A happy day has come and in addition to the sewing machine, a brand new overlock has appeared in the house. Simple overlock seams are mastered, next in line a more worthy application of this machine is sewing knitwear. A four-thread overlock, with the possibility of differential supply of materials, is ideally suited for this purpose.
General rules for working on overlock
Work on overlock has its own characteristics.
Threading
Almost all overlock models are equipped with a threading scheme, as a rule, it is “hidden” under the front cover. The same scheme is in the instructions for using the overlock model. In order not to go this way each time on a new one, it is enough to cut the threads from the old bobbins and tie them to new bobbins. Further, the entire refueling will be reduced to several actions:
- with the tab raised, stretch the needle thread;
- cut the knot in front of the eye of the needle and thread the needle into the eye;
- the remaining threads can simply be pulled out without cutting the knots, you need to pull them carefully, a jammed knot in the pressure plates can break the fragile thread.
Seam selection
Most knitwear items can be fully stitched on a four-thread overlock. The seam can be either three-thread or four-thread. Three-strand is used for overcasting. If the material is thin, narrow with the left needle removed will do. For flat stitching on fabrics denser, you need to remove the right needle.
Four-thread, you can simultaneously sew knitwear and overcast the edges. For elastic knitwear, which goes “wave” when stitching, you can use the differential supply of materials, if such a function is in the overlock.
REFERENCE! For a beautiful finish on the edges of thin knitwear, for example, on a skirt, you can apply a narrow role seam of three threads. To do this, pull the “tongue” in front of the foot, reduce the stitch width and adjust the thread tension. The lower thread, which will be on the wrong side, should be tightened more than the others. The differential feed can be adjusted for tension, if there is a desire to get a wavy edge as a result.
When performing a narrow three-thread role seam, you can not tighten the bobbin thread, then you get an edge bilateral seam "border". It is good to use it on parts where the wrong side is visible on the model.
Flatlock seam is used for stitching parts with simulated flat stitching. It turns out when stitching two parts, the effect of a flat seam will be when unrolling, smoothing these parts.
REFERENCE! A narrow Flatlock is obtained using the left needle and two lower loopers; for the wide one, the right needle and two lower loopers are used. There are features of thread adjustment: the needle thread must be loosened and the thread of the lower looper tightened.
How to scribble
Overlock is equipped with a sharp knife, it will be difficult to fix the cut part, so first you need to train on scraps and inexpensive products to fill your hand.
The most simple will be working with straight seams. Stapled materials are set under the foot. After lowering the presser foot, you can stitch the parts. After the stitching is completed, a few more centimeters can be sewn, the bound area will protect from blooming between operations. If there is a need, you can fix the seam by threading the remaining twisted threads into the seam using a needle to raise the loops.
At first, work on stitching curved sections may seem more complicated. When laying stitches in a circle, you need to feed materials, leading them to the right of the overcasting machine foot to the right than straight seams. At the corners, you need to stop the machine, raise the foot, unfold the seam and lay the stitch further. If the corners are internal, you need to bend the seam so as not to cut the fabric.
Nuances of working with knitwear
A very useful innovation is the convenient adjustment of the stitch length. The stitch length should be selected depending on the materials being sewn and the threads used. Since the knit stitch simultaneously sews and sews, the threads must be strong, the stitch width is small. On some knitted fabrics, you may need to replace the needle with a special one with a rounded tip. This is necessary when a regular needle damages the material or a previously well-functioning machine begins to loop.
Most overlocks are equipped with special paws, with their help you can sew an elastic into the seam or a special braid to protect the shoulder seams from stretching. It will be very convenient to work when using the foot for a blind seam. With its help, you can carefully hem the bottom of knitwear. Sometimes it is not possible to use a differential feed, then you can fix the seam with the Avalon water-soluble canvas. In general, knitwear is easier to sew than fabric, especially with a modern overlock.
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