Elevate your garment with a touch of creativity using your Baby Lock serger! Create beautiful serger-laced trim and add a pop of color and texture with vibrant variegated thread. It's a simple way to make your projects uniquely yours!
Click HERE to download printable instructions with additional photos.
You can substitute 12-weight Madeira Rayon or Polyester Embroidery Thread if you wish to have a slightly more substantial lace. Variegated threads give an interesting effect and you can mix the colors of the threads to achieve a variegated look as was done in the sample above.
Supplies:
- Baby Lock Overlock Serger
- Madeira Serger Threads to coordinate with your fabric
- Readymade sweater or your favorite pattern with turtleneck or short cowl or cardigan in lightweight knit
- Double eye or blunt needle
- Recommended: Baby Lock Clear Serger Foot
Instructions:
1. If constructing your own top complete these steps prior to attaching the collar or cuff for ease in manipulating the fabric in the Serger. If constructing your own garment, it is not recommended to sew the two layers of the collar together as you would normally. Instead, baste them wrong sides together to prevent shifting.
2. Thread your Serger for the standard 4 thread Overlock following the thread path for your Serger. Set the Differential at N. Stitch length at 3.0 and width to widest 7.5. The knife will be up for the first round and then lowered for all subsequent rounds. Slow your machine down so that you can more easily control where your stitches are landing.
3. Attach the clear foot for ease in controlling the intended stitching path.
4. With the knife locked, serge around the fabric edge trimming only a slight bit of fabric for the first round. However, if using a purchased garment, check to see if there is a heavy seam at the edge. If so, trim off the seam completely with the first pass of stitches to remove the bulk at the edge.
DO NOT CUT THE THREADS AT THE AND OF ANY ROUNDS OF STITCHES UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED ALL ROUNDS.
5. At the beginning of the second round lower the knife. Angle the fabric so that on the next round of stitches the left needle is between the two rows of needle stitches of the previous round and continue around to complete the row. The stitches will fall slightly off the fabric.
6. For the third round: Angle the stitches so that the left needle falls between the two rows of needle stitches from the previous round. This row will barely catch fabric or may not at all.
7. The subsequent row of stitches will be stitched on top of the thread only of the previous row. Watch that each row of stitches is stitching over a portion of the previous needle stitches and control the stitching so that previous rows of stitches are not bunched together. This will ensure that you do not have any gaps in your lace while having evenly placed stitches.
8. To finish off the lace, stitch off the Serger and leave about a four-inch thread tail. DO NOT USE THE THREAD CUTTER ON THE MACHINE! Use scissors to cut the threads. Using the thread cutter will pull your threads out of shape since there isn't fabric to stabilize the stitches. Using either a blunt needle or a double eye needle, weave the tail through stitches on the underside and through the first row of stitch to secure.
9. How do you handle a gap that occurred in the lace? If you are at the end of a row that contains a gap where the stitches do not connect to the previous row continue to stitch around again over that same row. When you come to the gap, stop, lift your presser foot, and adjust the stitches so that you will connect them as you continue. If you have found a gap after several rows or having finished the lace, then using a needle and matching thread “sew” the loops together following the path the stitches should have taken and knot both the beginning and end of the repair threads on the underside of the lace. Trim the knot ends carefully and your repair will not be noticeable.
10. Continue this pattern of repeats until your lace is the width you desire. My personal preference is to stitch a second row over the last row to reinforce the edge and give it more definition. This is particularly effective with regular Serger thread.
11. By utilizing the differential settings, you can add a natural ruffle to the lace. To increase the ruffle effect, lower the differential one setting after the second row is stitched and lower the differential again after another row. Ruffling the edge will maintain the stretch of the fabric. To create a flat lace set the differential at 1.3. Keep in mind that the flat lace will stretch very little at the edge of the fabric and would not be suitable for a turtleneck where stretch is required.
12. You can be even more creative by adding other stitches on top of the fabric edge of the lace. Experiment with different weights of thread and other stitches. The picture above has the Bead Stitch added to the base of the lace using Madeira Decora, which is 6 weight, sewn over the base stitches and stitched from the wrong side of the fabric. The Applaud Creative Cover Stitch machine would also be a great option for adding decorative stitches to the base of your lace.
