Darlene over at Quilting Daze asked us to answer 5 questions....so here's my answers to her questions.
1. Do you do regular TLC maintenance on your sewing machine? Yes. Each time I remove a bobbin, I have a little brush that I use to clean out the lint. About every 2 bobbins, I pop the cover off the feed dogs and clean any lint buildup there since there are areas I can't get when I clean around the bobbin. Then about every 8 hrs. of sewing time, I do a very thorough cleaning and oiling. When I bought my Bernina way back in 1986, I took guide classes. They gave us good instruction on maintenance, and they said to oil after approx. 8 hrs. of sewing and to use the oil very sparingly as too much oil does more harm than not enough. I also take the machine in for professional cleaning and adjustments. I try to treat my machine well as it brings me hours and hours of pure pleasure!!!

2. Do you clean out your pincushion? As I sew, if I find a pin that seems dull, I immediately throw it away. I don't just throw it in the little garbage can by my sewing....I take it down and put it in a safe container with my diabetic needles so the garbage collector won't accidentally get stuck. I also have pins that I use for quilt piecing, short pins I use for applique, and pins that I use for garment sewing and they each are on separate pincushions. I do like pins that are very fine and sharp. I have had some of mine since the 1990's and they still seem sharp....so I continue to use them. And....No Darlene, I wouldn't roll my eyes at you because you clean out your pincushion!

3. What habits do you have with regards to making sure you have piecing thread on hand? I buy several spools at a time so I don't run out.

4. What kind of thread do you use for machine piecing and why? Colors? I use cotton thread for my machine piecing! I usually buy Gutterman Cotton when the local JoAnn's runs it on sale, but I will also use Coat's and Clarks Cotton if that's what I can find in the color I want. I have bought some of the more expensive threads but I can't tell much difference in the quality of the stitch on my 930. I also could not tell much difference in the amount of lint in the bobbin area, so I continue to buy mostly Gutterman. I do NOT use cotton wrapped polyester in quilt piecing. It will cut your fabric. How do I know??? I used it on the one of the first quilts I pieced because I didn't know it is best to match fibers...and that quilt is developing tears right alongside the stitching just like many of the articles in quilt magazines have described.

I usually buy off-white, beige, gray, black, and red. I do occasionally buy a specific color if I feel a project needs a thread match and not just a blend.

5. My DH wants to know if you hide treasures from your DH? I don't hide treasures from DH. He's a wonderful guy and supports my habit with encouragement. He knows I'm frugal and won't blow the budget. I grew up in a house without a lot of money and when I feel I'm spending too much....I ask myself "Do you want that or do you need that????" Thinking about those two words usually curbs my urge to spend too much on quilty things.