Quiltingboard Forums - Sergers........Tell me about them

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What can you do with a serger that you can't do with a sewing machine? I have a Brother Dreamweaver that has a gazillion stitches including finishing edges.

I have the baby lock Evolve,this was my first serger.Just pieced my first quilt,no problems matching seams the slant 1/4 was very easy.When you piece you don't take any off with the cutter,you go close,maybe catching lose strings,that's it.I just changed over to a cover stitch to hem a pair off pants.Every time I use this serger I'm amazed.I have so much to learn on the serger,as I never used one, or been around someone who had one.

Hello! Just was brousing this blog about sergers. I have had a Singer 34hu ( I think that is what it is) Since 1993 and love it! Once I learned how to thread it and balance the tension - we got allong great! I especially like it for quilting - made 5 blue jean quilts on it and they went quick and were so easy! and unlike the ones my mom made my kids - these will not fray and come apart! A friend made a tee shirt quilt and serged all her blocks. I just upgraded and bought a Bernina 1300 so I could do cover stitch and I really like it. I think the most important thing about buying and having a serger is to get it from a place that will also teach you how to use it and can service it quickly and will be there when you have trouble with it. When I bought my singer, Joanns' had serger classes and taught us how to make stuff with it. Same thing with the bernina. I think where you buy it is more important that the brand because they all work similar but when you have a problem, you need to be able to have someone help you with it so you can get your money's worth out of the machine and continue to use it!.

For example, I saw a pattern on the quilting board yesterday for a simple tissue holder takes 5 minutes! Well, I sat down today and in about an hour, on the serger, I had made about a DOZEN OR MORE!. Check it out! Now I have a little something to take to serging tomorrow and share! have also made tool caddys, purses, baby blankets, quilts, those hooded towels for babys, and lots of other stuff.

The other secret to getting your money's worth out of a serger, I think, is to take it out of the box, thread it, get the basic flatlock tension set up and ready to run tension balanced, etc. ( I like to use 3 or 4 different colored threads so I can see what is not stitching right) and t hen, put the serger next to your sewing machine. everytime you are sewing a straight seam, do it on the serger. Pretty soon, you will be doing lots of stuff that way. Nice, neat, finished seams that when pressed, lay nice and flat.

The other secret is to take every serging class you can find, either online, at a local quilt shop or get a serging workbook and work your way thru it. ( Bernina had a serging workbook online that I receintly printed off and it has been fun working thru it. ) Cut up some scrap fabric and find some little thing and get to work. I also liek the idea of making pillow cases and donating them to charitable groups like children's hospitals and half/way houses or women shelters. Did you know you can make your own lace on a serger? and it is not hard at all!

Will share this idea with you. Two years ago, I made pillowcases for everyone for christmas and that is what I used to put their presents in - tied with a big cloth strip for a bow! They are all still using those pillow cases at christmas time!

Quote:

Originally Posted by katz_n_kwiltz (Post 5062576)

ill tell you what i know- sergers are a wondeful contraption!! they sew, they cut, whats not to love!
BUT- dont get the cadillac of machines like the baby lock with the jet air threading, ive read about it, and most complaints are with that type of serger, that if the air goes out, you cant thread it..well..fer cryin out loud.
i bought my brother on amazon.com just before christmas, for $198.00- FREE SHIPPING! do yourself a favor, dont go for the high end stuff, jus cuz it would be nice to have, do your homework on all the models, brother, janome, whatever. find one thats in your price range too, i know the vikings are waaaaay overpriced. even if it doesnt have all the bells n whistles you want, sometimes a compromise is good!! good luck!
katz

THE BABYLOCK can still be threaded when the baffel stops working. just thread it with fishing line then pull your thread through.

Beware:
I got a green baby lock in 1980 tension is a nightmare.
Later a new home 334D a dream, I have replaced the motor 2 times, [I sew hard]. I can use my 600 denier thread for rolled hems it looks outstanding, because I can adjust the tension.

About 2009 I got an imagine BL, for ease of threading, you can NOT adjust the tension! You must use woolly nylon or regular thread.