Today, we’re going to take a deep dive into the topic of serger vs. sewing machine. We’ll talk about what a serger is (and what it does) versus a sewing machine. Spoiler alert: by the end of this I’m certain you will be convinced that you absolutely need a serger!

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This is the third and final video in my series about my sewing machines. Today, I'm talking about my Brother 1034D serger/overlocker. I’ve had this machine for 13 years now and it’s become one of the tools that I use most often. I share about why I like the machine, how I use it and my tips for usin

Hey, look what I found while digging through my books! My serger cheat book! Remember a long, long time ago I kept going on about how handy this little binder I put together in my serger class was. The cheat book tells me how to adjust my dials to create the stitch or technique I need. The class came free-ish with the purchase of my Janome 1110DX, which is another reason to purchase from the independent dealer rather than the box stores. All told, the class was only 3 quick hours, just an intro really, and an absolute life saver (especially since I found my machine’s tensions had been set incorrectly at the factory and all the thread breaking was not my fault, damnit!) If you can go to serger class, go! But for those of you who are intrepid enough to teach yourself, I highly recommend making yourself one of these. Very simple, just some written, printed or Xeroxed pages with spaces to write down what technique or serger stitch you are using, what settings your needles and looper tensions, the stitch length, and the differencial feed are set at, along with a space for a fabric sample of the stitch made from some scrap and stapled in. That simple, and mind bogglingly useful to have. I have photographed my whole booklet, which I keep in a small binder. You can read what I’ve written (well, you can if you can make out my messy handwriting), but if you leave a comment with a specific question about any of the techniques I can provide additional specific information. Here she is: 4 thread sewing: the base set up. Ribbing: Just knit ribbing for necklines. Sergers are a dream for knits. Clear elastic: where I discovered this amazing product. I would of never made more than one twirl skirt without it. Differential Feed: to prevent the stretching of the knits and fleece, among other things. 3 thread wide: which I use now all the time. This is also how I found out about wooly nylon. Flat-locking: way too fun, but I still hardly ever work it into regular sewing. And wonderful, brillant rolled hem (along with faux-pintucks): Keep in mind that even if you have the same brand serger as I, you will have to make your own cheat book because every machine is set slightly different. As I said, if you have specific questions about any technique or the serger book set up, leave a comment and I will do my best to help you out :) ***************************************************** This is a free tutorial and I encourage you to use the information in any way you need to (check the disclaimer at the bottom of the page). If it works for you, please consider supporting my etsy shop by purchasing a Little Print Design pattern or toss a dollar or two in my paypal to show appreciation and to encourage me to offer up even more quality patterns and tutorials. Thank you! Questions about the Donation? FAQ here.

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Need an unusual color for your surgery? Stop buying 4 spools of thread you’ll never use! Here is a great sewing hack for serger thread! Free Tutorial

