Good Morning,
I am new to the board and new to quilting. I love it and have learned a lot by reading this board. I want to buy a good quality serger. One that willl last and is sturdy and easy to use. I know that is a lot to ask but I really need your help.
bpieces :?:

what is the purpose of a serger?

I bought my Bernina serger used. I do not use it very oftern, but when I make T-shirts it comes in handy.

I went to a local dealer and told them I was looking for a used one.

Hello from Minnesota. Welcome.

A serger is used to trim and finish your seams to look more professional. Not a lot of use for one in quilting. I have an Elnita that I really like. It's pretty old now. Used it constantly when I was doing bridal sewing for customers and sewing dresses for my granddaughter.

I bought a self threading Babylock serger.

mimom-a serger makes home made clothes have a more "professional" finish to them.

bpieces-are you planning on using the serger for quilting? Personally speaking, I consider it more for clothes making than quilting, but I have heard of people using them for quilting. I would image that using it, you would have a much bulkier seam allowance.

I have an much older Babylok, which is a real work horse and don't use it as much as I once did, but there's no way I would sell it.

My Janome is great!

I bought a cheap White...which is fine for the amt of time I use it...not often...sometimes to seal my seams on quilts. Otherwise it gathers dust under my sewing table.

I have a Baby Lock Imagine and love it. I had a quilt I started several years ago and was really tired of working on it as it was not turning out the way I imagineed it would I had spent a lot of money for the Material did a decorator stitch around the edge and it turned out great It was a crazy quilt pattern so all the blocks were already quilted. Now I use my serger to make quilted bags as it makes the seams on the inside so neat. I love my serger and use it a lot .

I don't know what your price range is or what other sewing you do. I serger is a must for garment and home dec construction. I use mine daily when I am making Linus quilts. I make simple ones that are made envelope or pillowcase style. I use the serger for constructing the envelope. It finishes off the seam and cuts off the excess fabric. It also comes in handy to sew around the raw edges of the backing for a regular quilt, no ravels. There are quilt as you go methods that can be done with a serger. When I worked for a Bernina dealer I attended a class where we made a small quilt and a quilted and ruffled pillow completely on the serger and even installed a zipper. If you look at the construction of most of your store bought garments they are made almost entirely on a serger.
I recommend purchasing one with a built in rolled hem capacity. Except for the cheapet ones most of them are very easy to thread. I prefer Bernina's but that is my personal prefernce.

Getting a serger is a great idea, but only if you will use it. I have a Babylock Evolve (the new version is called Evolution) that I absolutely love. Babylock is the only serger on the market that has jet-air threading which makes it the best when it come to threading. It also has auto tension...so no tension problems.

When I was looking for my serger, I looked at all of the name brands and had them demonstrated for me. When you go to the sewing store the sergers are already threaded. It is important to insist that they rethread the machine in front of you. Don't let them just show you the path the thread goes through. You need to see the process.
So many people don't use their sergers because threading can be tedious and difficult.

When I saw the Babylock I knew I had found the machine for me. The jet-air threading and the auto tension make this machine the easiest one to use. Babylocks are pricey but they are quality products. Babylock used to have a video on their site that explains the jet-air threading. You might want to check out their site. I have no affiliation with Babylock. If they knew how much I love their product they would probably hire me :lol: :lol: :lol:

Take the time you need to get the perfect serger for you.

P.S. I recently made a quilt top completely on the serger. I would have never thought it would be possible to get accurate piecing using a serger...but you can :thumbup: Sure made fast work of it, and the back looked so pretty with every seam so nicely finished.

I like my serger for sewing long strips together for a Rail Fence Quilt and other blocks that require that method. Works great in making a Trip Around the World. The next Bargello I make I will serge the horizontal strips together, but not sure if I want to serge the vertical placement. Since I machine quilt, the tiny bit of extra bulk in the seams is no problem. Mainly, I use it for garment construction.

Self threading? Wow!! that is an awesome feature. I hate threading mine, especially the #4 thread..

