Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Another great technique is the overcast and hem that you can do on fabric that has a little
stretch to it. Maybe you’re putting ribbon along the edge of a neckline. We can use the
Sewing Advisor. This is stretchy fabric, so let’s go down to fabric F and it’ll say
“stretch, heavy” and change it from seam to the third sewing technique of “seam and
overcast.” It will pick the right stitch, recommend a 90 stretch needle. The tension
and the setting for the stitch is all there for you, and what foot to put on. Foot letter
B.
Now, as we line this up, we want the stitch as it jumps over to the right side, to come
off the edge of the fabric. I like to kind of guide it right down. You will notice there’s
three little red lines on your presser foot? Just put the outside right red line underneath
where your raw edge of fabric will be, and then if you’re doing something with ribbing,
we’re going to kind of stretch the ribbing a little bit, and let that stitch right on
through there.
What we’re doing is getting both an overlock edge and a seam, all at once. So it’s going
to have the stretch we need. For example, if this was going to be a Nolo neckline … let’s
get this done here. Yeah! There we go. That’ll get you the right idea.
As it went over the edge of the seam, or edge of the fabric, it secured that so there’s
no unravelling edges, but this line right across here is our finished seam, but it is
a stretchy seam so it will go over a head, or whatever opening it’s to go over, and
it really makes for a nice finish.
So check that out. Every fabric is going to have its own recommendation for a stitch so,
as you can see, it will change if you switch over to one of the woven fabrics, and some
have a different foot altogether that it will have you do.
Once again, let the machine help you. Especially if you are a newer sewer, but even if this
is a new machine for you and you’ve sewed for years, let it help you get the right settings
for your project.