Stitch and bitch thread #9. I have pressing concerns

[NutellaEllaElla]

Welcome welcome!

I've not made anything for ages after I screwed up the same thing twice. I'm gonna have another blimmin crack at it though! I've reconnected with another hobby and work is seriously getting in the way of everything I want to do, darn it.

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I have summer clothes I made last July that never saw the light of day.

Apparently the coverstitch is now out for delivery today! I’m still going to toile the kinjarling bodice but I’ll dig through my scraps bag for some stretch fabric to practice with.

Hopefully I’ll now be able to deal with the extremely stretchy viscose jersey that I’ve tested every stretch stitch on and can’t be left unhemmed because it rolls

I haven't really paid attention to what a coverstitch does. So if i understand correctly it's a twin-needle lockstitch that does a stretchy stitch? Does it do anything else (I mean: could i ditch the overlocker in favour of a coverstitch and be able to do about the same things?)

Mine has 3 needles and one looper so you can do two or three rows of top stitching with a stretchy reverse. You can pick which needles to use for twin needle stitching so it’s narrow or wide. A single needle gives you a stretchy chain stitch.

I don’t think you could ditch the overlocker for a coverstitch as they do very different things but you can get combined machines which sound great but are probably too much hassle to switch functions.

Like the overlocker you can use a coverstitch on stretch or woven fabric.

I’ll know more when I’ve had a play

If anyone is thinking of making the kinjarling dress - the bodice is short! Much shorter than I expected. I did the full bust piece but I need to add more length to bring it to just above natural waist. So glad I did a toile

Can I ask those of you who have overlockers, what do you have? And how temperamental is it?

I’ve been wondering if getting an overlocker would motivate me to sew more and actually wear what I make (I hate untidy seams!). I get the impression from the internet though that there’s a bit of a learning curve and that I’m going to need to flash some serious cash if I want one that’s easy to use. Just exploring options at the moment…

I have the Bernina L450, @CrimsonAlligator at the recommendation of my dealer when I told him my budget. Not at all temperamental (though she has a knife so I always talk to her nicely) and easy to thread with clear pathways plus much quieter and less rattly than the brother I was demoed. Lots of tutorial videos on sewing mastery, too.

https://www.thesewingstudio.co.uk/products/bernina-l450-overlocker?_atid=954H1xLPgUz741xgfekwSfdFZstylN

https://sewingmastery.com/bernina-l450/

i have a Juki MO-114D which is fairly basic, but i like that it will do a rolled hem on floaty stuff. Threading it isn't as complicated as i thought and there are really good YouTube tutorials on it. When i got mine the shop recommended just getting 4 spools of thread to start with and then add to them as i start to use it more. I got a light grey which is ok for most colours for tidying up inside seams.

MO-114D | Juki (jukieurope.com)

@CrimsonAlligator I have an entry level Brother overlocker. It goes through phases when it's fine then decides that I haven't had enough practice rethreading it and makes me rethread it several times on the bounce.

I have found that when it wants one thread rethreaded I have to do all of them. It knows if I have tried to sneakily just rethread the broken thread.

I have a basic Janome 8002d overlocker https://www.sewingmachines.co.uk/browse-machines/overlockers/8002dg/ which is their entry level model. It's pretty well behaved, I use it a lot as I sew a lot of jersey. It's nice to have tidy insides in wovens as well. I don't use the 'extras' of rolled hems or gathering.

It's a bit of a faff to re-thread if a thread snaps (though you can sometimes sneakily just rethread one) and it's quite noisy (though not helped by my table which does encourage the noise somehow).

My mam has a basic singer overlocker that she got from Aldi/Lidl - that is REALLY finicky to thread, you have to do it in the correct order and pray to the gods. Quieter than mine, and probably cost a £100 less than my janome.

Mine is the same as @GnomeDePlume. Very easy to thread and I’ve had No problems with it at all.

Well….. Coverstitch. It’s a beast. It didn’t come threaded so it’s taken a while to get it right and so far I’ve done a short section of very stretchy rib knit and a ‘hem’ on the toile I’ve pulled out from the rag bag. It’s very fast indeed. I’ve not pressed the hem up or measured where to start to cover the raw edge yet but I think it’s going to get a lot of use hemming viscose.

Will give it a proper try tomorrow.

oh i am very envious. I love coverstitched hems. I need to sew more jersey to really make it worthwhile. And when i say "more" i actually mean "any"

@Brefugee it’s very rare for me to sew jersey but i do the odd item. I bought this when I found out it would sew hems on wovens - like the floral crepe above. Potential game changer for tidier hems

I made a dress, it's not especially neat but I lined the bodice so there are no exposed seams, French seamed the skirt so it doesn't rub, and it has generous pockets.
It's really comfortable, now I just need some summer to wear it in.
I was going to use a pattern I got from a charity shop for £1, but I changed it so much I don't think it remotely resembles the original pattern (which I didn't even cut out or trace from, just used it to get an idea of shapes).

Love that fabric!

I have a vintage BabyLock bought second hand for £150 from the Sewing Studio in Bath. It is great, I love it. I’ve used it for rolled hems but mostly use it for jersey and finishing seams. Wouldn’t be without it.

Ooh , I have ummed and aahed over getting an overlocker , but every time it comes down to a basic truth of not having anywhere to keep it . My Pfaff does several overlocker stitches , so that will have to do me until such time I can set one up ,and leave it up. A coverstitch is just in my dreams !
I found time to cut out the dress ( Halla Agnes swing ) for DD on Monday, and am mostly there with the sewing up - just have the neck band and hem to twin needle. It has been a quick sew . Next up is a new cover for a large floor cushion

I ummed and ahhed for a while, too, @bookbook but then used some double gauze that was disintegrating as fast as I could sew it and my mind was made up. Had it 3 years, now, and never looked back. I just sewed a linen shirt and overlocked all the long edges before I started sewing and I managed not to get covered in threads of the fabric every time I handled it. The stitches are quite pretty, too.

Getting fabric 😍 here, BTW. Not bought any dressmaking fabric for a while but I'm wanting to stock up on reds, purples and pinks and it's hard to find ones that don't have orange in or too much of a floral because the only floral I like wearing are big, abstract ones.

I’ve got fabric envy as well. I’ve been staring at the pile of fabrics that I’ve decided must be used up and all I want to do is buy more 🤣

Oh wow, that’s a nice seam finish @PickAChew 😋 This thread is seriously pushing me towards getting an overlocker.

Thanks everyone for sharing your overlocker experiences. Much for me to think about.

Aaargh, I want an overlocker now.

i love my overlocker - entry level it may be but it does all I need. I use it for gathering as well even though I can never remember the settings. It works better than two rows of gathering thread for me but it can be a bit bulky

I've never tried gathering on my overlocker. Tbh I usually pleat so thr garment sits flat

Lovely dress and fabric @InMySpareTime .

Same also to you@bookbook . What will you fill the floor cushion with? I filled mine with mixed foam fragments which seems to be holding up very well.

I have a Bernina overlocker and it's been fab! Totally reliable and easy to thread. Before that I got the Aldi one which was a nightmare to thread and broke. If anyone is planning on getting an overlocker, I highly recommend going to a specialist shop. Usually I'm one for an online bargain but the shop have provided more than their moneys worth in help.