I’ve had my eye out for a secondhand overlocker for a while, and when one popped up in our local buy/swap/sell group (has everyone joined one of these on facebook? They are great fun, Pete and I play out that scene from “The Castle” regularly!). Anyway, it was only $30 and it looked OK, so I claimed it, and I picked it up in the weekend. I actually said to Pete “how hard can it be? Surely between the two of us we can get an overlocker working”. Maybe I shouldn’t say that kind of thing.
So began my crash course in overlocking. If you’re not familiar with this machine, its like a sewing machine, but it takes 4 threads and it cuts and binds the edge of the fabric as you sew a seam, so it saves time. You still need a sewing machine for button holes and tricky sewing, but for straight lines and simple patterns the overlocker is quicker. I dreamed of sewing up shopping bags and cloths and wheat heat packs and maybe curtains, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
I found the manual for this overlocker, which happens to be a bit of a dodgy brand. I think it was made for Spotlight for a short time under “La Sarta”, but was also made for Kmart as “Homemaker”. Its pretty basic, and that would be fine, if I could get it to thread correctly. I have watched every youtube video I can find on threading an overlocker, and if nothing else, this $30 investment has taught me more about overlockers than I could have ever imagined I needed to know. There’s nothing like spending a couple of hours trying to thread a difficult one to make you appreciate the special auto threading mechanisms in the fancy ones.
The problem with overlockers seems to be the “lower looper”. Of the four threads, two feed into the belly of the machine and into “loopers” (upper and lower) and the other two into needles. The needles are similar to sewing machines. Easy, no problem with the needles. The loopers are tricky, the thread has to be fed through various tension points marked with coloured dots. The upper looper is easy to follow, but the lower looper thread has to wrap around the looper in a part of the machine that is dark and inaccessible. In the fancy machines there are levers and removable bits of panel to get into that space. On this machine there is not and I can’t see if it actually has a groove to hold the thread in place, but it seems like every overlocker instruction I can find requires the thread to sit in that groove.
And so I struggled and fiddled and I have just about given up. This is the last chance for the La Sarta, if someone out there can’t help me thread it, I will have to give it away (no point keeping something I can’t use). But I’m glad I’ve learnt what to look for and my next secondhand overlocker purchase will be far more informed!
So began my crash course in overlocking. If you’re not familiar with this machine, its like a sewing machine, but it takes 4 threads and it cuts and binds the edge of the fabric as you sew a seam, so it saves time. You still need a sewing machine for button holes and tricky sewing, but for straight lines and simple patterns the overlocker is quicker. I dreamed of sewing up shopping bags and cloths and wheat heat packs and maybe curtains, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
I found the manual for this overlocker, which happens to be a bit of a dodgy brand. I think it was made for Spotlight for a short time under “La Sarta”, but was also made for Kmart as “Homemaker”. Its pretty basic, and that would be fine, if I could get it to thread correctly. I have watched every youtube video I can find on threading an overlocker, and if nothing else, this $30 investment has taught me more about overlockers than I could have ever imagined I needed to know. There’s nothing like spending a couple of hours trying to thread a difficult one to make you appreciate the special auto threading mechanisms in the fancy ones.
The problem with overlockers seems to be the “lower looper”. Of the four threads, two feed into the belly of the machine and into “loopers” (upper and lower) and the other two into needles. The needles are similar to sewing machines. Easy, no problem with the needles. The loopers are tricky, the thread has to be fed through various tension points marked with coloured dots. The upper looper is easy to follow, but the lower looper thread has to wrap around the looper in a part of the machine that is dark and inaccessible. In the fancy machines there are levers and removable bits of panel to get into that space. On this machine there is not and I can’t see if it actually has a groove to hold the thread in place, but it seems like every overlocker instruction I can find requires the thread to sit in that groove.
And so I struggled and fiddled and I have just about given up. This is the last chance for the La Sarta, if someone out there can’t help me thread it, I will have to give it away (no point keeping something I can’t use). But I’m glad I’ve learnt what to look for and my next secondhand overlocker purchase will be far more informed!
Are you able to save the La Sarta? Have you ever bought something secondhand and later regretted it?
Oh my! I think i would be like you! that looks far too complicated. I too dream of whipping up handbags and the like, which i do occasionally on my sewing machine, but i dream of having the lovely neat edges that an over-locker brings, but sadly i don't think it would be a match made in heaven, but hell, as i can only just work my sewing machine!
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed someone lovely takes pity an helps you :)
I had no idea it would be this complicated!
