Using knit pattern for cotton, got a serger!

Knit patterns generally allow less ease to minus easem depending on the style. To get the same feel, you may need to add a little, but measure the pattern pices and compare with your body measurements WITH EASE ADDED.

You can... But serger thread is designed for the higher speed and greater friction, and therefore higher thread temperatures. AND it comes in BIG cones and it MUCH cheaper! You use a LOT of thread in a serged seam!

I have many colours, but... Look at the colours you sew most, and buy those. I use a lot of white/ivory/cream, black, navy and red, and brown this last year... For less regular colour use, I get 1000m cops rather than 3000m or 5000m cones. The bigger the cone, the cheaper the thread mile, if you like! Most serger thread is also fine for use in the regular sewing machine, though with that I tend to match thread type to fabric more closely.

Sometimes, when you cannot get a good colour match, a blend is great. I recently used fuschia pink in one needle and looper and tangerine orange in he others because this gave a better blended match than a single colour on the silk tweed my friend was using. Just try to get your closest colour match in the right hand needle. :)

I quite agree - in making a pair of navy trousers the other week, I had

3 dark blue cones of various shades, and one light blue - which went where it wouldn't show!

Erm... did you mean the left needle Kate? Because that's the one on the edge of the seam that *might* show when you press open. The right needle does the 'lock' stitch - which doesn't tend to show unless using a sheer. My rough rule of thumb is to put the best match in the left needle, the second best match in the lower looper, and the other 2 go in the upper looper and right needle.

Sarah (suffering from lack of sleep and 'mummy' brain...)

Yes, for four threads... In the LEFT needle!

I'm suffering from lack of sleep too - in my case induced by a fibro flare-up. GRR!