flatlock piecing Archives

Make a Serger Charm Table Runner

Posted on November 12, 2021November 12, 2021 by jghuiz

Serger Charm Table Runner

I finally completed the official pattern for my Serger Charm Table Runner design. It’s hard to believe that six years have passed since I first taught this design in a serger class. It’s time to get charmed by a serger!

My serger charm table runner quilt is made from charm squares that are pieced together with a serger flatlock stitch. It even has overlock embellished binding. I included all three layouts and applique shapes in the pattern: Winter Skies, Hearts a Flutter and Falling Leaves. And of course, the step by step instructions have lots of diagrams and photographs. Keep reading to learn all about the table runners I made as samples for my pattern.

The Flatlock Stitch and Piecing a Quilt

There are many different ways to use a flatlock stitch. Most involve serging with part of the loops hanging off the edge of the fabric. You need a steady hand (or a special presser foot) and a little practice to get it just right. But with flatlock piecing you don’t need a special foot. Your standard presser foot will work just fine. You guide the raw edges of your fabric next to your blade, and just trim off the stray threads. So the entire stitch lays on the fabric with no overhanging loops.

Flatlock piecing is a great introduction to using a flatlock stitch. For more information visit my tutorial, Master the Three Thread Flatlock Stitch for Quilt Piecing at https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/master-the-three-thread-flatlock-stitch-for-quilt-piecing/

Fabric Charm Squares

Charm squares are 5” squares that are cut from a collection of cotton quilting fabric and sold in packages. There are typically 40-42 squares per pack, but the number can vary. I used one package of charm squares for each of my table runners.

Winter Skies – I used a Northcott Toscana Evening Shadow Chip Pack
Hearts a Flutter – I used a Moda French General Favorites Charm Pack
Falling Leaves – I used a Moda Hello Fall by Sandy Gervais Charm Pack

Both the background squares and the applique squares in my table runners came from the charm packs. The Northcott Toscana charm pack had 5 colors in it with multiples of each fabric. The Moda Hello Fall charm pack had very few repeats. The Moda French General Favorites charm pack had some repeats. You can always add in some applique fabric from your stash if the charm pack doesn’t have the solids or blenders you need for the appliques. I was lucky because the charm packs I chose had just the right amount of blenders for appliques. Or you could always cut your own collection of 5” squares for this table runner.

Quilt Top

The table runners were pieced together using flatlock stitch. I love the look of the flatlock stitches in decorative quilts where the thread can be a focal point. And I love the way it looks with variegated thread. It really adds interest to a quilt. I’ve used both 30 wt and 40 wt variegated cotton threads by Sulky and YLI. The squares with the flatlocked seams look great as a background for applique.

Applique

I had fun designing the applique shapes for this pattern. Real tree leaves were the inspiration for my Falling Leaves table runner. It’s amazing what you can do with real leaves and a copy machine! I learned how to make my own six sided paper snowflakes and picked my favorites to add to my Winter Skies table runner. For the Hearts a Flutter table runner I cut out several different paper hearts from folded paper and tested them on the runner before choosing my favorite.

I used the raw edge applique technique to apply my shapes using a sewing machine. But other forms of applique would also work. If you have a serger with a large throat space you could applique with the chain stitch. You could even machine embroider some of your favorite applique designs on your table runner.

Batting

Choose your favorite. I’ve made mine with thin fusible fleece, cotton quilt batting, and flannel. I like them all, but each is a little different. Flannel is the thinnest. Fusible fleece was a little more “stiff” and cotton quilt batting was the fluffiest. I think the fusible fleece fused to the back side of the quilt top fabric helps to hold the fabric and flatlock stitches in place, but I’ve had good success with all of these battings.

Quilting

You can quilt this table runner with as little or as much quilting as you like, based on your selected batting. Some battings require quilting stitches every 3-4” or some like flannel can be quilted 8-10” apart. My table runners are decorations and are spot cleaned as needed (rarely), so quilting distances are not that important. I did minimal quilting on my table runners so that my variegated thread and flatlock stitches would stand out and be a focal point of the quilts. I quilted my table runners using both a sewing machine and a hand sewing needle.

Binding

Although any method of binding would work for this table runner, I chose to embellish my binding with a three thread overlock stitch. The serger stitches on the binding really help tie together the quilt with the flatlock stitching around the squares. I attached and top stitched the binding to these table runners using a sewing machine, but a serger using a 4 thread overlock and/or a chain stitch would work as well.

Other Ways to Use a Serger for this Project

You can serge a table runner just like mine using the instructions in the pattern. A standard serger capable of a three thread flatlock stitch and a sewing machine are all you need.

Would you like to get more creative with your serger? Here are a few additional ways to use your serger that are not included in the pattern:

Use a rolled hem on the binding instead of an overlock
Attach the binding with a four thread overlock stitch or a chain stitch
Use a chain stitch to top stitch the binding
Stitch your applique using a chain stitch

For tips about quilting with a chain stitch, see my blog post “How to Serge a Quilt with a Chain Stitch” at https://overtheedge.blog/how-to-serge-a-quilt-with-a-chain-stitch/ and my tutorial “Tips for Serging with a Chain Stitch” at https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/tips-for-serging-with-a-chain-stitch/.

