My first project! on my Babylock Triumph

Sorry about the length in between posts.  Who would have thought looking for dead people would be so much fun?!!  I'm taking two family history classes - one on research methodology and one on computers and genealogy.  It's like being a detective trying to find a dead person - I'm looking through censuses, online books, maps, and biographies to find my ancestors - or more about my ancestors, anyway.  It is fun!

Anyway, for my first project I made the baby blanket.  I make baby blankets and burp cloths for the soon-to-be mamas in our church congregation and close friends.  I have had some of these mamas come back to me a few years later and say this blanket is the child's favorite.   It's a very simple project - two squares of flannel sewn together, wrong sides together, with a wide 3 thread overlock of serger thread and wooly nylon.

 Instructions:
- Cut two pieces of flannel the same size.  I actually tear my fabric unless there is definite off grain printed design.  I prefer to work with 45" x 45" (but sometimes the flannel isn't that accommodating, so I cut (tear) it to the size of the flannel.
- Place wrong sides together, matching your sides as evenly possible.  IF, you need help keeping your sides together, I recommend placing pins about 2" in from the sides.
- Thread your serger for a wide 3 thread overlock.  I put regular serger thread in the needle and wooly nylon in the loopers.*
- Serge around the edges, trimming a scant bit off as you go.  I chose to round off the corners as I serged. (I should of marked the rounding of the corners.)  I did a simple serge on/serge off rather than a fancy or more complex tie off.

I was very happy with the results.  I didn't change the differential to accommodate the rounding of the corners which I thought I might have to do.  This blanket is 35" x 35".  I received a bunch of flannel from my mom's fabric stash and she had all sorts of sizes, thus the smaller size.

*One reason this project has taken a little while to do (other than my class schedule) is wooly nylon is a pain to thread through loopers on any other serger.  I was not looking forward to threading the serger even though I knew I had the RevolutionAir threading system at my disposal.  (Some experiences just traumatize you for life, don't they?)

To thread the wooly nylon through the loopers, I used the thread cradle technique.  It's super easy to do.  (Ask me how I know!  One of my wooly nylon thread spools must have had some cuts because I think I had to re-thread my lower looper 4-5 times before I figure out the thread had cuts in it, grrrr!)

Instructions for threading wooly nylon (or other unco-operative thread) through Babylock jet tubes.  (This will work on other sergers as well, just thread the loopers as you normally would with the thread cradle.)

Instructions for Thread Cradle Technique:

Cut a piece of serger thread about 30" and fold in half.  Match the cut ends and create a loop in the folded end.  DO NOT lick the ends if you have a Babylock with jet air loopers.  You don't want to gum up those portals.

Thread the upper portion of the machine with the wooly nylon, per usual - the length of the thread to the knee.  Place the wooly nylon through the loop end of the thread cradle.  Place the cut ends of the thread cradle in the looper port, per usual.  Push the button to air thread the looper.

You can almost see that the serger thread cradle has come through the eye of the lower looper.  Look real close.  

Pull the thread cradle GENTLY and the wooly nylon SHOULD come through the looper eye.  (I did have one instance where I pulled too fast and I almost lost the wooly nylon because it's so springy.)

See!  Isn't that simple?  I will say, it's not quite that easy without the jet air loopers, but it's not that difficult either if you're comfortable threading your loopers.

What was your first project with your serger?