Four More Embroidered Tea Towels

I had hoped to get at least five tea towels embroidered today, but we went Christmas shopping this afternoon, so that nixed that.  And then tonight, just as I was finishing the strawberry design, the machine locked up tighter'n a jug.  It had threatened to do so earlier today -- and now it made good on its threat.

So I did what I do best:  I trotted upstairs calling, "Larrrrrryyyyy!!!"  I told him what kind of screwdriver we needed to take off the end of the sewing machine beside the take-up lever, as I was fairly certain there was thread caught inside it somewhere.

He found a screwdriver... took off the end... and indeed there was a large glob (technical term meaning 'clump, chunk, hunk, and wad') of thread all tangled around the spring for the needle bar, and more back where we couldn't see.  I pulled most of it out with my serger tweezers, and then Larry vacuumed it out.  He oiled the machine in places where I have been unable to reach, being careful not to get it on electronics.  We rebooted the machine... started it running slowly, then a little faster until the oil worked its way into tight spots.

I think it's fixed now.  I sure hope so.

Here are the four towels I finished today.  The strawberry design wound up with permanent marker dots for seeds instead of embroidered seeds, because that was where the machine quit.