dog foot problems

how about not sewing over pins?

You're not really supposed to sew over pins, even though lots of us do (and I learned it at a sewing machine class).

So let's pretend that you've promised to never, ever do it again, LIKE I DON'T, and I'll suggest that you open up the bobbin area of your machine and clean it out. You may have to remove the throat plate to do it, or you may be able to get in after you take the bobbin out. Break up the party that the fluff bunnies are having in there - they're up to no good in the dark anyway - with a stiff paintbrush, if you don't still have the little brush that came with your machine. Don't use a pin or anything hard and sharp to prod them out. Find the manual, and check whether you should oil the machine: if you should, do it.

Give it a nice new needle of the size appropriate to your fabric and see it it feels better.

You should really do this every time you finish a major sewing project, about every 5 - 8 hours of sewing, or more often if you're sewing something fluffy like flannel.

HTH

Sally Holmes Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England