Well I finally had the patience to get through to Singer today. Found out that the manual for the thing is free online at the website. I also found out that it is most probably shot.
Apparently they have had repeated problems of an identical sort with the Pixie. There is no bobbin case or anything, the whole bobbin array is run by magnets. Very often if you change the bobbin and are not most particularly careful about getting it out, the magnets will be thrown out of alignment, and poof! there you are with an unmoving bobbin. It probably worked when we took the top plate off because the top plate is metal and that will alter the fields.
The nice lady explained how to get the bobbin in and out with the best hope of the thing still sewing after, and explained to me how it was still under warranty, and where to send it for a replacement. She also gave me her opinion as to what is a superior inexpensive machine (Promise
1409) and told me you can get one for around $70 at Target.I am of the opinion that we should run down to Billy the clown and see what he has in used portables. Billy takes care of all my machines and I trust him. I don't figure that it is much use spending the money to get a new Pixie that has the same old problem. It would probably cost us $20 dollars or more to ship it back to Singer. That is almost half the original cost, and I bet that for what DH paid for the Pixie we could get something good from Billy.
NightMist