The first guild wanted a hands-on class, so we had 7 ladies who participated. They opened their machines; cleaned and oiled; polished hooks; learned how to check their needles, bobbins and thread; and then we did a sew-off sample to balance the upper tension with the lower tension.
The second guild wanted a lecture/demo. There were about 30 ladies at this guild. I brought 2 sewing machines (oscillating hook and drop-in bobbin) and demonstrated how to clean and oil, and went through a list of dos and don'ts, thread, needles, bobbins, burrs, etc. And I talked about balancing your tensions. We had a few ladies who wanted a closer look, so they were able to come up and get some personal attention. It worked out pretty good!
I've created a "What To Check Before Bringing Your Sewing Machine In For A Service" page. Click here for the pdf.
Check out my other blog,
for some sewing machine maintenance tips.