It will not do an overlock it will cut the fabric nothing else I followed the directions on how to thread it but the only thing it will do is cut the fabric what am i doing wrong

An overlocker, also known as a serger, is a sewing machine that is used to finish the edges of fabric and create professional-looking seams. It works by using multiple threads to simultaneously sew and overcast the edges of the fabric to prevent fraying.
To use an overlocker, you will need to:

1. Thread the machine according to the manual or the diagram provided on the machine.
2. Set the machine to the desired stitch and adjust the tension of the threads as needed.
3. Place the fabric under the presser foot and guide it through the machine as it sews.

If you are experiencing any issues with your Empisal Companion 300 overlocker, there are a few things you can try:

1. Make sure that the machine is threaded correctly.
2. Check the tension of the threads and adjust as needed.
3. Make sure that the needle is inserted properly and tightened to the correct tension.
4. Clean the machine and check for any debris or lint that may be causing problems.

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any specific questions or issues with your overlocker, don't hesitate to ask.

Hello Jenny hornsey

This may sound traumatic, but there is no easy way to pin point where the tie-up is located. So proceed as follows.
Cut all the threads as they come off the antennas.

Open the front cover and pull-out all the threads by pulling them straight toward the back. If they do not come easily, try moving the hand wheel back and forth by a 1/4 revolution .. this is like a rocking motion. If still not budging, start cutting back the threads and removing them in sections until all the threads are cleared. If this step is still challenging; check that there is no residual fabric or threads still wrapped around the loopers or other part/s of the serger. If so cut them out bit by bit until everything below is cleared.

Great. Now check for threads wrapped and/or jammed anywhere above.

Since the overlocker jammed, it is possible that the needles were bent. This will continue to cause issues in stitch formation. So just to make sure; change the needle/s. Make sure that the correct needle type is being used. Every overlocker is engineered to be used with a specific needle type. The needle type will be specified in the manual and will also appear on the needle package. If the needle types are not the same, do not use those needles.

Re-thread the overlocker and stitch test on a piece of fabric before pressing down on the foot control.

This should get the overlocker back on track and you back to overlocking.

Please let me know how this works out for you.

Happy overlocking
Sewingirl/

It is difficult to tell what exactly is happening with your serger.

First thing--make sure you RAISE the presser foot BEFORE you thread any of the threads. This releases the tension disks so the threads will seat properly. You may need to remove all the threads and rethread from the beginning, making sure you thread each in the proper order. Start out with the thread tensions set at the ideal setting--usually the halfway point between the high & low numbers. From there, you will adjust them to even up the thread tensions.

Are you actually trimming off some of the fabric as it is stitching? If so, you might try increasing the cutting width (moves the cutting edge further toward the right) so that there is more fabric caught within the looper threads. It also appears that the looper tensions may be too loose. Try tightening the upper and lower looper tensions so less of the thread loops don't fall off the fabric's raw edge.

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Your owner's manual should have instructions for rolled hem settings. My Bernina manual has a the following settings:
Medium weight fabric
80/12 Universal needle
3 cones serger thread
Upper looper 3-5
Lower looper 7-9
Left needle (no thread)
Right needle 3-5
Stitch length 1-1.5
Cutting width 2-3
Differential feed N

Can use woolly thread in the upper looper, but the tension may need to be loosened since the woolly nylon thread will stretch.


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this sounds like an overlocker/serger machine you are using? if the fabric is catching on the overlocking tongue it could be a number of factors, have you lifted the top cutting blade out of the way and forgot to put it back into place? That would be my first thought, the top and bottom blade move against each other cutting the fabric. Rolled hemming usually requires the blade to be set on about 2, or middle of its setting range, the stitch finger is pulled back out of the stitching area, top looper thread is loosened off and bottom looper thread is tightened up, resulting in the top looper thread wrapping around the edge of the fabric and pulling the cut edge down under within the seam, forming the rolled hem.

For knits with lycra in, you are best to thread up four threads and seam with the 4 thread marrowing stitch like this, preferabbly with ball point needles in your overlocker, size 80. Use cones of polyester thread, 3,000 metres or 5,000 metres rather than normal thread. (Although if you have trouble matching thread colours you can use a small reel on the left needle as this is the thread that will show on the right side of the garment.)




Start with your machine tensions on 5, both needles in and threaded, stitch length of 2.5 and no differential (set it on zero) and test stitch. Using stretch or ballpoint needles is a good idea too to avoid any deflection and skipped stitches. Then practice serging on some fabric scraps, double layer and look at the seam, if it is tunnelling (pulling up the fabric), then move the cutting blade to the left. Test again and if still tunnelling, then loosen off the tension on the top and bottom loopers by a half number and test again.

If the opposite is happening and the threads are looping off the edge of the fabric, then move the cutting blade to the right to trim less fabric, test again. If still too loose, then tighten up the top and bottom looper tensions by a small amount and test again.

