"I Only Change My Needle When It Breaks"

I recently completed a certificate course in sewing machine repair. I learned a lot about machine maintenance, and I was also vindicated on this one point: change your needle regularly!

I used to be a seamstress at the Houston Grand Opera. Whenever my machine would have a problem I'd holler for Debbie (the shop foreman) to help. And the first thing she would say every single time was "did you change your needle?" It didn't take long for me to realize how often this fixes the problem. And really, they need to be changed often. Every project. And you need to be using the right size needle for your thread - not just whatever is already in the machine. So now I'm the one telling everyone to change their needle (thanks, Debbie!)

I learned that 1 in 5 sewing machine needles are defective. Sometimes not enough to matter, but I once experienced an entire package of needles where the eye had been drilled off-center causing the eye-wall to fail and the thread to slip out while sewing. The entire package. 

So when you're sewing along and your stitches suddenly look crappy (especially on the bottom side) - change your needle (and rethread your machine) before you start cranking on knobs. Even a brand new needle can have problems, or develop them soon after beginning. It doesn't take much for a burr to form, or the needle to hit the fabric in just such a way that it's instantly blunted. They aren't exactly made from high end materials - and they aren't made to last. 

But most importantly respect your investment. Take the time to read the manual's (super short) chapter on maintenance. How can you enjoy your hobby or skill when you're working with inferior or neglected equipment? It's just setting yourself up for failure and frustration.