Confessions of an Overlocker

Here it is: I admitted in my last post that I used the overlocker to help me whip up the double flounce skirt in just a few hours. At the same time I'm saying, "you don't need an overlocker".

Here's why I used it for the skirt

• * the fabric is a cotton voile which is semi-transparent. That means the seams are sort of visible through the fabric from the right side. The overlocker makes a nice neat finish for the raw edges.
• * I was in a hurry. The overlocker finishes the raw edge at the same time as it stitches the seam. That certainly speeds things up. For a light-weight garment like the skirt, the overlocker seam is strong enough on its own. For something heavier, like shorts, I would have used a machined seam as well as the overlocker seam.
• * I had two flounces to finish. That's a lot of curved raw edges. The overlocker has a rolled hem function which makes a narrow edge which I don't mind as the finished edge of the skirt. Again it was a quick solution.

There are solutions to all of those challenges using just the regular sewing machine. That is, there are solutions to all the challenges except time. I'd got it into my head that I wanted to wear that skirt yesterday. The overlocker made it possible.

Having said all that, the reason I bought the overlocker a few years ago, wasn't to finish ordinary garments more quickly. I bought it for stretch sewing, which is a different challenge altogether, and a story for another day.