I miss it already!

I took my overlocker in to be repaired this morning, and I'm already feeling the lack. The notes on the last repair were "needle guides out of alignment" apparently. Sounds relatively easy to fix, but apparently they are snowed under right now, so I could be waiting a while.

I'm finding myself quite lost without it. I've been sewing so much in the last 6 months that it's become quite a habit. I find that making something, creating something, is very soothing and relaxing, and really helps me get back into the right frame of mind when I'm having one of those days.

Of course, I still have my sewing machine, and from reading all the sewing blogs I read, very few people use their overlockers as extensively as I use mine. In fact, I don't think I've seen one mentioned on a tutorial/sewing blog at all! (For any US readers, I believe an overlocker is the same as a serger?) However, ever since my grandmother gave me her old industrial overlocker nearly 15 years ago, I've loved them. To be able to cut, sew and finish edges all in one go is just perfect, and really helps keep things neat and tidy.

Of course, you can technically sew without an overlocker. There is nothing an overlocker does that you cannot replicate in some way on a sewing machine. It's just the the overlocker does it so much more efficiently and more neatly than a sewing machine. The reverse however is not true. There are some things that can only be done on a sewing machine, like taking up hems, sewing on binding or lace, or quilting. So if I had to pick one or the other, I'd go for the sewing machine, but since I have both, I'm strangely loath to start a new project until my baby is home again.

Almost, but not quite. I've found that I can sew nappies quite easily on just the sewing machine (although the thought that I could do them more neatly if only my overlocker were here pops up now and then), and since my sister has asked me to make some for her new baby (she's going to try cloth, Yay!), and so I guess that will have to do for my sewing fix until the overlocker is back. The first trial nappy was totally the wrong shape for her baby though, so I'm going to have to keep experimenting till I find something that works.