Originally Posted by irishrose
You can use the blindstitch on the Elna. The only thing is you have to work from the 'wrong' edge of the fabric. The machine makes several stitches then pops over and makes a long stitch, but mine goes from right to left. It would be easier if it went from left to right. Not much of a problem on small things like appliques, but not convenient for putting on binding.
Both my Elna Supermatic (from 1967) and Bernina (old 830 - 1972) have blindstitches that do the long stitch to the left. I tried appliqueing a little swatch just now on each of them, and it's pretty nifty. It doesn't look quite like hand work, but from a few feet away it will be just fine, and much nicer than satin stitch machine applique, while using less thread.
I don't think I could use it for applique if it went to the right, but I do see what you mean about it not being useful for binding. You'd have to have the whole quilt in the throat of the machine! Maybe I'll try it for binding a mug rug or place mat sometime.
These blindstitches look just like the "variable overlock" ones in the pictures on the Bunny Tales site, and if there's anything different about them, I'd like to know. I can see that her much newer Bernina has the option of mirroring the stitches, which would be a good thing to have. My mid-1980's Singer could do that, if I remember right, but it bit the dust long ago.