CAS49OR

I have a I have a Brother 1034D serger my hubby bought when I first started sewing, because my sewing teacher said it is nice for knits. I wanted to make T-shirts with long enough sleeves, and knit nightgowns.

Since then, I got roped into quilt classes and have been doing that. lol. The serger has been sitting around, although I bet I could have used it to make the fleece booties and other projects I've done, I found out since that I have an overlock stitch on my Janome. I checked out the Brother 1034D serger and it gets five stars for ease of use and function. The price is right, it was $165 at CostCo online. I don't have an account, but hubby used his boss's account. (He surprised me, I had told him I needed to learn to sew before I learned to serge.)

I envy those who have a self-threading serger. I am now taking a class, and surprised myself by already remembering how to thread it and then learned to do curves. Next week we do rolled hems. We are going to make napkins of cotton, and a scarf of slinky fabric. My teacher said self-threaders have their own issues, some love it, some run into problems.

TanyaL

For me the question was "How much was I willing to pay for the self-threading feature on the serger?" not "Do I want a serger?" Here's a couple of questions I had to answer. Can I thread a regular needle without using glasses? Do I get frustrated when the thread misses the needle eye? How hard is it to get into the position needed to see the eye in the lower looper needle? How much easier or harder will these things become in the next 10 years? Bingo! I'm too old to NOT buy a self threading serger. Even my regular sewing machine is self-threading plus being computerized to do everything but cut my material for me.I'm just too old not to be part of this century's technology. Divide the price by the number of years I expect to use the machine and it's done to about $100 a year cost. A $100 serger is very cheap. Mine is the Babylock Imagine.

CanoePam

I had an old White serger for 20+ years and basically outfitted my children with it! Lots and lots of little pants and tshirts and sweatshirts. Nothing like a serger for knits. The old machine didn't have differential feed so I had to be very careful not to stretch things, but it still worked. When that old machine finally died I bought a new one. My requirements were that it have differential feed and be easy to convert to a rolled hem stitch. I ended up with a Bernina 1300MDC that I get along with just fine.

In addition to clothing, I have made all kinds of home-dec stuff with the serger - pillows and curtains especially. It handles heavy fabrics that fray very well. I also have made dozens and dozens and dozens of rolled hem napkins out of wonderful fabrics - one of my standard wedding shower presents. I also use a rolled hem edge on flannel receiving blankets.

As to ease of threading, a lot depends on just how handy you are. I thought about an autothreading machine, but it just didn't make the "most important" criteria for me. Most of the time I just pull the threads through when I change colors so it doesn't take long. Even if I need to rethread from scratch it only takes 3-5 minutes for a 4 thread, and half that time is doing the regular needles! I do recommend differential feed though - that is a great help on knits.

Pam

CAS49OR

A tip I adore, every needle has a groove on top of it. If you just aim for that groove the thread will go in the eye. I used to use a portable light, the auto-thread function on my Janome, reading glasses, scrunch down, etc. Now I just push the thread above the needle and it goes in every time.

sally's girl

Thank you ladies for your comments.... I plan to check out the Babylock dealer....will check out the videos on tne internet...thanks again

JanetM

If your budget allows it I would highly recommend a Babylock Serger. Babylock is the only serger on the market with air-jet threading. It also has auto tension.

So many people let their sergers sit idle because of threading and tension problems. With the Babylock...you will have hassle free, ready to go serging.

I love my Babylock...had it for 9 years...troublefee.

gotta-sew

Amen. I have the same machine :) Since you have been making napkins and placemats......Have you tried this???? Cut two circles of two different fabrics. They should be bigger than a dinner plate as it will be a napkin...wanna cover that lap! Place them wrong sides together and just serge all around it using a decrative thread. (Pearl Crown Rayon, Wooly nylon, Designer 6, hummmm gold metalic would be nice. Now fold it almost in half so that you can see both fabrics, (play with this a little until you get the result you like best) fold the sides in, so it is now sorta cone shaped. Wala, it looks like a Christmas tree! Fun for the holidays. One more thing, You can take some of the same fabric and again cut it in a circle and mod podge it to the back of a clear glass plate. An emery board will clean up the edges. Looks cute with the napkins.

Fixedgearhead

I bought a Janome "New Home" mechanical serger about 8-10 years ago and have used it to make every piece of clothing I have made in those 10 years. That is a lot of clothing, as that is all I used to do until about 5 years ago when I started to do more quilting than clothing. I still do clothing from time to time, and this machine gives a "finished" look to the end product. I wouldn't be without one.
John

smiley

JANOME, love them!!

Jackie R

I have a Baby Lock Imagine serger and really like it.