About this book 6
Why I love my overlocker 8
Chapter 1: Overlocking Basics 10
Anatomy of
an overlocker 12
Must-have tools 16
Threads 20
Setting up the machine 22
Getting comfortable 27
Getting started 28
Fixing mistakes 30
Finishing and securing ends 32
Adjusting the overlocker settings 34
Adjusting the cutting width 35
Adjusting the thread tensions 36
Adjusting the stitch length 40
Adjusting the differential feed 42
Chapter 2: Techniques 44
Basic stitches
46
Simple seams 48
Overlocking around corners 52
Overlocking curves, circles and tubes 56
Stabilising seams 60
Mock band hems 62
French seams 64
Welt and fell seams 66
Roll hemming 68
Cover stitch 70
Chain stitch 72
Flatlocking 74
Overlocking with decorative threads 76
Using a piping foot 79
Using an elastic attachment 82
Using a blind hemming foot 84
Using a gathering foot 86
Using a cording foot 88
Using a bias binding foot 90
Using a taping foot 93
Using a beading attachment 94
Chapter 3: Quick Constructions 96
Evening
scarf/sarong 98
Simple top 99
Tote bag 102
Child’s dress 104
Quick quilt 106
Cushion cover 110
Drawstring bag 112
Tube skirt 117
Guide to fabrics 120
Glossary 124
Index 126
Credits 128
Julia Hincks is a teacher and textile artist who has sewn, knitted and crocheted from an early age. Julia teaches dressmaking, pattern cutting and overlocking classes privately and at colleges in Brighton where she inspires adults to take up these crafts and improve their skills. Julia has developed a loyal following. She is the author of the best-selling title The Overlocker Technique Manual (2014), which is now available in five languages. Julia lives in Brighton, UK. Find out more about her at www.juliahincks.com
May 14 Are you too scared to get an overlocker out of its box? This
book for all skills includes photographs, diagrams and
illustrations with every basic detail to get started. Once you've
got to grips with an overlocker, you'll never look back. It's easy
to thread up and sew, edge fabrics quickly and create a perfect
finish. Step-by-step instructions ensure you get the best results
with any fabric, including knitting.
*Machine Knitting Monthly*
June 14 Whether you have just bought an overlocker for the first
time, or you have had one for years but barely used it, this manual
will enable you to get the most out of your machine! An in-depth
introduction to the basics answers any questions you might have and
explains with clear illustrations exactly how to use and adjust
your overlocker for professional results. Once you are confi dent
overlocking simple seams you can move onto the techniques section
which is a comprehensive guide to the more decorative uses of an
overlocker, including using different feet for gathering, beading
and bias binding amongst others. Each technique is well illustrated
with photographs and step-by-step instructions and the quick
constructions allow you to practice the techniques you have learnt
whilst simultaneously making desirable projects.
*SEWING WORLD*
Feb 14 Want a professional finish to your sewing? An overlocker is
the answer. It provides professional seams, hems and edges. This
manual provides step-by-step instructions to guide you through the
essential techniques. Find out how to get the very best from your
overlocker – it is more versatile than you think. A range of
projects will help hone your skills. Useful for all skill levels;
to learn, remind or keep as a resource. Clear instructions and
photographs.
*Karen Platt Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk/crafts*
Aug 2014 This is the third of the books that Search Press sent to
me for review purposes. I chose to review it because although more
and more home sewists are investing in overlockers (or ‘sergers’),
it seems to me that they are often perceived as ‘scary’ machines –
so I thought this book might appeal! I bought my overlocker in 2011
and it probably wasn’t until last year that I actually nailed how
to rethread the thing quickly. To be perfectly honest, it wasn’t
the threading that was an issue: although a bit fiddly, I can do
that bit in a couple of minutes. No, it was getting the tension of
all the threads right that took hours. It became like a jackpot –
sometimes I would rethread and it would be fine straight away, and
other times I would fiddle about for hours. One day last year, out
of pure frustration, whilst feeding my test scraps of fabric
through and trying to get the right tension, I manually pulled each
of the four threads in turn as they were feeding through, making
the tension incredibly tight for a short time and then letting go
and letting it feed through normally. For some unknown reason, it
worked a treat, and this is what I do each time now if it isn’t
working properly. So, it took me two years to be able to
confidently rethread my machine. I knew my machine had uses other
than finishing raw edges and sewing knits, but until a few weeks
ago when I sat down in front of the overlocker with this book at
hand, I hadn’t experimented at all. Why? I suppose time was a
factor. Who wants to spend hours on end faffing around with an
overlocker? I could make a dress in that time! But this book review
was the incentive I needed to get down to business – how could I
review a book properly without putting it to the test?
