Differential feed

How it is used

Common on overlock machines; test the setting on the actual fabric to control stretching or gathering.

Example sentences

1. Adjusting the differential feed stopped the jersey edge from becoming wavy.

   Different feeding rates can compensate for a stretchy material’s movement.

2. The operator used differential feed to gather the lightweight strip evenly.

   The same system can intentionally add gathering when set for that purpose.

Common collocations

• differential feed setting
• adjust differential feed

Related terms

• overlockA stitch, or the machine that sews it, which wraps thread around the edge of fabric to stop fraying and often trims and joins the seam at the same time.
• gatherTo pull fabric into small, soft folds by sewing long stitches and drawing up the thread, so a wide piece fits into a shorter one.

More terms: Sewing & Construction

• seam
• seam allowance
• stitch
• pleat
• topstitching
• French seam
• flat-felled seam
• Hong Kong finish
• understitching
• staystitching
• pad stitching
• bar tack