I have two sergers, one is an industrial that can handle anything I can throw at it and the other is a Viking. I would never buy another Viking. I have hated that machine since the beginning and only use it when I have to. It can only handle two thicknesses of cotton and is so fussy it's not worth trying anything else. The next serger I buy will be a Babylock.

Thanks to all that answered my serger question. I will probably use the serger more for sewing because I am a better sewer than quilter. But I want to become a better quilter and sounds as if I can use the serger there also. I will definitely look into the babylock sergers.

I have 2 Singers, an Elna, Hobbylock and Juki serger. All but the Juki are 4 thread. I recommend the 4 thread because you get that extra solid line of stitching. They all work great. The Elna requires more oiling than the others and that can be kind of a pain.

I had a new White (the gal only used it twice) but didn't keep it. They still use the old threading technology, which I found very annoying.

With the exception of one of the Singers, I purchased all my sergers used. I have so many because I teach sewing and own the machines in my class. My kids have had no problems learning and using these machines.

I have a 4 thread Baby Lock...wow..I think its OLD! lolol I bought it to make bathing suits for my DD before she sprouted up! (prolly she was 11?..she is 28 now!) I use mine to serge my fabric before I wash it...no tangling or shreding. I know its an extra step, but lots of times I can just fold the fabric out of the dryer with no ironing (UGH I hate ironing!) I would look into a used one..but try them out. As with Domestic sewing machines, one will suit you better than the others.

Hello!

I, too am new to this site and just happened to see your question. I have worked in a sewing store for the past 3 years and here are my thoughts.

First and foremost, research before you buy!! Second, as someone else recommended, make sure they demostrate the threading process no matter what model you buy. Ask if you can do it. The jet-air by Babylock is very nice but be ready for sticker shock. I personally own a pre-owned Huskylock (Viking) 910 and love it!!!! Even the owner says the 910 & 936 (has cover stitch) are the best. It is really a personal perference. Another thing is service!! Wherever you buy your serger, check to see if they offer any training classes and if they service their machines. I know Viking just came out with a 200S that sergered nicely. It's brand new. Have fun shopping!

Sergers have come a long way since they were introduced. I almost bought one 30 years ago but decided to wait and I'm glad I did. I love my serger and it isn't something you will use ALL the time but if your area offers classes for projects using using it, you will be surprised. I make a serge/flip baby blanket that is done completely on the serger. AMAZING!!!! I've also made a tote bag totally with my serger except the finsihing top-stitch. I have not used it in quilting but have no doubts that may be ways you can.

I have a Babylock Imagine serger. I have had two othera thru the years, but find this is the very easiest to use. It is self-threading which is a big plus. I would advise staying away from any with dials. They can be a real headache.

Baby Lock. You don't have to worry about tension or threading - makes using a serger a breeze.Mine also does chain stitch and cover stitch which makes it very versatile and useful.

Sergers are great for any construction - pocketbooks, pillowcases, potholders - but do consider the advice about BabyLok. I have a Bernette serger that works great but is a real pain to thread (supposedly you can just knot the thread from the new cone to the one in the machine and run it through - sometimes this works and sometimes not). My mom got the BabyLok. What a difference.

I have 2 sergers. One is a brother, and the other is a simplicity. Like them both. Very bare bones, horrible to thread, but I use them when I am making quilts that are going to be washed alot and are very simple. For the project Linus quilt tops the B&G club is working on I pieced alot of them together with the serger. Plain patchwork, or snowball, it is wonderful. My sergers are old. Bought Simplicity for $399 in 1996 and the Brother I got from St Vincent DePaul's thrift store used about 1999. I recommend having one especially if you are making some quilts for children or babies, that are going to be washed alot or hand tied instead of quilted.

I have had Berninas since year one and except for one lemon, love them. I have updated a couple of times and now have one that does chain and cover stitch. I make most of my clothes and home dec and wouldn't be without one.

Don't use it for quilting. Makes the seams too bulky.

