I have a refurbished 11577 and a partial manual that came with it. Is it capable of doing a flat lockstitch? I watched a workshop that showed using this stitch to connect lace to other fabric. Am not sure my machine can do anything other than edges. Can't find much information on it as it is an older/simpler serger apparently.
I would appreciate any information. Thanks
I found this:
Flatlocking Facts:
. Flatlocking is a decorative stitch.
. Use the standard presser foot.
. Disengage the upper blade so the folded fabric will not be cut.
. Use the left needle for the widest flatlock stitch.
. Decorative thread usually goes in the upper looper.
. Stitching is done on the fold of the fabric.
. Wrong sides of the fabric are folded together in order for the loops to show on the right side.
. Right sides of the fabric are folded together in order for ladder stitches to show on the right
side.
. Flatlocking on a folded edge creates a decorative stitch through the middle of the fabric
piece.
Machine set up for Three-Thread Flatlocking:
Always check the serger manual for the settings for flatlocking.
. If the machine has two needles, remove the right needle.
Thread the left needle, the upper looper, and lower looper.
. Loosen the needle tension almost all the way. The needle
thread should pull to the underside of the fabric and form a
"V" (Figure 1). If the fabric is thick, loosen the needle
tension even more. If the stitching will not pull completely flat,
the needle tension is too tight.
. Tighten lower looper tension. The lower looper almost forms
a straight line on the edge of the folded fabric (Figure 1).
. The upper looper tension usually needs no adjustment unless
the fabric is thick. The tension may need to be loosened to
flatten the loop.
. At least half of the stitch width needs to hang over the edge of
the fabric (Figure 2). For thicker fabrics most of the stitch may
need to hang over the edge of the fabric.
. Pull the fabric flat. Do not try to press the stitches flat.
. Flatlocking will always appear flattest when the loops and the
ladder are the same width.
CT-MMB.198
Figure
Thanks so much for the information. In the workshop I watched, the sewer engaged a "subsidiary looper", which is a simple guide that pushes the thread into a position with each stitch to do the flatlock. My machine doesn't have that guide to engage, as far as I can tell. Hence, the question about whether this model can be used this way.
The machine was sold at premierapplications.com and I haven't succeeded in getting to the site. Been trying two days.
The Model 11577 can do a lockstitch. After some good directions from jsm1144, I decided to experiment doing the stitch and it worked perfectly even without the "subsidiary looper" I had seen during the workshop video.
Thanks, again, to jsm1144 for thorough directions.
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07/23/2012 12:33 PM