Get Charmed by a Serger Today!

If you’d like to try making the Serger Charm Table Runner be sure to visit my etsy shop and get your own copy of my pattern. Use the coupon code SERGERCHARMNOV2021, which will give you a 20% discount on this pattern through November 30, 2021. Click on this link to take you directly to the pattern section of my shop. https://www.etsy.com/shop/studiojsewing?coupon=SERGERCHARMNOV2021

I hope you enjoyed learning about the making of my serger charm table runners.

Resources

Tutorial – Master the Three Thread Flatlock Stitch for Quilt Piecing https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/master-the-three-thread-flatlock-stitch-for-quilt-piecing/

Serger Charm Table Runner Patterns https://www.etsy.com/shop/studiojsewing

Flatlock Piecing With a Serger

Posted on March 24, 2020October 21, 2020 by jghuiz

It’s still March and National Quilting Month, so here I am highlighting another way to use a serger to quilt. Flatlock piecing with a serger is a great way to add an artistic flair to your quilts. With a serger flatlock stitch, you are embellishing your quilt with decorative thread as you piece it together. The photos in this post are of my Four Square Table Runner that I made in 2014. This table runner is one of my favorite serger quilts I have made!

My Four Square Table Runner

My table runner is a great example of how easy it is to modify a traditional quilt pattern for serger construction.

Fabric, Pattern and Thread

I used a package of forty 5” squares called Tonga Treats by Timeless Treasures. The “Four Square Table Runner” pattern came free in the package. I don’t know if this fabric is still available, but you can do this technique with any fabric or quilt pattern.

I used a variegated purple YLI machine quilting thread in the needle and Maxilock serger thread in the loopers.

Serging

I followed most of the pattern instructions to make the quilt top, except for using a sewing machine. Instead, I pieced the quilt together with my serger using a three thread flatlock stitch with a length of 2. I serged the pieces right sides together, so the “ladder” side showed after pulling the flatlock stitches open.

I added a border, which I also attached with the flatlock stitch. Instead of a traditional quilt sandwich, I used a flannel fabric as batting. and attached the backing using the pillowcase or “birthing” method (without binding). I serged the layers together leaving an opening for turning right sides out. After turning and pressing, I hand stitched the opening closed and hand tacked the layers together invisibly at the corners of the blocks. I wanted the decorative thread and the flatlock stitching to be the center of attention.

What is a Serger Flatlock Stitch?

A flatlock stitch can be used to seam two fabrics together and to add detail to a seam line. It has unbalanced tensions that allow you to pull open the seam so it lays flat. Typically the needle thread tension is very loose and the lower looper tension is tight. The flatlock stitch is also reversible. It forms a “loop” stitch on one side of the fabric and a “ladder” stitch on the other side of the fabric. If you serge a seam with the fabrics right sides together, you will end up with a ladder stitch on the right side. The “ladder” you see is the needle thread. If you serge a seam with the fabric wrong sides together you will end up with a “loop” stitch on the right side. The “loop” you see is the looper thread. The example below show the ladder and the loop sides of two maple leaf quilt blocks that I made when I was practicing flatlocking.

What is Serger Flatlock Piecing?

When you sew your pieces together to form a quilt block, it is referred to as “piecing”. When you piece with a sewing machine the stitches made by a sewing machine are hidden within the seam. Flatlock piecing with a serger is piecing your quilt blocks together with a flatlock stitch. The stitch used in flatlock seams is very visible in the finished quilt. You can use the standard serger presser foot for this technique.

Video – Flatlock Piecing With a Serger

For all you visual learners out there I created this short video of the flatlock stitch in action. https://overtheedge.blog/videos/flatlock-piecing-with-a-serger/

How to Easily Remove a Three Thread Flatlock Seam

Tips for Flatlock Piecing With a Serger

Follow the instructions in your manual for setting your serger up for a flatlock stitch. There are different types of flatlock stitches (2 or 3 thread, wide or narrow). I typically use a three thread flatlock for piecing quilts.
For piecing a quilt with a flatlock stitch, I keep the blade engaged and run the raw edge of my fabric along the blade. I don’t really cut anything off, I just trim stray threads.
Always test your serger set-up on a scrap of fabric and adjust as needed, before you begin serging your actual project. The actual tension settings and stitch length needed will vary with different threads and fabrics.
Leave a few inches of thread tail at the end of each seam. By leaving long tails you will prevent your seams from unraveling until you have a chance to secure them.
Press your flatlock seams flat before pulling them open. I feel it helps the fabric within the seam fold properly during the opening process. After pulling the seams open, I press them again.
Your finished blocks may be a little larger than they would be using a sewing machine. The process of opening of the seam allowance changes the size of the seam allowance slightly.
I use the three thread flatlock stitch in smaller projects like table runners and wall hangings. Flatlock stitches are more exposed and tend to snag more easily, so I don’t typically use this stitch for quilts that will get a lot of wear.
Set your iron temperature appropriately for the thread you use in your flatlock stitch, or use a press cloth. Since the thread sits on the surface of your fabric it has more exposure to the heat of the iron. It is possible to melt the thread in your serger stitches – I know from personal experience!

Are you Inspired?

I hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to try flatlock piecing with a serger.