For more than a couple of years now I have dithered about getting an overlocker. My previous thoughts were that they were far too much trouble and probably more than they were worth. Then a visit to the Stitching and Quilting Exhibition at Sandown a couple of years ago and a demonstration of the latest Babylock overlocker almost convinced me that it would be a good idea. Fortunately sanity was restored once the heady atmosphere of the exhibition had faded [that and the £1300 plus price tag] . In any event I was only just becoming reconciled to my sewing machine after my long  love affair with hand sewing and couture techniques, so getting another machine seemed a bit unnecessary.

However, after more than a year of RTW fasting and making and wearing all my clothes – [on my sewing machine for the most part] – I thought that perhaps now I could handle an overlocker.  I do still love finishing by hand, and will continue to do so where necessary, but some of these tasks an overlocker can accomplish in half the time and probably just as well if not better with some fabrics, [stretch fabrics for example].

So, after much YouTubing on how to thread and operate one, I was convinced I could manage one, but I was still not very ambitious and decided to get just a basic model that did differential feeding so that it could be used for gathering. I eventually  went for an ex demonstration model too, saving another £30 or so, I also got a box of polyester threads and a scissors set to boot. My thinking on this was that if I decide an overlocker is not for me [i.e. translated into I can’t hack it] then I haven’t lost a great amount and wouldn’t mind giving it away. But as it happens I am quite happy with my new toy – and hope that I will be able to use it successfully, I have quite a few projects lined up and I just love the way it cuts the edges so neatly – no more scissors on zig zag stitching for me. Here is my new toy; a Cooperlock differential feed overlocker.