A solution was found for the misbehaving overlocker

It was the pressure of the foot that was severely out of wack. It took 2 days, 1 bottle of wine and multiple readings of the manual to even find this would make the fabric gather while the tension was otherwise correct.

According to the manual the front edge of the screw thingy should be 1mm below the surface of the overlocker cover. On mine it was 1mm above and as I have no memory of doing that I'm a little baffled. Technically it's possible I did it while sleepwalking, but it's unlikely.

Anyway, after switching thread types; cleaning out any lint; rethreading from scratch many times; adjusting the differential feed; and much bad language and glasses of wine I had success.

I got the UFO skirt overlocked but the zip isn't in it yet - lets not rush these things ;) I also cut out the next purply skirt in the same fabric. (one on the right, it used to be pastel pink.


For the purple I'm using a Burda World of Fashion pattern - from the December 2004 issue. It's #148, and though it was drafted as an elastic waisted skirt, I definitely changed it to darted with a side zip.

glitches in the machinery

There's no finished skirt, as my overlocker is on the fritz. The shaped seam, side seams are done but I can't insert the zip until I overlock the edges. Yes I could zigzag, but I prefer not to these days.

I need to figure out what is wrong with it or burn it with fire.

Or get it serviced.

4 Big Sleeps and I get my sewing knee back

Hurrah, I've been counting down the weeks until I get my right knee back to normal use ... which means no more up/down steps one-at-a-time, and the return of actual stitching content.

Funnily enough, the first weekend will include delivery of a new-to-me vintage treadle sewing machine. It's going into the storage room - which has no electricity - and I'll be able to do some stitching down there in a beautifully restored machine. The treadle table is a different vintage to the machine head, a delicious Singer 201k.

Since Friday I've been counting Big Sleeps until I remove the knee support and can sit on a bus, cinema or theatre seat. -happy dance- I've got an appointment with a physio on Friday after work, if you hear screams of pain (or more likely maniacal laughter) from Sydney CBD it's likely to be me. There are a couple of owwie spots that may produce it.

It will have been 10 weeks, and I'll celebrate it being over by also joining the Pattern Review afternoon tea in Parramatta.