For about 8 months I have been faithfully working out with a personal trainer. I like to say she comes to my house to beat me up once a week. Seriously, this is the reason my abs are in pretty good shape today; they were getting a little doughy. Up until now I was wearing exercise gear which had really seen better days. I was a YMCA member in the 1990s and sewed a bunch of tights/leotard combo outfits for my step class (stop laughing!). Time for some new stuff. In Montreal at PR Weekend one of our big draws was that Jeanne Binet and Émilie Fournier from Jalie Patterns were in attendance, and would do a sewing demonstration for us. Jeanne set up her Pfaff Creative 4.0, and BabyLock serger and coverstitch machine and talked pretty much nonstop about what she was doing, with Émilie translating as she went. She had prepared 6 garments and partially sewed them up to demonstrate the techniques and construction methods needed for each. One is a new pattern (to come out before the end of September, we were told) for a dress with two bodice views. This pattern will unveil a new technique for finishing and binding the edges (neckline and armscye) of a stretchy garment, without using elastic. Jeanne gave us the preview, and it is a really wonderful technique that produces a stable and professional-looking finish and, best of all, you do not need to fiddle with any elastic. The next day, Jeanne and Émilie took us to three of their favourite stores in Montreal for buying stretchy exercise/technical fabrics - Suzie Spandex, Stretch Text and Tonitex. These are all located on St. Laurent Blvd, north of highway 40. I had been to Tonitex before but would never have found the others which are located upstairs in a nondescript building. You may be able to guess where I'm going with this. Yes, I purchased some stretchy fabric. In fact, I sort of went overboard... But my first piece of fabric purchased in Montreal has been sewn up, along with a good chunk of fabric I probably bought 10 years ago. To the right is the completed outfit. This is from three different Kwik Sew patterns which I have had for many years. The top is from KS 1995, which is actually 20 years old (ca 1990 or as KS amusingly styles their copyright date, MCMLXXXX). The unitard is rather fetching, no? The shorts are from another 1990 beauty, KS 2005. Gotta love the heavily shoulder-padded T-shirt (not) but the tights are classic - and super easy to make with only two seams). And there's a sports bra too, which is made from KS 1567 from 1986. It's very Jane Fonda. I bought the patterned jersey in Montreal. It seems to be a sort of cottony blend and only has moderate stretch. The rest of the outfit is some lovely supplex nylon/lycra. I love this stuff. It feels soft, never fades, and wears like iron. I used Jeanne's new technique to bind the edges on the tank. Here are some photos. First, cut strips of a jersey fabric - you can use the same fabric or, as I'm doing, choose a coordinating jersey. The strip needs to be about 90% of the length of the opening you are binding, and the width is a hair over three times the width of the serged seam. I'm using a 4 thread safety stitch which is about 6.5mm wide (1/4") and my strip was 22mm (7/8") wide. The strip is cut along the lengthwise grain of the jersey. This grain is more stable and the strip will curl along its length towards the right side. Sew the strip in a loop with a tiny seam. Mark the quarter points on the loop and do the same on the edge you are binding. Then serge the binding loop to the garment, letting the knife just skim the edges without cutting off any fabric (Jalie and KS both use narrow seam allowances). Ensure that the binding will curl towards the seam (as shown to the left). If you want the binding to be visible on the outside of the completed garment, sew it to the WRONG side of the fabric, as I have done. If you sew to the right side, your binding will be inside. Smooth the serged seam towards the binding. Then flip the binding over the seam allowance - it should just cover the stitching. The last step is to fold the entire thing along the seam line, and using your cover stitch machine, topstitch neatly. I hope you can see how this works from the photo to the right. This is a wonderful finishing technique for knits. To the left is a close up of the completed top.

I thought I'd tell you a little about my serger for today's sewing 101 lesson. Serger is a funny name. Some people call it an overlock machine. I think it is great to learn to sew

What is a Serger Machine? Learn their uses and functions, and find the best options for professional sewing right here!

Hey, look what I found while digging through my books! My serger cheat book! Remember a long, long time ago I kept going on about how handy this little binder I put together in my serger class was. The cheat book tells me how to adjust my dials to create the stitch or technique I need. The class came free-ish with the purchase of my Janome 1110DX, which is another reason to purchase from the independent dealer rather than the box stores. All told, the class was only 3 quick hours, just an intro really, and an absolute life saver (especially since I found my machine’s tensions had been set incorrectly at the factory and all the thread breaking was not my fault, damnit!) If you can go to serger class, go! But for those of you who are intrepid enough to teach yourself, I highly recommend making yourself one of these. Very simple, just some written, printed or Xeroxed pages with spaces to write down what technique or serger stitch you are using, what settings your needles and looper tensions, the stitch length, and the differencial feed are set at, along with a space for a fabric sample of the stitch made from some scrap and stapled in. That simple, and mind bogglingly useful to have. I have photographed my whole booklet, which I keep in a small binder. You can read what I’ve written (well, you can if you can make out my messy handwriting), but if you leave a comment with a specific question about any of the techniques I can provide additional specific information. Here she is: 4 thread sewing: the base set up. Ribbing: Just knit ribbing for necklines. Sergers are a dream for knits. Clear elastic: where I discovered this amazing product. I would of never made more than one twirl skirt without it. Differential Feed: to prevent the stretching of the knits and fleece, among other things. 3 thread wide: which I use now all the time. This is also how I found out about wooly nylon. Flat-locking: way too fun, but I still hardly ever work it into regular sewing. And wonderful, brillant rolled hem (along with faux-pintucks): Keep in mind that even if you have the same brand serger as I, you will have to make your own cheat book because every machine is set slightly different. As I said, if you have specific questions about any technique or the serger book set up, leave a comment and I will do my best to help you out :) ***************************************************** This is a free tutorial and I encourage you to use the information in any way you need to (check the disclaimer at the bottom of the page). If it works for you, please consider supporting my etsy shop by purchasing a Little Print Design pattern or toss a dollar or two in my paypal to show appreciation and to encourage me to offer up even more quality patterns and tutorials. Thank you! Questions about the Donation? FAQ here.

