Pfaff 1230 OL / Singer 14SH754 overlocker / serger

[clothmama]

Another overlocker hint I read to save money (4 big bobbins can get expensive) is that you use a great neutral (I have chosen a grey which seems to blend with most fabrics) and then if you want to or are worried about the thread showing you just buy one bobbin of the colour of your project and put that into the left hand holder Lidl has overlocker cones this week for 1.49 euros so I grabbed 3 or 4 in basic colours to do this with.

[clothmama]

I just came across a fantastic blog series on our machines - I've lost my manual and I'm going to admit I've been too scared to touch anything so all my so far (other than tension) has been at the settings it came with (I was actually wondering how I can make the stitches less wide or closer together hence my need for the manual!). This blog post is fabulous - explains it all really well with pics!
http://www.makery.uk/2015/05/serger-ser ... 1-anatomy/
There are 2 other parts (including tension) which are great as well - guess what I've been doing this evening
@sim
@Aeseldyr

[clothmama]

Mission this morning is to finally sit down and do the test swatches, going to have my coffee then start ironing / cutting / drawing!

[clothmama]

Weird, they are all much higher than I expected / had been using. The needles good around 5-6, the upper looper at 7 and then the lower looper down at 3-3.5. Seems really odd but the stitching looks lovely! What sort of tensions are yours using @sim @Aeseldyr

@Kim was thinking of you and your machine you are not getting on with and wondered if you have done the sample swatches - it really has made a big difference to my understanding / confidence with the machine. What is your machine?

I missed out @clothmama


Waiting for Lidl to stock them again

[clothmama]

I missed out @clothmama


Waiting for Lidl to stock them again

Oh no, I thought you'd got one in the end!

Mine is a necch ultralock but it's a singer underneath. I really regret buying it tbh, I got it on ebay but it has lots of extra bits that I will never need that are confusing me. It's up to 5 threads and it also has a cover stitch looper and a chain stitch looper that you don't use for normal overlocking. They are just confusing me and getting in my way.

[clothmama]

it also has a cover stitch looper

No No NO - don't regret buying it - if it has a cover stitch that is amazing! If I were you I'd just ignore all the complicated / confusing bits - focus on using the normal 4 thread overlock / stitch option, do the test strips (as I said took me ages but so worth it!) and just use that for a while until you are comfy with that then slowly add stuff as you get more confident with it. Honestly as I said earlier I hadn't touched any of the width / length etc as I was so scared and barely fiddled even with the tension - I got it OK on 4 for everything and left if there and did all our medieval costumes and a few other things with it like that. It is only yesterday that I branched out! I still haven't gone into 2 or 3 thread use but it will come as / when I need it. Don't give up - there are a few of us that use them and we'll help. Just focus on the easy stuff and put the rest away @Kim !