I use my serger in the same way Murphy does. Could I do these things without a serger? Yes, but the serger is so much faster and the final finish is much cleaner than I can get on a regular sewing machine. I used to make clothes with it, but I really don’t make garments anymore. For a garment sewer who does knits, I think it is almost a must-have. For the rest of us, it is one of those handy specialized tools that makes life easier.