I thought I'd tell you a little about my serger for today's sewing 101 lesson. Serger is a funny name. Some people call it an overlock machine. I think it is great to learn to sew

What is a Serger Machine? Learn their uses and functions, and find the best options for professional sewing right here!

Before I got my first Serger, I pondered about it for along time. When I was first looking to buy an over-locker (which is what we call a serger in Australia), they were very expensive, and to be honest, just a little bit scary. So many threads and dials to consider, but I wanted to get the best serger I could find. Back then the internet wasn't well established so looking for serger reviews wasn't all that easy, so I had to go by word of mouth. I was also a bit wary because, a serger machine also cuts the

As we get closer to launching Jade, my next pattern for knit fabrics, I thought I'd recommend my (new-ish) serger for those of you looking for a good recommendation. I know it can...

A couple months ago I ran out of patience with my old Elna serger... even though the sewing function still worked okay, she was a beast to thread and the presser foot lifter had broken off, which made inserting fabric tricky. Plus she lacked the feature that i dreamed about most... jet air loopers.

We’re already half way through April which is National Serger Month! Now that you’ve learned to thread your machine, how about learning the easy way to change the color of thread? Yes…

Learn everything with this Juki MO654DE Review. Its pros and cons, best features as a serger and everything you need to know before buy it.

Learn about how to keep your sewing supplies in good working order, plus the best way to go about sharpening a seam ripper.

10 Serger Tips for Beginners - For my Christmas, I splurged and bought myself a new Juki serger and I love it!Sergers sew, cut, and finish

You can make a Blind Hem with Serger Machines? This technique is a super clean way to finish the hems of all your knit sewing projects.

This video sewing tutorial is a detailed review of Juki serger MO-2000.

Welcome to Part 1 in my NEW comparison series on the Singer Pro Finish Serger and the Brother 1034d Serger!! Well…..here we go!! I know many of you have been waiting patiently for this compa…

Hi Keeping it Simple readers! After my post about sewing machines last time, I thought that this time I'd talk to you about sergers. If you've been sewing for a while, you might have heard that you need to get a serger. Well, I'll let you in on a secret - you don't need one.

