Bernini’s, I and always open for new projects and techniques.
    I will be embroidering ong quilt squares for a baby girl gift on National Sewing Machine Day!

  • I plan on spending the day just working on quilts. My dad passed away a few months ago, so I am making quilts from his shirts for my siblings.

  • For National Sewing Machine Day, I’m going to give my Bernina 770QE a spa day and give her a shine inside and out. Then I’ll sew until the cows come home.
    Great tutorial to have along with my Bernina books. Thanks

  • On National Sewing Machine Day I plan to be working on my many quilt projects I have in progress. I clean and oil my Bernina 570 using these steps every couple of days.

  • I try to use my Bernina at least three times a week and more often when I have the time. Wish I had a house cleaner so I could sew more often but I’ll bet a lot of sewers would say that!

  • A great refresher on cleaning machines!
    Currently working on quilts for the Linus Project! A fun and satisfying sewing projects for children who need a quilt hug! <3

  • I plan on finishing my quilt blocks so I can start quilting them.
    Thanks for the great information on cleaning the machines. I needed a review as it’s been a while since I sewed due to back surgery.

  • I am going to give my machine a deep clean as I recently finished a quilt top. Next I want to do a small project – making coin purses with snap closures

  • I’ll celebrate by sewing of course! Maybe I’ll do something playful, try to use so decorative stitches or special features of my machine.

  • I plan to celebrate the day in my sewing room working on the newest quilt or sewing project.
    My daughter wanted table runners for the many holidays! It’s been fun to make them

  • On Friday, June 13, I plan to celebrate National Sewing Day by first cleaning my Bernina as you have just instructed in the demonstration. Thank you, I will save that also.
    Then I will be busy sewing up some button pouches for a gift basket for the “Summer Picnic with regional Button Club”
    Thank you Bernina for all the fun stuff you do for your customers!

  • Love the photos to use for maintenance. Thank you so much. Sadly I will be hand sewing on National Sewing Machine Day as my spouse is having surgery. But, hey, at least I will be sewing.

  • I love my 3 Bernina machines and always keep them clean and oiled and put in a new needle about every 4 hours of sewing. I’d love to have the new machine since it is small and would be great for retreats and sew days away from home.

  • Since you posted such good cleaning instructions, I will clean my Artista 630 and then continue on with the Bjorn Bears charity quilt I am working on.

  • Everyday is my sewing machine day but on THE special day I will clean & oil all 5 of my Bernina machines so they will be ready for Grandma’s quilt camp for my 2 grandgirls & 2 grandneices.

  • I will be cutting out projects to get ready for Girl Scout Camp. Every year, I volunteer for two weeks at camp and I teach sewing to over 500 kids (both boys and girls). If I win the machine, I will donate it to camp because the machines they have only work about half the time.

  • How to spend National Sewing Day?
    By sewing of course!
    Top of the list: replace binding on grandma’s quilt.
    Next up: repair strap handles on a gifted bag.
    Then I can start on my stuff like Drop Zone.

  • I plan to put together a quilt block pattern I have never tried before on my B790Plus, which I maintain between uses best I can because I want it to last a very long time- was a great decision years ago as my first Bernina. Since, I have purchased 2 more – 570 and Q24!

  • National Sewing Machine day is the same as my oldest daughter’s birthday so I’ll have no problem celebrating. Working on a UFO and eating birthday cake

  • I’ll be making something special for my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter.
    She loves to visit and find that I’ve made something for her!
    I’d also love to win the sewing machine for my daughter-in-law who is eager to learn how to sew.

  • Thank you for posting such detailed instructions with pictures. This post is extremely helpful.
    Currently, I am working on a Christmas tree skirt and ornaments on National Sewing Day.

  • Thank you for the maintenance reminder. I love my Bernina and work hard to keep her in tip top shape. I am going to start a new quilt project on National Sewing Day.

  • Well…the first thing I am doing is cleaning my machine and oiling it. I do this on a regular basis but I forget about the thread cutter portion of the cleaning. Thank you for sharing. I am working on a quilt for my sister so I plan on continuing to work on it. The block is geese in the cabin.

  • My Dealer in Brandon came up to our community in Polk City FL and did a a presentation for all the ladies, and a few gents, on how to clean and maintain our new B990s and other machines. It was such valuable information. I have a reputation for caring for my machines like they were my children. Wait, they are!

  • Finishing up a couple of skirts for my two granddaughters!

    Sure could use a new machine!

    Love my classic Bernina 1230 and Bernette 334ds serger!

