How many layers can a serger serge through?

[mom22lilguys]

I have a Janome mylock 204D.

I want to sew some diapers with hemp soakers I like my diapers nice and thick DS is a heavy wetter at times and we go coverless a lot. Are there any problems going through say 4 or5 layers of hemp? Do you need special needles?

[pageta]

I have the same machine that you have (Janome 204D) and I've found that 3 layers of hemp fleece or french terry is about the limit (more of hemp jersey). However, I do make diapers with 6 layers of hemp using my serger. I make the soaker 3 layers and then sew it to one of the body layers using my conventional machine, then I serge together 3 body layers...and there we have 6 layers of hemp. If I want, I can make it 9 layers with an external soaker laid inside the diaper when I put it on. They drying time for the diaper is FOREVER, but that's okay with me. If you want quick-dry, you don't want more than 3 layers anyway. You can make your soaker external - either lay in, snap in, or sewn in on one end, and then you have better drying time without compromising absorbency. I just hate having to assemble diapers so I make mine with internal soakers and then practice patience when drying them. In fact, I've discovered that when I dry them in the dryer, if I put a large bath towel that's dry in with the wet diapers, it significantly speeds drying time. Usually I line dry them, though, so it doesn't matter.

[jmreinke]

I have the exact same serger and here is a trick the person at the sewing shop gave me for serging through thick layers. I use this when making diapers and it now serges like butter!

Get your hammer, yes hammer, and hammer all the areas that you will be serging through, (seams, thick areas, etc). It breaks down the fibers and makes it sooooo much easier to serge. I didn't believe her at first, but you can FEEL the difference.

Try it, it may help! My machine easily does 4+ layers of hemp, but if I don't hammer the fabric, it completely chokes.

HTH!

[~Megan~]

I can do 4 layers of hemp fleece but keep in mind it will dry really slow and won't wash as well as thinner layers.

[Jachut]

Being an inexperienced serger/diaper maker I confidently sat down and tried to serge through 3 layers of hemp fleece, only to break both needles, and chip the stitch plate. I've spent a fair bit of time in our local Melbourne Sewing Centre where the lovely ladies determined that not one of the machines in their shop could handle more than 3 layers and 2 was tops for about half of them.

They also told me to use heavy duty needles, keep the machine clean and oiled because hemp is really really linty.

I've been making a 2 layer internal soaker, stitching it to the body with the sewing machine, and then a snap in soaker of 2 outer layers with a small internal soaker inside that.

I'm going to try that hammer trick though, that's brilliant.

[pageta]

Hemp is a very tough fabric. My scissors doesn't like it when I cut it out, so I can only imagine what my serger actually thinks of it. It doesn't surprise me at all that half the sergers wouldn't do more than 2 layers.