HOW TO SEW - OVERCASTING STITCH

Have you ever wondered if it was possible to achieve a clean, finished edge on the seam allowances of your sewing projects, without a serger?

Good news!!! You don’t need a serger to finish your seam allowances. There are many techniques that can be used to give them a clean look and prevent the fabric from fraying.

Using pinking shears is a quick option. These specialty scissors have serrated blades that create notches along the edge of the fabric, helping to slow the fraying. However, this method doesn’t completely eliminate the possibility of those pesky threads unraveling.

There are other ways to prevent fraying, like turning under the seam allowance and stitching it down. You can also use bias tape to create a hong-kong finish. Sewing a flat fell seam is a common technique that yields great results. All of these methods create the best seam finishes, preventing fraying and providing a beautiful look on the inside of the garment.

However, if you prefer a quicker method, the overcasting stitch works very well.

The Baby Lock Soprano has 9 Built-in Overcasting Stitches, three for woven fabrics of different thicknesses, and six for knit fabrics.

The Instruction and Reference Guide comes with a Stitch Setting Chart which provides all the information you need to choose the appropriate overcasting stitch and presser foot for your fabric.

When sewing with a woven fabric, the suggested presser foot is the Overcasting Foot “G”, while knit fabric uses the Zig Zag Foot “J”.

The Reference Guide and Operations Panel, together, eliminate all of the guess work. You simply choose the appropriate stitch from the Stitch Setting Chart, based on the fabric you’re using. Enter the coordinating stitch number on the Operations Panel, and insert the appropriate presser foot. Then you’re ready to create seam finishes that you’ll be proud to show off.

If you’d like to see all of this in action, I’ve posted a YouTube video on my channel, showing you how to sew overcasting stitches on three types of fabric. Click the photo below and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

DISCLAIMER: This is a SPONSORED post! I was given the Baby Lock Soprano sewing machine as part of my partnership with Baby Lock. All opinions in this post are my own.)