  • I plan on celebrating National Sewing Machine Day by spending the day finishing up a few projects. Just got my machine back from having it serviced and can’t wait to get started.

  • Now that my sewing machine is cleaned, oiled and the thread cutter cleared of threads, I will be able to spend the National Sewing Day finishing up a group project my sewing group has been working on! We will share our quilt tops next time we meet!

  • Well…my first response is that EVERY day should be sewing machine day lol. But for National Day…why of course I will sew! I love my Bernina and would love to add another “girl” to the family. Keep up the good work Bernina!

  • Thank you so much for the detailed informative.Information on how to clean and oil your machine. it is time for my machine to be cleaned.And I would love to win. I plan to finish making an embroidered bowl with flowers and making another baby blanket for my first great grandchild.

  • National Sewing Machine Day will be spent giving my machine a good cleaning and maintenance thanks to this blog post. My machine is in good shape but going through everything mentioned would be good. Thank you for all of your posts, they are inspiring!

  • Of course I will make time on National Sewing Machine Day to clean my beloved Bernina 570QE! This is a great tutorial to review and use. Thank you!

  • Always love to rewatch oiling! That to me is the most important part of cleaning. I have various brushes to clean lint and also have an attachment for my vacuum to clean out my machines. They will last for years!

  • I plan on sewing and doing some machine embroidery during the day. We will be going to a pool party in the evening but, maybe I can steal away early and head back to my sewing room for a great end to the night.

  • Every time I change bobbins, I check the pad (in the race) for dryness. I keep this oiled. And while I’m in the area, I check for threads. The better I treat my machines, the better my finished products look!

  • I plan to spend National Sewing Machine quilting my recently finished Glorified Nine Patch quilt. I am new to machine quilting and have taken classes on rulerwork and free motion quilting. IToday I spent a few hours planning out my design. I will use my walking foot,echoing and then orange peel ruler work along the borders. I recently got my best friend into quilting. she uses my 590 when she comes to my house. I use my 770QE. I would love for her to have a quality machine to sew and quilt with.

  • I will be working on a t-shirt quilt for my brother. He lost his wife and these are her t-shirts. I Love all the ideas and inspiration that I get from this site.

  • I love that there are pictures to show how to clean my machine.
    They are so helpful! I am going to copy the steps on a 3 x 5 card in my sewing drawer to remind me of what to do. Thank you.

  • I’m making the mystery quilt 2025 from National quilter circle, so I’m planning to celebrate the national sewing day, finishing my quilt. I have the Bernina 790 plus especial edition (gold) some time appear on my machine the message that need oil and the image putting oil on the bobbin’s green dot. So, is not more recommended? Many thanks

  • I’ll be spending the day with my granddaughter, creating a purse for her from jeans. We will create the pattern and add hand embroidery before sewing it together. Not sure which one of us is more excited. I didn’t have a daughter so it’s a real joy to teach sewing to her and thrilled that she loves it. My first Bernina was an 1130 and I still have it but have upgraded over the years with newer Berninas. Would love to win this one and present it to her for her first Bernina product. Thanks for all the videos you provide. The cleaning reminders are great.

  • for national sewing Day I plan on working with my grand daughter piecing a quilt that we will be donating to the women’s shelter. teaching my granddaughter about donating to those we who are less fortunate.

  • On National Sewing Day, I am attempting the “winding ways” block. The goal is to do four blocks joining the blocks to emphasize the circle movement.

  • I plan to clean my machine and bind a quilt for donation. Binding is not my favorite task, so having a machine I know is clean will give me some incentive to get it done. Besides, who doesn’t do a little procrasticleaning on occasion? Might as well make it worthwhile.

  • I am making purses for “Sew Powerful Purse Project”. This is for young ladies that have supplies or “Girl Days”; otherwise they would not be able to be in school. This is a worthy charity. There is a “Sew Powerful” Facebook Page. Check it out!
    gwen

  • Every day that I’m able to sew I start out with a prayer thanking the Lord that I have been blessed with 2 Berninas – a 590 and a 770. My sewing hobby has really taken off with the many features and capabilities of the machines. I am loyal to cleaning and oiling as a regular routine! I would love to add a lighter weight machine to my Bernina fleet for transporting when I attend sewing events! These are the best machines I’ve ever seen on!

  • I will be finishing a UFO and working on a BOM during National Sewing Day. But right now I am going to clean and oil my Bernina with confidence. I love the the pictorial instructions. I find the visual instructions more understandable. Thank you for such a fine product. It makes sewing fun!!

