Overlocking sheers on a serger

No: I use standard 80's all the time. the thread might make a difference. Pop over to my web site (URL below) and have a look at some of my sheer projects. Most were done with standard 120's poly thread and a small stitch, which works just fine. Have a good look, and if the info you want isn't there, yell and we'll come running.

Sorry, I meant to convey my trouble was sorting out the needles and tension on my overlocker - which is a 4-thread Juki MO-654DE/654. The ruction book that comes with these machines spends pages and pages on the threading technique (my threading is just fine!) but very little if anything at all on tensions. The sewing machine shop where I purchased this overlocker about 3 years ago produced a little home-made booklet thing to explain some things, but sadly nothing about sheer fabrics!

I have now changed the overlocker needles to 70s and set the tensions to:

which trasnslates as:

L.H needle R.H. needle Up.Looper Low. Looper

The stitch length is on 2. The Diff.Feed is on 0.7 (recommended for sheer fabrics).

The results are a bit mixed. Do you know by any chance which of the above knobs need adjustment first? I usually try to only adjust one thing at a time.

Is there some website that covers this sort of dilemma do you know? I have used overlockers for many years (my last one was a Globe) and don't have too much trouble as a rule.

I read somewhere that sewing sheers on a sewing machine is best effected by a small zig-zag. My machine is a Brother Galaxie and has a superb zig-zaggy stretch stitch anyway.

You are a fund of knowledge and I always enjoy reading your replies to other people's queries. Where on earth do you find the time?

Thankx

. 0:02 +0100, Kate Dicey wrote:

TigsNona

Get a couple of good LOOOOONG strips of your sheer, about 6" wide and a yard long usually works! Remove the left needle, and set the machine up for a rolled hem, but leave the stitch length at 1 rather than anything smaller. Make a note of ALL the setting - needle and looper tension, foot presser pressure, stitch length and width, the whole 9 yards! sew about 6" - so you can see how the stitch is developing: look at the threads carefully (I do this without taking it out of the machine). See if any particular thread needs altering, and tweak each one in turn. I usually start with the lower looper, then the upper, then the needle (for rolled hems, you only need the right needle). If the seam looks too stiff and bulky, lengthen the stitch a tad... If there are 'pokeys'

- a technical term for threads that poke through the stitches, looking spiky and scratchy! - widen the cut a tad... Alter the needle tension last. Make very small alterations and make a careful note of each one you make. When it comes out just how you want it for a foot or so at a time, make a final note of the settings, and cut the section with perfect stitching off the strip. Staple it to the paper so you have a labelled sample to file.

I use this fine 'rolled seam' for most sheers - worked well where there is a need for an almost invisible seam, as on a chiffon overskirt. There are examples on my web site of this: the one on Sandra's Wedding Dress was on a fine silk chiffon, and lettuce a bit as it was sewn, but it pressed out flat quite nicely (BUT, yer hazz ter be DREADFULLY careful pressing cobweb fine silk chiffon!). The one on Claire's Bridesmaid dress was better, as it was a crystal poly organza and was easier to do! Didn't press so well, as by the time the iron was hot enough to tackle the creases, the fabric tended to melt! There's no picture of this seam on the pink bridesmaid dresses, but I did use it on the butterfly organza. All these seams were done with a standard 120's poly serger cone thread, mine from Empress Mills in Lancashire.

I work out a lot of this stuff while doing a project: I work at home as a dress and costume maker, and in schools as an occasional sessional tutor with the Kent Children's University. I also have some good books that have nice tips to experiment with. Pop over to my web site (URL below) and look up some of my Book List reviews. I sell nothing through the web site, but Amazon usually stocks most of the books (NAYYY, just an prolific customer!)

For areas where the seam on a sheer will be under stress, I tend to use a fine flat felled seam. I shows a lot more, but you can make it a feature. You just use a straight stitch, rather small - 1.5-2mm long is fine.