Book Reviews Japanese Sewing Books Kids Sewing Patterns

Book Review – Children’s Clothing with a Lock Machine

August 11, 2012


So I finally bought my serger, so the first thing I needed was a book that would teach me how to sew with one. I wanted to get this book but it was out of stock in the bookshop.

So I bought the next best thing! A book on sewing with the ロックミシン – literally Lock Machine. It’s by Kurai Muki, and it covers making kids clothes using a serger.

Some of the clothes covered in this book. From Tops, bottoms, outerwear, dresses. For both boys and girls. There are 22 projects in all (not all are shown here)

Pajamas for kids.

Tank top + Boxer pants for the boy, Tank top and shorts for the girls.

Camisole dress – this dress uses the wave serger which is a wavy decorative stitch on the Babylock wave serger. Is Babylock the only serger with wave stitches?

Make a polo shirt!

Reversible parka and long sleeve t-shirt.

Parka with hood, and bell bottoms!

Reversible balloon skirt, although I don’t really like it on the reverse side. 😛

This looks like a dress that my kids will wear everyday! Balloon dress.

Formal dress. One thing great about sergers is its ability to create rolled hems and handle very thin fabric like this. So other than knit projects, this book also shows you how to make a nice formal dress using the serger.

Formal jacket for the boys.

This is why I bought the book. I think it would have been alot more useful if I’m using the same machine (hers is a babylock), as the dials and settings and different on mine. But basically the theory is the same. Changing stitch width or length, working with differential feed settings. (on another page not shown here).

How to sew around corners. Should have read this before I made the pile of hankies last week.

Most of the projects require either the serger alone or in combination with a sewing machine. The icons listed under the headings for each project will show you. The orange square indicates use of Lock machine (Serger), and the pink square indicates the need for a sewing machine.

ALL the projects come with step by step photographs!

This is why I love Kurai Muki’s books. Clear pictures. Not much translation needed.

She even has her own machine! If you look carefully below her logo, there is an embossed babylock logo below.

This book is great for both beginners and advanced users of overlockers. There are other books available in the LaLaLa series for Womens wear, Mens wear and babies. These books are not the latest publications, but have been around and reprinted many times because they are so useful. The book I just reviewed was first published in 2007, and was reprinted for the 7th time in 2010.

Kurai Muki -no LaLaLa Rokkumishinsouingu / Kurai Muki (Book) Kurai Muki -no LaLaLa / Kurai Muki [Author] (Book) Kurai Muki -no LaLaLa / Kurai Muki [Author] (Book) Kurai Muki -no LaLaLa 5 / Kurai Muki (Book)

While searching for her LaLaLa series books, I came across this new book by Kurai Muki

Lock Machine Textbook. It was just released on 28th July but sadly not available here yet.! Will get this book next 🙂

Kurai Muki -no LaLaLa / Kurai Muki [Author] (Book)

Title : ロックミシンで子供服 (クライ。ムキの LaLaLa3)
ISBN : 978-4-529-04456-1
No. of pages : 66

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9 Comments

  • Reply Gaye August 13, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    Hi hi, this book has nice patterns and underwear too! I ordered the book u mentioned right on top too, hope it will come soon. You know after I started reading your blog, I have been buying a lot more sewing books! Hmmm…
    😉

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books August 15, 2012 at 8:33 am

      Uh-oh… so I’m a bad influence? 😉

  • Reply Eunice August 14, 2012 at 4:54 pm

    Hi
    Congrats on your purchase. I’ve bought mine some time ago and it really helped to make the clothing look more professional. I’ve used it to create a baby hem on my girl’s chiffon skirt so i can skip the hemming on that slippery fabric! Enjoy your new baby. BTW, where did you get your sewing book? My only source is Kinokuniya : )

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books August 15, 2012 at 8:32 am

      Hi Eunice 🙂 I can’t believe how I survived without one for so long. I haven’t tried on chiffon yet though, will have to do so soon cuz I need to make 4 flower girls dresses by Dec! I think Kinokuniya is the best source for us here. After all, all the other bookshops have been closing down one by one, and in any case they are not Japanese bookshops. About 1/4 of my collection was bought in Japan. It doesn’t really make sense for us to buy online too since Kino is cheaper especially during the member’s sale.

  • Reply Book Review – Lock Machine Book » Japanese Sewing, Pattern, Craft Books and Fabrics November 16, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    […] book is a lot more detailed with the workings of an overlocker than the previous book I reviewed. But the projects are simpler whereas the other book has more variety in terms of […]

  • Reply Lakesha November 20, 2012 at 1:57 pm

    I always spent my half an hour to read this blog’s posts every day along with a cup of coffee.

  • Reply Lida Smith December 17, 2012 at 12:36 am

    I have the same Lalala 3 book. There is introduction of knit fabric on page 7. I wonder if you will translate it? It would be SO helpful to know the equivalent words in English! Would you do this after you come back from you vacation?

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books December 17, 2012 at 8:38 pm

      Yes I will! I had a request to translate knit fabrics names, will do so after I get back from my trip!

  • Reply Sommer Easter Dress Challenge | Japanese Sewing, Pattern, Craft Books and Fabrics March 31, 2016 at 8:02 pm

    […] new bolero for my 8 year old (pattern from Cucito magazine), 4 nightdresses (and 4 more to go) from Kurai Muki’s Lock Machine clothes for kids, 2 new lunch bags (to fit in larger lunchboxes now that they are staying in school for lunches on […]

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