  • Some very excellent reminders for me. I’ll have to get busy and clean up.
    I plan to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day by making a new dust cover.

  • Thanks for the detailed cleaning/oiling information… that would be the BEST thing to do on National Sewing Day!

    One of the nice things about being retired is that ‘Everyday is a CHOOSE-DAY’ … and I choose to SEW! I am doing a paper foundation demo to my sewing group on Monday. On National Sewing Day (and during the weekend) I will doing the prep. It would SURE BE NICE to do future demos on the smaller B-38. Traveling with my 770 QEE is a challenge!

  • I have a Bernina 830. While it’s no longer “new”, it has been a pleasure to sew on. The newer models, while beautiful, are not in my budget. And my 830 does all the things I ask it to do. I will spend National Sewing Day working on my quilting projects. Hopefully, I won’t have appointments to interfere with a fun sewing day.

  • I have SO many UFO’s that I would like to work on those–that is, after I celebrate my birthday on the 13th with a friend! 71! (I’m too young to be this old!)

  • My B480 is working hard today on bags, totes, wallets, and jewelry travel pouches for my Christmas in July sale. I will clean and oil my wonderful machine and keep it running great because I have no back-up machine.

  • I am in the middle of more projects than I would like to admit to, so I am going to be sewing all day – it’s just a question of which one seems the most important that day 🙂

  • On National Sewing Day this year, I plan on sewing pillow cases for our local children’s hospital. ♥️

    Thanks for all the wonderful patterns, inspiration and tips on this site!

  • First I will clean and oil my Bernina 570, which I do regularly. Then I have this pattern for teeny weenie 4″ duffle bags and I want to make some. I want to make a variety for gifts as I love tiny things. I like to make them colorful with contrasting fabrics and zipper. The joy is in giving!!

  • I know this may sound weird, but I love to clean my machine and get the fuzzies out! Especially around the hook! I plan to finish up a couple of WIP and start a new wall hanging for my sewing room. I always have a project waiting in the wings!!!

  • What else would I do on National Sewing Machine Day – Clean my machine and spend the rest of the day finishing a quilt top! Thank you for the tutorial, especially needed to see the picture of where to oil the hook.

  • I plan to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day stitching out a Mystery Quilt. After that, my husband and I will celebrate our wedding anniversary on the 13th. He bought me my first embroidery machine, an Artista 730 75th Anniversary model.

  • I’ll spend the day cleaning my four Bernina machines. Once they are all sparkling clean, I’ll continue working on my Bloom and Grow serger quilt.

  • I think it would be fitting to give my Bernina 830 record sewing machine a spa day to celebrate! it is one of my favorites machines and holds a lot of memories!

  • Other than pulling bits of thread from the cutter, I never went further to really clean it out! Thanks for giving me a better view of cleaning out that cutting area.
    Sewing day? I’ll continue to (TRY) to work on my UFO’s. They sure do pile up!

  • I plan to celebrate by teaching a group of teens to sew. I started this effort last year and have found it very rewarding to teach these girls sewing skills. It’s a good way to inspire them to create gifts from fabrics.

  • Since I am in the middle of reorganizing my sewing room, I plan to spend National Sewing Day finishing up the job! Then I can begin work on 2 baby quilts needed for gifts.

  • I have a Halloween table runner and a Christmas table runner which I hope to finish on that day. Not much more to finishing it. I really do love my Bernina. When I first purchased one, several years ago, I wasn’t sure I would like it. I now love it and was thinking of giving my older machine (750QE) to my daughter and I was going to purchase a new one. However, if I were to win the one, advertised here, I would give that to my granddaughter. What a wonderful gift for her. PS Just finished my cleaning but will take it into the store shortly,

  • I’ve been helping my 11 year old granddaughter learn to sew. We’re making the By Annie Daytripper purse. She loves sewing on my B880. She sewed the quilting lines and the outside stitching. She likes to take scraps and sew them together. She might be a future quilter. I’ll spend National Sewing Machine day finishing her purse with her. I’m also making bowl cozies to give to all our guests at our 10 annual pizza party, I have 20 done and 35 to go.

  • Like others here, I plan on celebrating National Sewing Machine Day by giving my machine some TLC and doing a general tidy-up of my sewing space.

  • “How do you plan to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day?”

    Begin with a moment of gratitude for my Bernina 1130 – still going strong and continues to give me enormous satisfaction with its dependability.

    Nearly every day my Bernina proves that it is one of the best things in my life – it mends, it creates and it inspires me to try to be bolder in my goals. My limitations are my own, not my machine’s!

    Would it be too weird to end the day with a Bernina hug?