DeleteHahaaaha! Sorry. I should be more sympathetic! I've had my overlocker for fifteen or twenty years. I can thread it easily enough these days but I have no clue on getting the tension right!! Last time I had a project that actually mattered (ie. Something I was making for someone else) I took it to our sewing shop and the lady there adjusted it, all the while tutting and shaking her head at how I'd treated it. No oil, dust everywhere.... Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda, glad I'm not the only one struggling! (and there are some good blogs around if you do decide to figure it out, but its sounds like you have a method that works for you!).
DeleteI havent heard of La Sarta brand but I can say that my Bernina overlocker was one of my best purchases ever. I find it tricky to change the threads so I try and use white thread on everything, but sometimes I cant avoid it and have to use black. Thats when I practically get heart palpitations thinking about changing the thread. Its not easy and I just try and follow the diagram on the machine until I get it working. I once went back to the sewing machine store to ask for help in threading the needles but had to pay $30 for a lesson. but even then I found that once I left the store all that knowledge went out the window - so after 6 years of owning my overlocker, I still cant rethread without referring to the diagram - and even so it takes time. All I can say is persevere - and if you cant thread it - ring up your local sewing machine centre and see if they can give you a lesson on your La Sarta - I would imagine that all overlockers work in the same way so even if they dont sell them, they should be able to help you rethread it.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea. I am a little embarrassed to take this cheapy to a proper dealer, but might be worth a try :)
DeleteI'm in an online sewing group and the general consensus seems to be: stay far away from that machine because the low price is not worth the hassle of threading it. I have a Janome and I'm pretty happy with it. (Especially the rolled hem on organza)
ReplyDeleteOK, good to know I'm not the only one thinking that!
DeleteThe way I change the thread colours on my overlocker, is simply to tie the new colour in with the old, then run the pedal until the new colour comes through. It normally snaps off at the needle, becaue the knot won't go through it, but that's how I've been threading my machine since I bought it new, pre-threaded.
ReplyDeleteI have had to rescue it a few times though, just not all of it, so I hope what advice I can give will be useful. I think part of the problem is the blue thread, and thank you for giving alternate colours to differentiate! I looked at my Janome overlocker to see if there were some similarities. Some of the parts look a little different, but it seems your blue thread needs some rethreading near the needle. Looking at my own overlocker, the thread has to follow the curve of that particular needle around it, before it goes through the eye. More like the yellow line follows on your diagram - it follows the entire length of the needle. My needle has a small groove the thread follows on the needle, before it goes through the eye. As your needle is hidden behind the top plate, I cannot see if you have the same grove. It should though.
So basically, that blue thread doesn't go straight from the spiral wire loop, up to the eye of the needle - it has to follow the curve of the needle first. You may have to unscrew some parts of the top plate to see the parts of the needle properly. The reason the thread needs to follow that groove in the needle though, before passing through the eye, is it allows the other thread (white) to create a loop, over it. If the blue thread goes straight up to the eye, without following the grove in the needle, the white thread cannot loop over the blue.
Or at least, I think that is the problem? Let me know how it goes.
Thanks Chris! Yes, that is what I suspected, but good to have in confirmed. I haven't been able to see if there is a groove, but you're right, I should just take it apart and see what it looks like, I don't have much to lose at this stage (and plenty to learn!).
DeleteI to can't for the life of me thread an overlocker. My husband does mine telling me it's easy just follow the colours. Well dear I did that and it didn't work!! At patchwork classes where I go she also does mending/alterations. She had one lady that used to drop the overlocker of just to be threaded. When she changes colours on the overlockers she knots the old and new colour together and chops off the ends. Then she gently pulls them through so it doesn't need to be rethreaded.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with it.
The diagram looks exactly the same as my Singer overlocker... Doesn't the plastic part surrounding the needle plate on the left come off? Mine does and that's how I'm able to thread through the coil and then through a hole going in to the groove at the back of the needle before it threads through the hole at the front of the needle... Does that make sense?!
ReplyDeleteThe six ladies in my house can thread these machines with their eyes shut (or so it seems)....pretty sure we have it covered without me learning.
ReplyDeleteIt looks a lot like my 24 year old Singer that I still have trouble threading. It is a fantastic work horse ! I still have trouble with those bottom threads as they need to be done in the right order but i can never remember what that is. I think the red one needs to be done before the yellow, if that doesnt work undo and do the yellow first. Once it is right you will be fine. Take notes because that is what I should do !
ReplyDeleteDon't know if this is of any assistance - http://ernie.awa.com.au/La-Sarta---Overlocker/default.aspx
ReplyDelete