Sewing morning...

Eva is sewing herself a dress and is using the very convenient counter top in the quilting room to cut out her pattern.  I remember getting down on the floor but now that my bones are older, I'm super motivated in keeping the space clear.  I believe this is Eva's third dress.  Love the green. I've been attempting to quilt, but I've been brought to the brink of insanity.  OK, maybe that ship has sailed.  But as hard as I've tried, I can't quilt another inch. 

I'm stalled.  Every 2 inches to 2 feet, the thread breaks.  Almost always in a right to left and up slightly orientation I've done about everything I can think of to fix it:

1. re-threaded the machine
2. used a different thread
3. changed the design I was quilting
4. changed the needle
5. changed the bobbin case
6. changed the motor speed
7. changed my speed
8. oiled the machine
9. changed the upper tension
10. changed the lower tension

I just couldn't think of anything else.  The thing about most machines is that if there's a problem- check the "soft ware" ie the thread.  But I was stumped.  Finally- I decided to look at the hardware.  The strike plate was the first thing to come off.  Don't judge me by the dust- I've been working with cotton batting and nothing can pile up dust faster.  I don't know if you can see it or not, but that small black bar that runs horizontal in the opening has a tab on the top side.  Can you see the burr over on the right?  There's also  rough patch on the inside of it.  I had this issue once before, but it was much worse.  My Dad came and took it out of the machine and smoothed it out for me- He had to remove some of it's bulk and he said he didn't know how long the fix would last.  It's been a couple years.  I hope this is the problem- I'll ask William if he could try to smooth it out for me.  It won't take as much material away as the last time it happened- it would break every few stitches.  I'd love to buy a new one, I'm just not sure how to describe the piece.  It's not in the manual. "You know,  That thing-a-muh-bob with the doo-hicky on it." If William could get me up and running again, I promise to try harder to not complain about stiff shoulders or sore feet from quilting.