My Serger is Scary....

[NicoleBridget]

I got a serger for Christmas, the Brother 1034D that Gem and Kate (I believe) had mentioned a while back.  I FINALLY got around to taking it out of the box and trying it out this week and....I'm still scared of it.  It seems so complicated and I feel like I'll never get the hang of it.  Does it get easier?  I haven't had any exeprience with sergers before.  I follow the instructions but it all seems so foreign to me, I never know if I'm actually doing anything right.  Last night I threaded the machine and tried to do a rolled hem and created a nice jam instead.  Maybe I should watch the instructional CD's it came with.  I guess all I'm asking is...does it get easier?  It really is intimidating for such a lightweight little machine...

[Alisoun]

Congratulations on your new sewing addition!

I wanted one so bad, and finally got that machine in October.  I love it! 

It does get easier.  Watch the DVDs, peruse the manual, try some stitches, thread, un-thread, thread again--it will get better, and you will make peace with the machine.

As for rolled hems, I did a bag of unfinished belly dance scarves over the course of a few hours.  I made sure to note each fabric and the settings I used (because they vary) to avoid hours of fussing next time.

Just go in with confidence!

[Valencia]

I have a serger. I think they should come with the disclaimer that you need an engineering degree to run it, lol!!!  When you change thread, don't unthread the machine completely.  Cut the old thread close to the spools; put the new spools on, and tie the ends together. Lift the presser foot, and carefully pull the thread through. If your knots are tiny, you can get them through all the eyes and hooks, and it will make changing thread a BAZILLION times easier. 

The machine does get easier to use. It has a steep learning curve, but once you get it, it's a breeze.  Good luck!!!

[LadyStitch]

I made sure to note each fabric and the settings I used (because they vary) to avoid hours of fussing next time.

I will second the 'make a note book' suggestion.  This way you have a book with examples of how you did something so you can go back and recreate it.  Very helpful for those late night sewing jobs when you can't think. 

Also, I will say that if you go slowly it isn't as loud and make you think you are cutting a finger off.    (I thought that when I first got mine.)  Threading gets easier with practice but doing the not trick seriously helps in the begining.  My tutor made us thread, sew a seam, then un thread it, and rethread 3 times before she would let us use it in the workshop.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Some sergers can be scary in the beginning. It takes but a few moments for the person at the Shop to instruct and teach the new owner of such a tool how to thread it, what to look for when somethng comes amiss, etc.

With mine when I change colors, I make sure I do the knting carefully and the threads are in the correct position when I do a test run before serging something that I working on.

Which reminds me, one of my sergers is making a horrible metally sounding noise. Time for it to be looked at.

[CapnFayeCutler]

Congrats on getting a serger!

DEFINTELY watch the instructional cd's - they'll be of some help for sure.

As for threading the machine, you *could* do the tie the strings bit, but I find it's best to learn how to thread the machine.

It does get easier, and then you can get the various attachments and find you can use the serger for just about anything!

[operafantomet]

When you change thread, don't unthread the machine completely.  Cut the old thread close to the spools; put the new spools on, and tie the ends together. Lift the presser foot, and carefully pull the thread through. If your knots are tiny, you can get them through all the eyes and hooks, and it will make changing thread a BAZILLION times easier. 

Very smart!

[Kate XXXXXX]

I find that the Brother 1034D doesn't like pull-through as much as total rethreading.  To do it you need to dial the tension back to zero and unloop the threads for the horizontal stitch finger/needle.  It's usually easier just to rethread, and after a few times, it takes only a couple of minutes...

A good thing to do is to sit down with some fabric, thread the machine with threads to match the thread path guides, and work through the manual trying all the stitches.  It's fun to see how the effects work and what you need to do to get perfect stitches for each.  START with the manual's settings, but expect to need to alter them to get perfect stitches, and expect that you'll need to experiment a bit when you use different threads, needles (I recommend using smaller ones on fine fabrics and jersey or ball points on knits) , and fabrics.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

My Serger is back. Tuned. cleaned, and oiled. $82.35 was the cost.

[gem]

Nicole, this is one of the reasons I haven't gotten that/a serger yet! I don't know anyone who can show me how to use one or let me know if I'm doing it right--and that blade and all the moving parts scare the dickens out of me!!

Good luck!

[Lady Rebecca]

There's nothing to be afraid of. The scariest part about a serger is threading it, but if you study the manual enough, it shouldn't be too hard.

[Valencia]

There's nothing to be afraid of. The scariest part about a serger is threading it, but if you study the manual enough, it shouldn't be too hard.

I agree. The threading is by far the hardest part. I have a Janome MyLock, and half the threading is under something or behind something. But once I figured that out, I've not had any issues. I love my serger.  I don't use it on period stuff, though, I use mine for making dog clothes. :lol

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

When changing colors of the threads for my sergers, I turn  the tensions down zero.

-I make sure I knot correctly to avoid the threads from breaking off.

-I pull them through gently.

-Then I make sure the threads are in the  correct positions and nothing is tugging from underneath the pressure foot. I use my tweezers for that.

-A test run works wonders. Should threads break, it's usually the top or bottom loopers that have to be rethreaded.

Sergers are wonderful in that they make sewing tht much better.

[LadySeasan]

I want...no...NEED a serger. But at this point finding a place in my ever cluttered apartment to put one is driving me crazy!

[Lady Rebecca]

They're not very big. I have one of those little plastic 3-drawer rolling systems, which sits next to my sewing table and holds some of my fabric, and my serger just sits on top of that.