I spent an hour yesterday re-threading my 15-year-old 4-thread Bernina serger after a thread broke on it (reminder to self; use a thread net on polyester cones). I have used this serger only occasionally over the years. After yesterday, though, I realize that my desire for an air-threading serger has become fully justified. I no longer have the eyesight, fine motor coordination, and patience to thread this serger! I did it yesterday, but I was not happy.
It won't happen immediately, but I am beginning to think I will need to buy a new serger sooner rather than later. I am looking online at the Babylocks, of course. Most of the serging I will be doing in the future will be children's clothing (assuming I someday have a grandchild or two) and possibly doll clothes. I can't imagine using it for draperies or curtains (I am not very good at handling a lot of fabric at a time, except for quilts
) or for my own clothing (unless we move to Hawaii and I need lots of muu-muus) as I have little talent for adult fashion.
I have a couple of questions.
(1) I really want to have the ability to do a cover stitch, something that my current machine cannot do. Is it better to buy another 4-thread serger and a separate cover stitch machine? Both would need to be air-threading, so I assume this would be pricey. Or it is better to buy a single machine that will do both basic overlocking and cover stitch. If the latter, which serger that is air-threading would do both? If the former, I assume the best combo would be the Imagine and the Cover Stitch.
(2) Of course I had to run across the Babylock Evolution and Ovation machines while I was looking. Wondering if these would be too much machine for me. Seems like it would be lovely to have all the decorative options; however, I have lots of decorative stitches on my Bernina 1230 sewing machine that I never use. It is the reliable basics that I use 99% of the time (straight stitch, zigzag, blind hem, stitch length and width, needle positions).
What has been your experience with the more up-market sergers?