When Perseverance Pays...or Adventures With A Dinosaur Serger

My ancient Pfaff Hobbylock 788 serger...or a photo of one just mine. I bought it in about 1991. Yes, it's old. What's more it was always an incredible hassle to thread the loopers, and thus, it never saw much use.

My newly rediscovered love of making clothes made me realize how much easier some projects would be if I could use my serger. In all honesty, I hanker (lust) for a Babylock Imagine with easy, breezy air threading and auto-tensioning...but alas the state of my personal exchequer does not allow for such a purchase.

Today I was determined to figure out how to be able use the old Pfaff for a current project. After all...how hard could it be to get a simple machine in working order? Right?!

I started at 10:00. I wanted to be able to thread this darn machine and, as importantly, I also wanted to understand how this machine works. All went well until I decided that I had to get the hang of changing the threads...I generally just tie threads off and gently pull through the machine so that I can avoid the dastardly chore of threading this machine. Feeling as if I "had this", I blithely cut the threads and began at the beginning. Threading the needles -right or left- is the easy part. Next, I very carefully, and very slowly began rethreading the loopers. Again ....and.....again....and....again. I finally figured out that it was an issue with left left looper that was giving me fits. There was something in the diagram that just did not feel right, but I could not figure out what it was. I just kept making the same darn mistake; each time hoping for a better outcome.....I know....that in itself is not an indication of a sound mind!!

About 2:30pm I thought to look online. I was not very hopeful that I would find anything because it is such an old serger, but, lo and behold a very good, very nice person had a "YouTube" video showing exactly what I needed to see and within 5 minutes I saw where my mistake was (yep...with the left looper) and by 3:00 I had the machine humming and the blasted tension adjusted right! Eureka.

By the time I had the machine humming along I really needed a break. Tomorrow though I think I can finally just serge away. I did learn a lot today, I now understand the mechanics of this old machine better and I left behind a bit of my fear about threading it.

Hopefully, in the future I will be able to get the serger I want, but in the meantime I am happy to know that I will, at least, be able to have the use of a serger when I need it. A serger is definitely a great tool and investment when you make clothes...now I can give sewing knits more of a try too!

Perseverance paid off today. I just kept thinking "this is just a simple machine, I can do this!". Although it took much longer than I thought it would...mission accomplished! Phew!

 

Comments

  1. I applaud your tenacity - that is excellent news indeed!! Nothing like having a *new* old tool suddenly at ones disposal. So happy for you that you stuck with it!

    I've found The Most amazing vids on YouTube. I'm trying to learn how to knit so I always go there now when I'm presented with something on a pattern I've never heard of or don't know how to do. I ALWAYS find just what I'm looking for!

    Have fun with your serger ;>))

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  2. Finally figuring things out is a very good feeling especially for those of us mechanically and horizontally challenged! I applaud your "stick to it ness "!!

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  3. I have a serger sitting here and can't get the nerve (or time) to give it a try...yet. I will use it though!

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