You want the seam to lie flat, the two looper threads to meet right on the cut edge and the needle thread to be just visible from the right side when you press open the seam.

There is always a small amount of adjustments needed on an overlocker when setting up for a new project as every fabric will behave differently. Don't tighten up the tension on the needles much past 5 though, or you may get thread breakage.

If you find that the seam is flutting then you can use the differential feed to adjust for this too.

There is some good overlocking info on Debbie Cosgroves website, www.sewing.about.com, with images which may help too.

Are you wanting to use the serger to sew a hand knitted sweater together? or do you mean a sweat shirt knit or other knit fabric. If it is the first option, I'd say don't bother, as you can't do it with the blades working because it will cut your knitting and the wool will unravel in the seams.

If it is the second option then I would start with the following settings.

Four thread stitch, so both needles and the upper and lower loopers threaded. Set tension on all four dials to 5, stitch length to between 2 and 3, and differential on zero. Move the cutting blade over to the right for a wider seam. Now test stitch on some fabric scraps double layer and see what the seam is looking like.

Now you want to adjust a couple of things: firstly width of the seam. Is it the size you want? If you'd like it a little narrower, then adjust the cutting blade back a little to the left to narrow the seam slightly - just depends on the fabric weight. For example if it is a loose open weave like boucle you would want a wide seam to make sure it holds the fibres fully.

Now you can adjust the upper and lower loopers to get the thread wrapping around the edge looking nice. Look at the seam and the fabric inside it. Is it tunnelling and pulling up the fabric? if so, release tension on both loopers a half number to put more thread into the seam. Test stitch again and see if the loopers are meeting nicely on the cut edge of the fabric. Upper and lower looper threads should be meeting right on the cut edge so if this isn't happening and one showing on the other side, then tighten the looser one by half a number and test again.

If the threads are hanging off the edge then you have the choice of moving the blade to the right to cut less fabric off, or tightening up the looper tensions to pull in the thread.

That's it, hope this helps you to master your serger.

If you'd like some images and further explanations of other stitching you can do with your overlocker, then Debbie Coswell has some great information on line at www.sewing.about.com, just search "overlocker" to find the specific pages.


Good luck

Rolled hemming on any overlocker is usually achived the following way. Right hand needle only.
Blade over to the right usually to cut wider than normal but you can vary this to suit the fabric and stitch width you want.
Thread in this needle and the upper and lower loopers. If you can source any, use woolly overlock thread in the upper looper, this fluffs out when not tensioned and covers the fabric to give the look of solid stitching. Change upper looper tension to about 2 and lower looper tension to about 6 or 7.

The lever by the plate is usually to control the little stitch finger where the stitches are formed, move it backwards and it should move back towards you?? If this happens, then you want it in the retracted (towards you) position for rolled hemming so the stitching is much smaller and the fabric can roll. Normally this stitch finger holds the fabric firm for the loopers to form the stitch over for your normal 3 or 4 thread overlock.

Now test stitch and see how it looks. Tighten the lower looper thread so it lays right beside the needle on the underside. You may need to then tighten or loosen more the upper looper, you want the upper thread to wrap all the way around to the underneath against the lower looper thread and needle.

The cut edge of fabric should roll to underneath inside your seam. Once you've got this happening, turn the stitch length down to 0.5 or so to close it right up tight. This uses heaps of thread so I usually test everything else, then close it up at the end to minimise waste.

Hope this makes sense, good luck.

You can not do a rolled hem on heavier material. It is only for thin cloth. You have to do a 3 thread narrow edge on heavier cloth.

no, you need the blade in place and cutting to give an even cut fabric edge. Set up for a three thread using the right hand needle, take out the left hand needle. move blade over to the right so it is cutting wide. Most overlockers there is also a thread finger you need to change on the foot, or a little lever you flick to move this finger forward into the stitching area. Check this on your manual as each make is a bit different.
If you can source it, put wooly nylon thread into the upper looper (knot it onto existing thread and just chain it through, the knot should go through the looper eye fine). Now turn the tension on top looper down so it is looser and tighten up tension on bottom looper, so needle 5, top looper 2 and bottom looper about 7.

Now test serge, the fabric cut edge should be wider than the overlocking seam so the fabric rolls under inside the stitching. Adjust the two looper threads so that this is happening, you want the bottom looper thread to nest right up against the needle stitch and the top looper thread to wrap all the way around too.

Once you've got this happening, turn the stitch length down to 0.5, to close the stitching right up. On some fabrics you'll need to adjust the differential feed too if the fabric is "waving" a bit.

Uneven stitches or sometimes loose when serging could indicate that one of the tension devices is faulting, so if this machine is not new and its doing this, it could need a service. Can you get a regular smooth three or 4 thread seam out if it???

It is always good to just recheck the threading path, make sure the thread aerial is up and that a thread hasn't got caught back on the thread stand somewhere if you're getting something wonky happening, threads stream off overlocker cones through the machine so anything wrong in the thread path will throw off the stitching.