My Pfaff serger is 11 years old. It never misses a stitch. I really love it. I took another serger class a couple of weeks ago. There were 8 of us in the class. My serger and an old, old, old White were the only 2 that could be set according to the instructors directions, and work perfectly every time. Prior to the class I was beginning to think that it was probably time to start thinking about getting a new serger. Since the class I am very grateful I have the Pfaff and realize there is no reason in the world to replace it.

My Pfaff serger is 11 years old. It never misses a stitch. I really love it. I took another serger class a couple of weeks ago. There were 8 of us in the class. My serger and an old, old, old White were the only 2 that could be set according to the instructors directions, and work perfectly every time. Prior to the class I was beginning to think that it was probably time to start thinking about getting a new serger. Since the class I am very grateful I have the Pfaff and realize there is no reason in the world to replace it.

I have a Baby Lock Imagine-Self threading and LOVE ir!! Use it all the time.

Go to a reputable dealer and let them show you different ones. You need to know what you are going to be mainly using it for. There are 3threads, 4threads, 3-4-5threads, etc. I have 2 Vikings, a 910 and a 936. The 936 is the top of the line and is computerized. Are you going to be making clothes, hemming tablecloths, making fleece throws? The prices also swing from about $200 to up way over $1000. A dealer can answer all your questions.

I love my Babylock serger, air lock threading, never have to adjust tension. My first was a Juki about 1980 and it was soooooooooooo hard to thread the loopers and adjust the tension.

I have an Elna and Bernina 5-thread. They both require work to thread but sew beautifully. I keep white thread on one and dark on the other. Depending on usage, I would recommend buying gently used from a local sewing center. I use mine the most for draperies and clothing.

What are your plans for using a serger? They are not usually used in quilting? I have read that it is important to get a good quality machine because the cheaper ones just
don't sew as well.

I suggest you buy a self threading one.

Here is my serger story. In 1990 I bought a Babylock Eclipse with air thread. I used it to death...literally to death. I bought a Babylock Evolve, but my time was short and I did not have time to learn how to use it properly, the store I purhased from closed two weeks after my purchase and this thing is complicated. I sold it and bought a Pfaff, thinking that after all these years, surely they have improved on the difficulty of threading these things. Not so! The Pfaff is a PITA to thread and I only bought it at Christmas! If you can afford Babylock with air threading, go for it..you will save yourself a lot of grief. I have also heard very good things about the Brother sergers, and I have a Brother embroidery machine and am thrilled with it. Good luck in your decision. Test drive, thread, and be careful out there! Buyer's remorse is painful!
Michelle G.

i have a serger " National " since about 1994 and know it well. I have only used my sergers in home clothes and home dec construction.
I have the babylock evolve with jet air threading, a gift from DH, can't say that I like it. Maybe with time .
I also have a used one that needs a tiny screw, its a very old Elna. I plan to get the screw it needs and re sell it, hopefully soon.
Take your time and try out all you can before making a purchase.

I bought a good used Elna about 10 years ago, works great. Only use it when making costumes and things for church dramas and decorations.

I have a computertize 5 thread Viking. I love is for heming pants. You have a finished edge to do a blind stich. I can do some quilting on mine by changing the plate and it is great for small projects and I don't have to use my other machines.

well, the gal that does my quilting with her long arm told me she hoped I didn't serg my quilts now. Her statement was the quilting needle will sometimes get caught up in the serged threads and a cause a big mess... I guess she may have had issues in the past... anyone have a comment on this????

I have an older Babylock and absolutely adore it! You can speedily do a quilt as you go project, many clothing items (in particular is great for sweatshirts and/or knits), and is indispensable for home decor/gifts. :thumbup:

I have a Juki MO-645DE for at least 10 years. It's a real work horse. My first one was a Pfaff and would not have another one, my mother almost threw her Viking down the stairs as it was always giving her trouble. She has a New Home and loves it. When you go to purchase, take scraps of the type of fabric you will be sewing with you so that you can test for your needs, not the needs of the shop. They use only stiff easy to sew fabric for testing so that everything looks good. Have fun and good luck.
Brenda