Another Serger Newbie

[Alexandra Johanna]

I just placed the order with Amazon for the Brother 1034D. I cannot wait until Wednesday when it gets here. Had it bookmarked since the holidays and with Bristol just a little over a month away, I cannot put it off any longer. So exciting! While I wait, I'll read through the good advice given here on sergers.

Giddy!

[Kate XXXXXX]

I have to say I LOVE mine!

[gem]

I love mine, too! But... I have to say I haven't really found that much to *do* with it yet. I've made a couple of knit T-shirts (totally irrelevant for Fair, but I felt like I *should*), done a couple of rolled hems, and serged plenty of raw edges to prep needlework fabric and before pre-washing. Yesterday I tried using it to finish seam allowances, which was an epic fail (but I'm going to try again).

I can say this about it, though: It is SO SUPER-EASY to use!! It's really a very friendly little machine; every time I sit down to work/play with it, I feel like it's just really cheery and not at all intimidating. The threading takes no time at all to learn; the needles are a bit tricky to get in/out... but the manuals are good, and you get two DVDs with instructional videos.

If you need further help, there is a long, ongoing thread at Pattern Review: Getting the Most from Your Brother 1034D.

...And start hoarding your JoAnn coupons, 'cause you'll be wanting to stock up on serger cones and wooly nylon pretty soon....

[Butch]

I use mine pretty much JUST to finish seam allowances!

[Lady Kett]

I use mine pretty much JUST to finish seam allowances!

Butch, your response is timely! Because here I am...I can only really make bloomers with any success - and I LOVE my bloomers! - and then I look at how excited Soulstice is, and look at the price, and think...that's REALLY reasonable...but WHAT would I use it for?

So I seem to have this "serger bug" without even having any comprehension of what I'd use it for or how I would be able to expand my sewing skills past bloomers to pants (moderately successful, not a total loss!) or shirts (total loss!) 

So c'mon my lovely seamstresses and tailors (I would call you sewers but that generates silly comments...) what would I use one for? I need enabled!!

[Kate XXXXXX]

OK, gals, here are some examples of the things I do with my sergers (yes, plural!  I can't get by with just one!):

  ALL the seams on this massively paneled and gored silk chiffon skirt, plus the hem, were done on the serger.

  This bias cut silk chiffon gown and silk organza shrug jacket were wholly sewn on the serger.

  Poly chiffon and crepe wedding gown, wholly sewn by serger...

  My chocolate and orange!  Skirt and top in stretch velour, plus shrug in crepe knit, all sewn by serger...

Dance outfit for a small girl: Serger and hotfix crystal wand!

There are seams and finishes that are fantastic on the serger:

      Roilled seams and hems in chiffon...

  Wooly nylon seam in crepe knit

  Seam allowance neatening...

Then there are many decorative threads you can use in you finishing...  When you get your serger, read through the stitch descriptions and you'll start to see what you can do with it,.  And get a book about using the serger.  The possibilities are endless...  No, it'll never replace the conventional sewing machine, but once you get one, there is no looking back.

[mollymishap]

Dang, Kate!   Look at all those pretties!!!

Makes me ashamed to admit that I've only ever used sergers to finish seam allowances or prep fabrics for pre-washing.  I'm always nervous that my seams will pull apart unless they're sewn on a "regular" sewing machine--so I always end up going back and sewing down a line of straight stitching right next to the serged edge. 

Now that I think about it, that might have something to do with having used my mother's ancient 3-thread White serger for eons until it crapped out a few years back.  Then I bought a cheapo serger because I was in a bind (no pun intended) which turned out to be a piece of *$#(&!!! so I avoid using it.

BUT, as it happens, only last weekend I came across a Kenmore 385-16644 serger at a yard sale ($5--WOOT!!!) that just HAD to come home with me, so here I am, getting excited about playing around with it and learning how to do new things with it.  As far as I can tell from some research I did online, it's a decent machine, so we'll see how it goes!

[Alexandra Johanna]

Beautiful work Kate!

My old sewing machine has trouble with light fabrics, anything with stretch, and I have little patience for hems. So I thought the serger would be a great help and time saver once I figure it out and get comfortable with it.

Even more inspired now!

[Kate XXXXXX]

Dang, Kate!   Look at all those pretties!!!

Makes me ashamed to admit that I've only ever used sergers to finish seam allowances or prep fabrics for pre-washing.  I'm always nervous that my seams will pull apart unless they're sewn on a "regular" sewing machine--so I always end up going back and sewing down a line of straight stitching right next to the serged edge. 

Now that I think about it, that might have something to do with having used my mother's ancient 3-thread White serger for eons until it crapped out a few years back.  Then I bought a cheapo serger because I was in a bind (no pun intended) which turned out to be a piece of *$#(&!!! so I avoid using it.

BUT, as it happens, only last weekend I came across a Kenmore 385-16644 serger at a yard sale ($5--WOOT!!!) that just HAD to come home with me, so here I am, getting excited about playing around with it and learning how to do new things with it.  As far as I can tell from some research I did online, it's a decent machine, so we'll see how it goes!

Three and four thread serger seams are both strong and stretchy - which are both good reasons why they are used for swim and dance wear!  Usually, if a serger seam fails, its because the fabric is too friable for the seam width, or the tension was incorrect.  If you match the seam type with the thread and fabric, you get fabulous results.

I use serger thread (120's poly or polycore) for MOST construction, with 'wooly nylon' (usually a textured bulk polyester thread) in the loopers for extra coverage on very fraying things or for extra stretch on Lycra knits like that little dance costume.  About the only place I add an extra line of stitching fore safety is round the crotch of some trousers.  And there I use a narrow zigzag to give a little stretch.  Mostly it's better to have a seam pop and be able to restitch it than to sew it so firmly that the cloth rips when something has to give!

[Kate XXXXXX]

Beautiful work Kate!

My old sewing machine has trouble with light fabrics, anything with stretch, and I have little patience for hems. So I thought the serger would be a great help and time saver once I figure it out and get comfortable with it.

Even more inspired now!

If you are having trouble with stretch, it's probably due to not using the correct needle type for the fabric, and not using a stretch sewing technique.  I have successfully sewn Lycra swimwear fabric on my 1923 hand crank Singer, using a STETCH needle and stretch sewing techniques.

On some machines, for lighter fabrics, you need to be able to lighten the foot pressure as well as the tension.  I do this on some of the machines I use (especially the sergers), but the Berninas seem to manage without a foot pressure adjustment!