I'm sure you've noticed that I've been going to town with my coverstitch machine, which is a Brother 2340 CV. I initially purchased it because of my frustration with the twin needle for hemming knits. I also picked up a binder attachment, but I wasn't sure I'd use it a ton. Holy moly, was I wrong!! I LOVE this thing, and I want a couple more in every size! After only using it for a week or so, I am in no way an expert, but I thought I'd show you all a few things I've discovered. Of course, the most important thing I've found is Debbie and Belinda's amazing tutorials! If you want to bind with your coverstitch machine, that is the place to start. (ETA: Belinda's blog is unfortunately closed, but Debbie's is still and excellent resource.) So, this is how it looks all set up. This is a generic binder and so it doesn't line up with the attachment point on the face of the machine at all. It is held in place with Sticky Tack, which works great. it doesn't have to interact with your machine, so as long as you have space in front of your presser foot, this binder should work for you. Here is a view from the top. I don't have the shorter presser foot on, so the binder is pretty far forward. It is easier to position if you do not have a long toe on your presser foot. Getting the binding strip in place was tricky the first couple of times. Here is the process, once you have the strip fed through the binder. (Debbie's blog has some great tips for getting that fabric strip in there.) Once the fabric is feed, the binder will fold it. Mine is an A type binder, so it folds under the right side and wraps the raw edge around the wrong side. The next step is a wee bit tricky. You have to fold the binding strip into the two little toes at the front. You'll have to fold it in half and insert it, so that it looks like this. Stitch a little along the empty binding to position it just the way you want it. Just move the binder to the left or right to position it in relation to the needles. Next you'll feed in your fabric. just slide it in between the toes of the binder and let the movement of the binding strip pull it in. I found that if I didn't put any tension on the fabric to be bound, I ended up with some gathering, just like if you sewed over stretched elastic. See how gathered that little sleeve is? Cute, but totally unintentional. I'm glad I made a girlie item first! With a little experimentation, I discovered how much I needed to pull on the fabric as I fed it to keep it from gathering, so my boy shirt lies nice and flat. I'm honestly not sure if there was a better way to do this. I'm hoping you'll all share your coverstitch tips and tricks, too!

I purchased my overlocker (serger), when my kids were little; a Janome MyLock 203. It wasn't an expensive overlocker, but nor was it cheap. However, it was well worth the money. Back in those days, I did a lot of stretch sewing and so the overlocker was invaluable. Fast forward many years and the overlocker was packed away with my regular machine, only to be brought out to hem jeans. There came a time when the kids no longer wanted handmade clothes, I was busy with other things, my interests changed and so sewing was rarely undertaken. A couple of years ago, I left the workforce and found myself with spare time. My kids had left home, so my time was mine to do with as I pleased and so I began sewing again. Until about 8 years ago, I sewed with the Lemair Helvetia I'd purchased when I was 19 years of age. It was a very basic machine, having only two stitches; straight stitch and zig zag, but that didn't stop me sewing everything I wanted to, including my wedding dress and three bridesmaids dresses. I then inherited my mother-in-law's Janome, which was still pretty basic. With all the sewing I'd done, I thought it was time to upgrade, and so two years ago, I bought myself a whiz bang Bernina. My poor old overlocker was a little the worse for wear and no matter what I tried, I just couldn't get the tension right. I packed it away again and continued to sew without an overlocker. My first stretch garment on the new machine, turned out just fine. And so I've been sewing almost everyday for the last two years, without an overlocker. There hasn't been one thing where I've needed an overlocker, which is exactly the same as when I was sewing with my old Lemair Helvetia pre overlocker days. Recently, I came across a couple of articles on overlocker tension and thought... why not give it another try. I decided I would clean the machine first. On opening the cover, I thought I could see little pieces of broken needles. Hmmm... too many pieces and definitely not any broken needles. The shiny things I could see, were bits of thread from the numerous dance outfits I'd made over the years. This was the first dancing costume I made for my daughter when she was just a tiny tot. Wasn't she cute!!! She still is!!! Over the years I made many, many costumes, as she continued to dance until she was an adult. I can still clearly remember making those costumes. We would be given a hand drawn pattern with a few, vague instructions. Oh, sometimes there were tears as I'd try to work out how on earth to put it together. There was no Internet to search for how to's!!! In the end, they always came together and it was totally worth it to watch my little darling up on stage. Well, the bits of dancing costumes, along with lots of other stuff, show that I really didn't clean my machine properly. It was about time I did. By the time I finished, the inside of the machine was spotless... well, no stray threads or fluff. Before I set to fix the tension, I ran the machine to check that it was actually working and guess what? The tension was spot on!!! All it needed was a clean!!! As you can imagine, I was thrilled. I am enjoying using the overlocker again. An overlocker is definitely quicker (than a regular machine using zig zag), to neaten seam edges, but I still often use the regular machine. It all depends on the project, how many edges need neatening and where the project will end up. An overlocker is definitely not a necessity, even if you are sewing with stretch fabric. If you are lucky enough to own one, though, you'll find that it speeds up some things, neatens edges beautifully and it is great for stretch fabrics. The following fabulous posts have all been linked to the Sewing Tips & Techniques link party, here at Threading My Way. If you have an overlocker, they are well worth a read... Sewing Essentials - Serger Tweezers How to Unpick Overlocker / Serger Stitches Threading a Serger Made Simple Are You Feeling Serger / Overlocker Tension? Relationship Rescue: You and Your Serger... a 9 part series I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences about overlockers? ... Pam

