Wanted to share some things I'm excited about...
 

One: the quilt, afghan and wallhangings that I gave for gifts went over fabulously! Thank you all SOOOO much for inspiring me to try machine quilting. I never would have even considered it if it weren't for this wonderful forum! Two: I signed up for an online quilting class on craftsy.com. I'd rather take one in "real life" but this is great. I have so much to learn, I'm sure I'll get my money's worth! Three: since I'm becoming more comfortable with my sewing machine/s, I wanted to get a serger. I have been on the fence about it. I have no idea how to use one and other than repairing a seam in my husband's polo shirt, I don't know what I'd really use it for! But you know how ideas like that are: "I'd like a serger. But I probably wouldn't use it. Let's look on the internet and see how people use them! Oh, that's neat! I want one! Oh, it's hard to thread and lot of people don't use theirs. Well, I'll see if anyone has one on Craigslist. ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS? Are you kidding me?!! How much is a new one? TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS AT WALMART??! No, I certainly don't need one!"

A few weeks ago, my son spilled tea on his MacBook and wanted to use his Christmas money to get a "new" computer. We went to several places, and at the final place we went to, we found a "new to him" mac and they had 2 sergers behind glass. I saw the price of one of them was $99, so I asked what brand it is.. he told me it's a Toyota and it didn't come with a manual. The other one was a Singer and they were asking $70 for it. It didn't have a manual, but I was confidant I could find one online so I offered him $50 for it. HE ACCEPTED!! So now I have this serger that I'm not sure I need and I'm not sure I'll use it, but I saved $150 on it! :) http://www.amazon.com/SINGER-14SH654.../dp/B00005NWQR

Great find for you and your son. Enjoy! I love my serger when I need it.

"So now I have this serger that I'm not sure I need and I'm not sure I'll use it, but I saved $150 on it! :)"

I love it - that's how I think too. IF I stayed off the internet I'd quit finding all 'these things I NEED'. :(

Look at it this way....if you use it once a year and save $10 making the repair (or by making a quick easy gift), you'll get your investment back in no time!

Great buys, good for you and Son, enjoy!!!

Good for both you and your son.

Good for you! You will use it! I am new here and exploring tbe site. Cc

You will find uses for it now that you have it ... and you'll wonder how you ever got along without it! Enjoy!

I love my serger, have had one for 28 years and couldn't be without it. I sew clothes too but I also use it for making crafts and such, lots of uses and for 50.00 if you use it once a month you still got a good deal. You may be able to pick up a manual on line for it. Have fun.

i love my serger. dont use it for quilting, but have used it for lots of things, including making my daughters wedding dress. congratulations on the good buy.

Love my serger...not sure what I did without one. I do a lot of garment sewing and would not make a garment now without one....
There are also books and instructions for many projects for sergers....making your own wired ribbons...so simple and much cheaper than buying it. Scarves, hemming, quilting, all sorts of crafting....just go on line and check it all out. The threading part is only as hard as you make it....and I must admit that occassionally I make it hard...then I slow down and figure out that I missed one little thing and then...WALA!!!!

Enjoy the new toy!

I use my serger for quick baby quilts. Found the instructions on Kaye Wood web site. They are quick and easy.

Wow....awesome....i serge all my quilts before I put the binding....makes it so much easier...enjoy your new machine!!!

I use my serger, which I bought at a thrift store, to make pillowcases each year for the grandchildren. I use Christmas fabrics and they receive them at Thanksgiving. They are now in college, some of them, and still love getting them! THey use them all year round. Carolyn in Minnesota

I got my first serger so many years ago I can't remember and then I wanted one that did a cover stitch so I bought another one in 98. I still use either one or both when making garments. Wouldn't be without one.

I love my serger..but sadly don't use it much any more...no room to drag it out...might have to change that, as I have some curtains/valances to sew!

good for you shouldnt be to hard to find a manual

I'd like to find one too. I would love to be able to serge the sides of my quilts before I put the binding on. Sure would like to find a deal like you did.

Happy New Year to everyone!

My serger is set up for the cut/overcast all the time. Because that is what I use it for.

But, many quilt stores offer classes that show you how to do much more with them. I use mine constantly when I am sewing home dec or clothing. They finish off anything with a lovely edge that makes the garment (or home dec item) highly washable and like you would find in a store.

The threads are easy to change. Just pull up the tension foot lever, place the new colored cones in place of the other thread, clip them just above the spool, leaving the thread in place in the machine, tie on the other color to each hanging thread and pull them through the disks untill you get to the serger base where the needle is. Re-thread the needle and hold all the threads together, put the foot back down, chain a long chain and it is ready for you to serge fabric again in your new color.

Singer website had the manual and I printed it up for free. I did print the threading section in color, but only printed the English pages and in black and white so it wasn't too bad. I had to do the same thing with my Singer sewing machine, so I had a pretty good idea what I was getting into!

I still need to clean her up. She's very dusty on the outside, but seems quite clean on the inside.