Don't worry, if you've got an Esante, you'll probably not have a single problem with embroidering the quilting designs. My problems came from the fact that I was using that Futura. (which is the worst sewing purchase I've ever made in my life! Darn thing has spent more time in the shop than it's spent sewing!)

After I hooped each design area, I used binder clips to roll up the quilt around the edges and keep it sort of piled up on the machine. I clipped everything to hold it out of the way of the needle and prevent the quilt from interfering with what the machine was trying to do. This apparently works for thousands of other embroidery machines, but mine wasn't having any of it. :lol:

Serger thread is only $2/cone so I don't worry about the cost at all. The little Brother serger that I use for everything makes some noise, but it's actually quieter than my Babylock or Huskylock.

I only use my serger for strip piecing but will interested to see what feedback you get :D

Your quilt is beautiful and I should have read all the feedbacks before I commented......thanks for enlightening me to the fact that so much more quilting can be done on my serger :)

I use the serger for putting the pieces together. Especially for thesmaller quilts that I make for the kids. They drag them around the house and play tug-a-war with them so they need to be sturdy.
Love my serger.

Sergers are GREAT! I used to wonder what I would use one for - and then I actually bought one and started finding out real quick just how cool they are. :)

Because that one would only do one seam width, I bought another. And that one turned out to be really cumbersome to thread, (blood, sweat and tears!) so I bought another.

All this in about two months, because once I figured out how to make a serger work with the way I sew, I don't want to be without one, ever again.

The Brother that I have costs less than $200, but it is very fast and smooth and does a variety of different serging tasks, including narrow and wide 3 or 4-thread edges, a gorgeous rolled hem, a gathering stitch for serging ruffles to a flat piece, sewing knits with smooth, flat edges or lettuce edges, sewing elastic - it's just an amazing little machine for the silly price I paid for it. Plus, it's oh-mi-gosh easy to thread! I use it almost every sewing day and many quilting days.

If for nothing else than trimming the edges of my quilts, I would always keep it around - it gives the quilt such a beautiful edge, and nicely compacted so that I can use narrow bindings more easily. :)

here is a good tutorial to understand what to do with a serger when quilting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAzqq98Q0KI

I've made a number of baby/young children quilts using my serger. I use two basic patterns - log cabin & 9 patch and all of them I did using the 'quilt as you go' technique. Yes they are a bit thicker but with fresh sharp needles, no sweat and done up really quick. I also finish out the edges using my serger on all of the quilts I make before binding - makes a nice clean base to start with.
Now I'm going to try the snowball using my serger but not as a 'quilt as you go' - way too many pieces for this quilter.
As in all things, just have fun and play with it. That's how new technigues are discovered and shared every day.