Hey, look what I found while digging through my books! My serger cheat book! Remember a long, long time ago I kept going on about how handy ...

I'm happy to share with you my first web tutorial! I've shown you how to make a very fun placemat using a serger (also known as an overlock) sewing machine.…

Hi Friends! Jodie here - I thought I'd share this sweet skirt made from the Gigi Blooms Collection by Adornit. As you may know, my background is in garment making, so I thought it would be fun to share an easy tutorial along with a few tips that will help you coast right through the process and give your garments a professional finish! This tutorial focuses on serging techniques. If you are going to be making garments, this is an investment that you won't regret. However - for those of you who haven't yet taken that step - you can certainly make this skirt with a regular machine. Without a serger, be sure to use a zig zag stitch to finish any raw edges - this will minimize fraying when you wash/dry the skirt. FABRIC SELECTION: This is my favorite part! I chose Gigi Blooms Botanical for the main part of skirt, and Adornit's Plum Burnish for the bottom band. CUTTING: You'll want to measure a favorite skirt from top to bottom to know what length you'd like. And you'll need to know the waist measurement. For example, we wanted to create a size 3T skirt, 10" length and 20" waist. Here is how you will cut your fabric: MAIN PRINT: Take your desired skirt length + 1.75" - 2" (our example is 10" + 1.75" - 2" = 9.75" X WOF) BAND: Cut 4.5 inches X WOF ELASTIC: 1" wide X waist measurement (preferably non-roll, but if you feel this is too stiff-- you can use regular elastic) For fullness, you will want your skirt to be 1.5 to 2 times the waist measurement. Our little sweetie had a 20" waist measurement so we cut our WOF pieces down to 40" wide. Let's get started! Jodie's Tip: Serge the top edge of your main print - don't cut off any of the fabric. Serge right along the edge, which will cut off any fraying threads. Do this step first so that your top edge doesn't continue to fray while working on the rest of the skirt. This also makes for a beautiful finish when your garment is complete! _____________________________________________________________ Fold your band in half length-wise and press. Place the band along the bottom edge of your main print, raw edges together. Serge the band to the main print in a 1/4" seam. Again, don't cut off any fabric - just run the serger knife blade along the raw edges of your fabric. Press the serged seam TOWARD the skirt. ________________________________________________________ Fold top edge down 1.5" and press. _________________________________________________________ Putting right sides together, serge the back seam from top to bottom in a 1/4" seam and leave a 6" thread tail at the top & bottom (We are going to learn a couple of great tricks, and you'll need a decent sized thread tail at both ends.). Reminder -- don't cut off any fabric while serging - just run your serger knife along the raw edges. It is helpful to pin near the bottom band to make sure it is lined up nicely & held in place. However, don't forget to remove any pins as you are serging! _____________________________________________________________ Jodie's Tip: here's a quick & easy way to hide your serger tail and keep the serger threads from unraveling! Thread a large eye needle with the serger tail (loops & all!). Use your needle to navigate the opening at the bottom of the serged seam - you will insert your needle into a "pocket" that is formed between the loops. You should not be catching any fabric with the sharp end of your needle - this is similar to inserting a piece of elastic into a casing. Insert your needle into this pocket about 1" and the push the needle through the top layer of fabric as shown. Pull your looped thread through tightly and then trim the tail close to the serged seam. Press the back seam toward one side. ___________________________________________________ Jodie's Tip: Hide your serger tail in the casing and keep the serger threads from unraveling! Loop your serger tail around and behind the back seam. Pull the tail taught so that it wraps around the top of seam neatly. Trim serger tail near the pressed fold line. While keeping the tail tucked behind the back seam, fold your elastic casing back down and re-press. ___________________________________________________ As soon as you have finished tucking in your thread tail behind the back seam, it's time to switch to your regular sewing machine! Stitch about 1/16" to 1/8" from the folded edge. This holds that thread tail in place plus gives a professional finish! Next, you'll want to sew your elastic casing. I find it helpful to lay the elastic on top to get an idea of where to stitch. Make sure you leave a tiny space on either side of the elastic to accommodate the thickness of the elastic so you can easily insert it. (If you're going to be making several skirts, it can be helpful to use a piece of washi tape to mark a guide line on your machine.) I like to leave the opening for elastic off to the side of the back seam - I think it's easier to stitch closed after the elastic is inserted (see next picture). And... peek of the elastic casing from the inside! Doesn't this look terrific?! ____________________________________________________ Insert elastic and adjust to fit. I like to straight stitch plus zig zag the elastic. Trim elastic close to the zig zag stitching. Stitch the casing opening closed. Work the elastic around the waistband until all the gathers are distributed evenly. Jodie's Tip: To hold elastic in place AND give a professional finish, stitch a square with an X in the middle -- right over the back seam. (It looks like a little barn door!) ____________________________________________________ Let's do our final touch! Either top-stitch about 1/8" from the seam edge or add trim such as ric rac. Why we do this: holds the pressed & serged seam in it's place + gives a final element of professional stitching to your skirt! I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! Here's to many happy hours of garment sewing! Jodie

