The Overlocker Edition
- Rosie Jones
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
Welcome to Sew & Tell, our new weekly edit landing every Wednesday. Inside you’ll find sewing tips, clever tricks, inspiration for when your sewjo is hiding, and plenty of answers to your burning questions.
Each week, we’ll spotlight one question from our community - so if there’s something you’ve been wondering about your sewing projects, just get in touch and let us know. Everything we share is designed to help you sew with more confidence.
This week we are diving into overlockers and trust me there's a lot to share!
✂️ Tip of the Week: Thread your overlocker in 4 different colours
Overlockers use four threads, which can make it tricky to understand how the stitch works or which thread to adjust if tension isn’t quite right. By threading each part of your machine in a different colour (matching the coloured threading guide on your machine), you can:
Clearly see which thread does what in the stitch.
Easily identify which thread to adjust if the stitch isn’t balanced.
Leave your coloured threads on your machine and just change the left-hand needle when needed, saving time on rethreading.
Bonus: You’ll end up with colourful seams on the inside of your garments. The left-hand needle is usually the only thread visible from the right side, so your sewing looks neat and professional on the outside.
🧵 This Week’s Make Inspiration: Transitional Knits for Layering
With the UK weather still being completely unpredictable, I’m finding myself reaching for cardigans, pullovers, and layering pieces that are easy to put on and take off. These transitional garments are perfect for chilly mornings through to warmer afternoons, and the great news is that many of them are quick to sew on your overlocker, giving professional finishes in no time.
Patterns we love:
Tilly and the Buttons – Pearl: A wrap-around cardigan which is easy to layer
True Bias – Zoey Knit Tank & Dress: Ideal for layering under cardigans or jackets - as seen in 2nd image
Named Clothing – Talvikki Sweater: A versatile pullover for everyday wear - as seen in first image
Friday Pattern Company – Pogonip Pullover: have you seen our colour block sewing kit version?
Tilly and the Buttons – Drew Sweatshirt: A relaxed sweatshirt that layers beautifully.
🧵 On the Cutting Table: Quick Win Sewing Project
We’re still obsessed with the Closet Core – Core T-shirt, a free pattern you can download. It’s a simple, super quick t-shirt to make on your overlocker, and it’s one you’ll reach for again and again.
We love it so much that it’s the project we use in our Beginners: Learn to Use an Overlocker workshop (coming up on July 11th).
This pattern is also a great chance to elevate a basic t-shirt by choosing a fabric you might not usually use. Stretch velvet or velour works beautifully – our teal velvet version always gets compliments and makes a quick, throw-on outfit feel a bit more special and pulled together.
🛠 Machines We Love: Overlockers
Did you know we also sell sewing machines and overlockers? We’re a Janome stockist, so we can supply any machine from the Janome range. If you’d like to see an overlocker in action or take one for a test drive, just pop us an email and we’ll happily arrange a demo.
Janome 9300DX – A great entry-level overlocker that’s simple to use and very reliable. It gives you all the core features you need, including 3- and 4-thread stitches, differential feed and easy rolled hem conversion, making it a solid choice if you’re just getting started with an overlocker.
Janome ML454D – Our studio favourite and a fantastic all-rounder. It has a sturdy build, smooth fabric feeding and very consistent stitches, which is why it’s the machine we rely on day-to-day for classes and sewing in the studio.
Janome 654D – A more robust machine designed for regular use. It has a strong motor, smooth running and excellent stitch quality, making it ideal if you sew frequently and want an overlocker that feels solid and dependable.
⭐ Rosies Top Pick⭐
Janome AirThread 2000D – If you’ve got a bit more to spend, this is the machine you won’t regret buying. The air-threading system threads the loopers at the push of a lever, removing the most fiddly part of using an overlocker and making it especially helpful for anyone who struggles with dexterity in their hands.
⭐ Student Spotlight
This week we are celebrating Debbie and her colour-blocked pullover, the perfect piece for this transitional weather.
Debbie finished sewing up her Pogonip Pullover, which she started in our Welt Pocket Pullover Workshop, and we just had to share it. She made it using our Pogonip Pullover Sewing Kit (we've still got a few left!), combining two beautiful shades of blue that work so well together.
Her welt pockets are spot on too, which is no small achievement as they’re often the part people find most daunting. The colour blocking really shows them off and gives the whole garment a really polished look.
It’s such a great example of how thoughtful fabric choices can elevate a simple pullover, and this one suits Debbie brilliantly. I have a feeling this will be one of those pieces she reaches for again and again.
FAQ: I have an overlocker but I don't know what the differential feed is or how to use it?
The differential feed controls how your overlocker feeds fabric through the machine.
On a standard sewing machine, there’s one set of feed dogs that move the fabric at a fixed speed. Overlockers have two sets of feed dogs, and the differential feed lets you change the speed of the front set relative to the back.
Higher numbers (e.g., 1.5–2.0): The front feed dogs move faster than the rear feed dogs, which pushes more fabric through at the front. This is how you can sew gathers!
Lower numbers (e.g., 0.7–0.9): The front feed dogs move slower than the rear feed dogs, which lets the back feed dogs pull the fabric through faster.
We love teaching our students how to use the overlocker and have the perfect workshop for this should you want to get confident using your machine or if you want to have a go before deciding whether you need one in your sewing kit!
❓ Got a sewing question you’d love us to answer? Share it with us - it might inspire next week’s email!
That’s it for this week’s Sew & Tell! I hope you’ve found a little inspiration, a handy tip, or a spark to get back into your sewing projects.
Until next Wednesday, happy sewing!
Rosie xxx
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