Flat lock look a like Stitch

I had a brain storm moment last night as I was dropping off to sleep as is often the case with me, and realised I could use the fake flat lock overlocker stitch to hem my T shirts. My usual T shirt supplier has not had the sizes/ styles I use for a while now, so I was thinking about having to make T shirts again and how much I don't like the normal hems as they look home-made to me. Any how today I had a go and here is a link to my Facebook page picture of the 1st attempt. I have a skipped stitch on the neckband I'm not sure why, it's not unravelling or anything so I will leave well alone .

What do you think about the general look?

I'm having a hard time making out what the stitch actually looks like. When I hem T shift sleeves I use a twin needle. Is that what you are doing?

On the right side it's like a vertical line on the inside/ wrong side it's an overlocked edge. I found the tutorial here

Thank you Bobbie I have done another one this afternoon. I now have make the rest of my patterns.

When I hem T shift sleeves I use a twin needle. Is that what you are doin g?

I don't have a serger, wouldn't know where to begin to use one as I don't d o sewing that calls for the use of one. The video was pretty much Greek to me and I've never seen a T shirt with a hem like she showed. T shirts I b uy in the store have a twin needle look to them on the outside of the fabri c.

Sorry, it's just not getting through to me.

On the right side it's like a vertical line on the inside/ wrong side it's an overlocked edge. I found the tutorial here

I don't have a serger, wouldn't know where to begin to use one as I don't do sewing that calls for the use of one. The video was pretty much Greek to me and I've never seen a T shirt with a hem like she showed. T shirts I buy in the store have a twin needle look to them on the outside of the fabric.

Joan, before I got my serger I would just simply double fold the hem and sew it down once, then from the right side I would sew a second line on the hem, using the width of the foot foot as a guide. Hope this helps! Barbara in SC

Sorry, it's just not getting through to me.

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: snipped-for-privacy@netfront.net ---

I mastered the twin needle feature on my machine, but first I had to keep t elling myself "sew on the RIGHT side of the fabric, sew on the RIGHT side o f the fabric." I forgot once and it certainly looked nice until I got read y to put it on and realized I had sewn on the wrong side. :-O

Claire, I have tested using the flat-lock feature on a serger, I have not been completely satisfied. I ended up buying a stand-alone coverstitch machine.

Beverly

The RTW Tee-Shirt hems are made using a Coverstitch machine:

Claire is very cleverly using a feature on her serger to replicate the look.

Beverly

Yikes! You risk cutting the folded edge.

I also found if difficult to get just the right amount of threads falling off the edge for the serger-faux-coverstitch to work.

Personally, and this is just me, I don't like the look of flatlock for hems. Just too much exposed thread, imho. I'm not even too fond of serger blindhemming, because it isn't very "blind" (see:

But if it sells for you, by all means do it!

Kay

I tried it with the blade out of the way but I didn't like the way that the edge rolled itself into the stitching and I felt the joined edge was too bulky without the cut edge.

Yes I risk cutting the folded edge It a balancing act!! Watch me stress. The more I do it the better I get .

A coverstich machine is on my wish list. I am hesitating between a stand alone coverstitch machine or a serger/ coverstitch machine. I am veering towards stand alone as it would probably give me more choice leaving the serger threaded up in another colour.

I haven't has the courage to try a twin needles, I don't know why I find them scarry.

Yes the twin needle effect is a coverstich finish. What I am doing is using the serger to make a look-a-like type stitch. Take a look here to see the two sides of the look-a-like stitch the 1st picture is the Right Side.

Claire, I have the Huskylock 936 serger which converts to sew coverstitch. I thought it would be very handy, having all the cones threaded, serging stuff, converting to coverstitch and hemming. But honestly, the conversion is a PITA! I now leave the 936 converted for coverstitch all the time. I also have the Babylock CS (coverstitch) and three other sergers. One is a Huskylock 930, two of them are older Bernette MO 2-3-4 without differential feed. However, I much prefer the Bernettes for rolled hems, even though the conversion for that is also a PITA, but the blade is much closer to the needles, so narrow hemming >curves< is actually doable. I have not been able to successfully narrow hem a curve on either the Huskylock 930 serger or the 936.

YMMV

And in case anyone thinks I have too many machines, nuh uh! One of my sergers (a Bernette) is on permanent loan to my DGD, who has one of my three Singer 401As as well. I plan to gift her one of my two Singer Quantum XL6000 embroidery machines when she graduates from Juilliard.

With the exception of my original Singer 401A (bought new in 1962), the first XL6000 (bought new in 2004), and the Huskylock 936 (first prize at the 2005 Oregon State Fair), ALL my machines were bought used, either at local sewing machine stores (well serviced trade-ins) or eBay.

I really think that with the lovely products you make for sale, a dedicated coverstitch machine would be invaluable. I use both of mine a LOT. (Younger DD is short, and I alter almost all of her RTW T-shirts)

They can be fairly cranky about needles, so if you get one be sure you buy a large supply of the recommended needles, and change them often. Skipped stitches, GRRRR.....

Beverly

That's exactly why I asked Kay.

My ideal finish would be a twin line of stitching as per the cover-stitch machine but I think the Flat lock hem is better than my old version of overcast edge and 2 lines of stitching which never quite looked professional enough. Perhaps that finish would look right if I had the courage to try twin needle stitching but I have a mental block on twin needles , they scare me.

I will take the 2 sets I have done out with me this weekend and see what the responses are like. Fingers crossed.

That's exactly why I asked Kay.

My ideal finish would be a twin line of stitching as per the cover-stitch machine but I think the Flat lock hem is better than my old version of overcast edge and 2 lines of stitching which never quite looked professional enough. Perhaps that finish would look right if I had the courage to try twin needle stitching but I have a mental block on twin needles , they scare me.

I will take the 2 sets I have done out with me this weekend and see what the responses are like. Fingers crossed.

ep telling myself "sew on the RIGHT side of the fabric, sew on the RIGHT si de of the fabric." I forgot once and it certainly looked nice until I got ready to put it on and realized I had sewn on the wrong side. :-O

It took me a few tries to get it pretty much mastered, tension was what I h ad to get right and remembering which side to sew on. Thank goodness for s crap material to try out these new stitches. :-)) I will admit those finished stitches were rather weird looking. But I still look at the manua l that came with my machine as I made notes in it for tension and such.