It's that time of year in Austin. It's getting hotter and hotter and all I want to wear are knits! So this month I've been sewing up a bunch of knit projects, and decided it was about time to upgrade my serger. Meet my new addition! I've been thinking about upgrading for awhile now. I bought my first serger, a Babylock Imagine, about 13 years ago. It is still a fantastic little machine. I bought it barely used on eBay for an absolute steal--I felt so lucky! I loved how lightweight and easy it was to set up but over

In this post, I will tell you the secret shortcut to change serger threads on your Overlock/ Serger Machine quickly and without errors.

Top US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy, discusses "What is a Serger" and helps you decide if one's right for you. Click now!

If you don’t secure the thread ends when sewing on a coverstitch machine, they will unravel faster than you can say “now where did I put my scissors?” This phenomenon is one of the reasons sewing on a coverstitch machine is so different from using a regular sewing machine. I’ve talked about how to secure coverstitch seams and threads a bit in some of my previous coverstitch videos, but I figured it would be a good idea to compile all the info in one video. So in this video, I show the three common ways to do this: Pulling the threads to the reverse side using a narrow tool Securing the threads using a needle (good when doing reverse coverstitching and for extra safety) Sewing over the edges of the seam (good when hemming on the flat) […]

Whenever I do the KNITerviews, I get really geeked about sewing with knits which makes me want to add a few extra posts to help get people started sewing with...

Differential feeds are found on sergers and overlock machines while most regular sewing machines have an even feed.

I am often asked about knits, and the infamous ‘Wavy Seam Syndrome’. Up until recently, my advice hasn’t been all that fantastic. Let’s see, there is sewing with a ball point needle. Sew using your serger (if you have one), or a zig zag stitch. If you must do a straight stitch, always sew on […]

Learn about Sewing Knits Fabrics. Here you'll learn how to sew stretch fabrics, with and without a serger. Become a knit fabric expert.

I am often asked about knits, and the infamous ‘Wavy Seam Syndrome’. Up until recently, my advice hasn’t been all that fantastic. Let’s see, there is sewing with a ball point needle. Sew using your serger (if you have one), or a zig zag stitch. If you must do a straight stitch, always sew on […]