Saturday, February 21, 2009

Pins, overlockers and other things

I have been having a lovely productive day sewing a second version of BWOF 10-2008-106. Here is a sneak peek of my first version finished a week ago. It is made in a black cotton and I just love it. Love it so much I made a second version in a white/brown check fabric - I will feature that later when I have done my review.
I have been trying to use my overlocker more productively. Caity & I had a great day of getting together to 'tame' our overlockers. Caity wrote a great post about that day. Since then I have had to buy the books we used. This book is fabulous and has heaps on information about using the overlocker. I think this is a must-have reference if you own an overlocker. I bought my copy from Can-do books for any Aussies looking for it.
Today, with the help of this book I learned how to serge around an inside and outside corner. A very useful skill if you have a slit in your skirt (which I did, of course!) Last time I tried something like this on my overlocker, I slashed a large gash in my fabric. Here is the sample I made and I think it is pretty good seeing as it is the first time I followed these instructions!
About pins - do you leave them in and sew over them? I have been told in lessons it is OK to do that and it is listed as a tip in the Burda I made the skirt from... ie pin at the 90 degree to your seamline then sew over the pins (slowly!) Maybe I don't go slow enough as this seems to happen with monotonous regularity... This is a silk pin so it didn't break my needle, but I do break my needles when I hit a clover brand flower pin - boy are they strong pins!

Next blog I will tell you more about the skirt and hopefully have a review done as well...

2 comments:

  1. I never ever EVER sew over pins if I can possibly help it! And this is why:

    Years ago, when I was very new at sewing (not that I feel I've made a heap of progress since then,but never mind!) I followed instructions in a beginner pattern to sew slowly over the pins.

    With my IMMENSE stores of luck (hah!) of course the needle hit a pin square on. Broke the needle. Not such a disaster, eh?

    Ah, but what had actually happened was the needle forced the pin downwards towards the bobbin case, which was then quite badly damaged before the needle snapped.

    Result - new bobbin case, expensive tune-up involving resetting the timing of the machine (if the timing's out, you just don't get stitch formation - it's that crucial) and many weeks of rice for dinner and no sewing machine to play with while I paid for it all.

    And don't even talk to me about pins and the overlocker *shudder*.....

    Super well done on those corners, hey!! If I could only recommend ONE book to anyone with a new serger, that would be it.

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  2. After breaking a serger needle trying to sew over a pin, I no longer sew over them.

    Thanks for the reference book.

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