Readers – I gave this book a thorough test. I worked my way through
this book in maybe 5 or 6 hours, starting right at the beginning
and working through in order. As I began to work through the book,
my main question for the purposes of this review was: how is this
book different to my instruction manual? After all, there is no
value in buying a book that is the same as the overlocker’s manual
(unless, of course, you don’t have the manual for your machine).
The book is divided into three chapters: ‘Overlocking
Basics’, ‘Techniques’ and ‘Quick Constructions’. Working in
conjunction with this book and my overlocker instruction manual, I
familiarised myself with what each bit of the overlocker is called
and what it is/can be used for. Some of this I already knew, but I
did learn some new things and as a result of the exercise I now
have quite a thorough understanding of the machine. In the
three years of owning my overlocker, only once have I changed the
differential feed – I did this to help gather up the hem of a
circle skirt. The book taught me that when the differential feed is
a higher number than ‘N’ (normal), the front teeth of the feed dog
move more quickly than the back teeth, and this creates gathering.
When the differential feed is lower than ‘N’, the front teeth move
more slowly than the back teeth, to create a stretch effect
(depending upon the fabric type, of course). One thing that
I had always found confusing in my overlocker manual was something
it referred to as ‘size of bight’, and elsewhere in the manual
‘width of bite’. This ‘bight’/’bite': I had no idea what it was –
only that I could widen it if I wanted. But the book taught me that
it’s the cutting width – perhaps this ‘bight’/’bite’ is a
translation error in my manual or something? Either way, I’m glad
to have finally got that information straight! Under the
guidance of this book, I learnt how to retract the upper knife, how
to adjust the stitch width, and how to remove the stitch finger.
This enabled me to stitch a teeny tiny rolled hem! I’m so pleased I
learnt how to do this, I can definitely see me using this function
a lot. I also learnt how to make pin-tucks on the overlocker,
French seams, welt seams and fell seams. I would never have
considered using my overlocker before for any of these seam
finishes. It isn’t exactly rocket science, but it was good to learn
some alternative methods. The book tells you how to use a variety
of different attachments, such as elastic and beading attachments
and piping, blind-hemming, gathering, bias binding, taping and
cording feet. My machine only has one foot, but this foot doubles
up as a cording foot due to the small hole in the top of the foot
through which one can feed cord. With the help of the book I learnt
how to overlock over a piece of cord or yarn (for decorative
purposes), and how to overlock over stabilising tape, which will be
useful when constructing seams of knit garments that need extra
stabilisation, such as shoulder seams and waist seams. I didn’t
have any clear elastic to practise with, but I imagine that would
work on the same principle as the seam tape. So far so good. The
techniques section of this book really did enable me to get to
grips with my machine. I learnt new techniques that I will
definitely use again, and these techniques were explained in a much
clearer way than in my manual, and with clear photographs too.
The ‘Quick Constructions’ section is comprised of a series
of simple projects in which you can test out your newly acquired
overlocking skills. The projects are basic, and nothing to write
home about. The chapter does finish with a ‘Guide to Fabrics’
section though – giving guidance on different fabrics and what size
needles they would be best paired with, what differential feed to
use, what stitch length is best, suggested tension settings and
tips on hemming techniques. These four pages are very, very useful.
The biggest disappointment of this book was that there was
no mention of the care and maintenance of your overlocker – for
instance how (and where) to oil it, how to remove the needle plate
and clean the feed dogs, how to change the bulb, the blades etc.
After all the time I spent learning about how to use the machine, I
felt so invested in it that I was willing to spend another hour
giving it a mini home-service, but the book doesn’t touch on this
at all, which I think is a great shame. I may have learnt a lot
about the functionality of the machine, but I’m still a bit nervous
about taking it to pieces to clean it properly! Boo! One
other, small, gripe: it suggests overlocking with different types
of thread to achieve different effects, for example using thread
that changes colour, metallic thread, woolly nylon, embroidery
thread, even yarn…which is all very well and good if these are
wound onto a bobbin, but when I attempted to use some metallic
pearl cotton from a skein, I was left wondering how on earth to
wind it suitably and place it securely onto the bobbin holder??
Overall, this is a good book to have. I’ve learnt a lot from
it and, although it is not tailored specifically to my exact model
of machine, it has been a lot more useful than the manual itself
has ever been. I would recommend the book to people who have
overlockers with no manual, or to people who want to get more from
their machines and try new techniques.
*threadcarefully.com*
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