  • I plan on doing some sewing, especially since my machine will be all cleaned up. Thank you for the reminder on how to oil and clean the machine.

  • Thank you for the step by step cleaning and oiling I do clean and oil my machine regularly between maintenance visits.
    On National Sewing Day I plan to make some bucket hats and tote bags with my favorite Buffalo Bills football team fabric

  • I am celebrating National Sewing Day by participating in my local Quilts of Valor sew-in day and quilt presentations to veterans. Then I am going home and working on mug rugs in conjunction with my local quilt shop A Different Touch. The mug rugs will be presented as a thank you to the dedicated workers at the Southeastern Virginia Training Center, an Intermediate Care Facility providing habilitation services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

  • National Sewing Day at my house will be celebrated by finishing a quilt top titled “Mega Rings” which I have enjoyed making more mistakes with than any other project that came before it. The finishing will be a “hallelujah” as I prepare it, also, to be quilted. It will be a bittersweet finish but a day for celebration because it will be the end of long months of frustration. Need I say more?! Thank you, Bernina!

  • Thank you for this detailed tutorial on cleaning my machine. For National Sewing Day, I will continue working on a quilt top. I would love to win the Bernette so I can gift it to my niece who currently uses a very old Brother machine. She loves sewing.

  • Would love to give this to my granddaughter. Don’t know how I’m going to celebrate since you didn’t give a DATE for “National Sewing Machine Day”

  • I was going to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day by catching up on my sewing projects but after reading the article I am going to give my machines a spa day instead. They deserve it!

  • I have made it a habit to always clean and oil my machine before I start to sew. If I am embroidering, I might oil again especially if it’s been running a lot.

  • I cleaned the lint on my vintage 930 recently but I suppose that I should oil it today! I have been working on deep-cleaning my sewing room for several weeks but keep finding projects (quilting and sewing clothing, not to mention mending.) Today I will oil “Bernardo” and change my needle.

  • I am going to celebrate this day by gathering things made by myself and members of my family over the years and celebrate that the tradition continues

  • “How do you plan to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day?”

    Proabably trying to inventory all the stuff I bought at JoAnns when they went out of business ;(.

  • I have recently moved and hope that I can celebrate by finally unpacking all of my supplies and trying to finish a quilt top I’ve been working on for a while.

  • I’m celebrating with my daughter by sewing market tote bags and beach bags for sale at local craft fairs. Thanks bernina for making sewing a pleasure!

  • I love my BERNINA’s! I have sewn on a Bernina for 60 years! I have the 790Pro and the 475. I can’t imagine sewing on anything else!

  • I am looking forward to having the day off on National Sewing Machine day. I’m going to clean and oil my Bernina, put in a fresh needle and start sewing a new linen vest!

  • Thank you for the helpful instructions on cleaning my machine. I would love to win the cleaning gift. It is time to have my machine cleaned. On Quilting day I will be making more baby quilts for my first great grandson.

  • I like having a day to celebrate sewing machines!!! Today’s the day to finish sewing two aprons that have been cut out for months, then I’ll be sure to give my machine a healthy cleaning. Thanks for the reminders on proper cleaning and oiling!

  • Who knew?? I’ll spend time with my beloved old Bernina starting a project just for me (which is rare). Some gorgeous fabric and a Marcy Tilton pattern will remove me for a while from everyday stresses… Happy National Sewing Machine Day to my fellow Bernina lovers!

  • So fun to learn that my birthday is also National Sewing Machine Day!

    Thanks for the cleaning info. I clean my 990 before each sewing session. I especially like to use the silicone brushes that are similar to mascara brushes for getting into crevices to remove lint and fuzz.

  • Unfortunately I will be out of town, attending a class on Art & Stitch for my Q20 – so I will be learning on National Sewing Machine day.
    Lori

  • I love my Bernina’s – I’ve inherited my Moms1630 and a serger. They have been workhorses & I don’t know what I would do without them. It would be fabulous to have a newer & perhaps lighter Bernina to take on retreats and sewing days. For National Sewing Machine Day, I plan to give my machines some additional machine love (cleaning) in prep for a quilt guild sewing day next week (I have more of my charity quilts to complete/quilt). The cleaning blog was great info & reminder. Thank you!

  • I am using my B570 to piece quilt blocks on National Sewing Machine Day. Later I will hem a pair of jeans using the same machine. I would love to win the Bernette 38, I have 3 granddaughters that have been asking to learn how to sew. We started with a few hand sewing projects but they are ready to use a machine and this looks perfect!

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