What is a Serger Machine? Learn their uses and functions, and find the best options for professional sewing right here!
When your serger isn’t stitching quite right, learn which dials and settings need to be adjusted to fix the issues!
I love the internet! I posted on Facebook to ask the question if there was a quick settings guide for my serger (it seems like I'm always spending more time getting the tension right then actually using the machine!) Most responses were that you need to make one yourself. (Booooo!) But I did find some helpful posts of other bloggers that have the same model and listed their settings. I included the settings and their blog posts on the downloadable and printable chart but you may find that your machine works better at a different tension setting. To download the pretty version with shaded tables, click here! To download a print friendly version, click here! (They are the same....after I made the pretty one I thought maybe people wouldn't want to waste their ink for all the dark gray space!) There's a ton of information out there - my sheet does not give all the details on your machine since my goal was just to have a quick guide available. Honestly, sometimes I feel information overload when I start to read about everything my machine can do! LOL! I just want a pretty finished edge on my garments but maybe one day I can do all the fun bells and whistles! Hope you find it useful!
This helpful serger guide was submitted by Sarah from Sewing Parts Online. If you're ever in the market for a special sewing foot, pedal, bobbin, instruction manual, etc. be sure to check out their website. They even have parts for older machines like mine. Sarah hooked me up with some great darning feet! And now she's been kind enough to share this amazing guide with us. Enjoy! ... Learning all the new options a serger brings into your sewing life is a challenging and rewarding experience. I know most of us are intimidated by just the appearance of a serger, let alone figuring out what heck you can do with it! However, with a little time and patience, your serger will add all whole new perspective to your sewing. Successful sewing relies on a great community we all make together, so if you know any special tricks or have a few questions, leave them in the comment section below. Someone may have the same question or your trick might save us all a little more time! Firstly, mentally prepare yourself for a little confusion. When you're learning new serging techniques, you will find yourself adjusting, rethreading, crying, readjusting, switching needles...it's a lot to take in. This is because, just like a conventional machine, your setting have to be altered to fit different stitches, fabric, and thread weight...x4 (or x3 or x2 depeding on your stitch, but we'll get to that later). It takes time, but it does get easier and is well worth it! Secondly, give yourself time to really experiment with your serger before starting any projects. Trying to complete a project and compute all your serger settings will more than likely overwhelm brain circuits and cause spontaneous combustion. For me to understand my serger, I used my manual, library books, and surfed the internet to create a Serger Scrapbook. I tried out each stitch and different techniques one at a time. Once I had a stitch or technique done correctly, I glued the fabric swatch in my scrapbook, recorded all my settings as well as some tips and adjustments for different threads. Because there is so much to learn, having a scrapbook is an easy and fast way to recall information. While learning, I would limit myself to a couple hours of serging at any one time and just walk away when you feel the urge to break something. Give yourself time to learn in a stress-free environment and don't judge yourself if you mess up. It gets better! A few things to remember: Use good quality thread. Back away from the bargain bin; it will only end in tears. Sergers have fast moving parts and inferior threads cannot keep up. Maxilock and Toldilock are great options. Do whatever you can to ensure the thread is feeding evenly and consistently off the spool. Any wiggling will cause hiccups in your stitch. I have had to stuff my thread spools to secure them tightly. The thread nets are also very helpful. Use the Stitch Finger as a guide for sewing. Keeping an eye on the Stitch Finger (or the needle when the Stitch Finger is on R) will prevent the material from getting wrapped around the Upper Looper. Love thy Tweezers! I literally cannot thread my machine without tweezers. Tweezers also help if you are trying to detangle thread that wraps up where it shouldn't. Keep those pins far, far away from the cutting blade and the needles. You know how on your conventional machine you can get away with sewing over a pin or two? Not on your serger. You can always use basting spray to secure your fabric. If you must use pins, place them three inches away and parallel to the blade. Oil every 15 hours of serging and dust frequently. That cutting blade makes one heck of a dust pile. If a thread breaks in the upper or lower loopers, I rethread both of them in order just to be safe. Remember to keep your manual handy. I know we all hate trying to read manuals, but they really are a helpful reference. Here we go! Construction A four Thread Overlock stitch is ideal for constructing your projects. It'll finish the edges and hold your fabric securely. This is your basic starting point. You can serge in twill tape or ribbon into the seam to prevent stretch (like in shoulder seams). However, I recommend reinforcing heavy activity areas of clothing on your sewing machine after you have serged (like the crotch area of your pants). I have felt the wrath of not securing this area on a conventional sewing machine...in public. Settings for four Thread Overlock on Muslin using Regular Serger Thread: Left Needle- 5.5 Right Needle- 5.5 Upper Looper- 4.5 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 2 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Engaged (Can you spot the spelling error? Thank goodness for spell check!) Corners Serging an outside corner is basically serging a straight line. You can't pivot the material as you would on a conventional sewing machine. You simply serge a 3 inch chain past the end of the fabric, lift the needle and presser foot, and reposition your fabric to serger another straight line. The ends of the chain get secured in the stitch. Serging an inside corner requires you to bunch the fabric in to a straight line and serge normally. Don't worry, your fabric won't stay bunched. Try to get your line as straight as possible. Curves The trick to serging curves is all about control. Make sure you have a firm hand on the fabric and are controlling the feed with purpose. Try to slowly serge until you get the hang of it. Circles To successfully serge a circle, you need a starting point. Cut out a one inch long notch in the edge of the circle. The notch depth should be equal to your finished edge. So if I am cutting off 1/4 an inch, my notch will be two inches long, 1/4 inch deep. Just like serging a curve, maintain control of the fabric. You may find it helpful to draw your hem line and follow it as your serger. I always find it helpful to watch the needle(s) as I serger. Flatlocking Consult your maunal and adjust as needed. The trick is to have no tension in the needle and high tension in the loopers. Also, you want to examine your stitch finger and make sure the thread is hanging about 1/8 an inch past the edge of the fabric to ensure the fabric will lay flat when pulled. I especially love flatlocking with nylon thread in the upper looper. Here are my settings for three Thread Flatlocking with Nylong thread (on muslin fabric): Left Needle- 4 Right Needle- - Upper Looper- 5 Lower Looper- 9 Length-2 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged We see flatlocking often on active wear, but it also adds a great decorative element. With the wrong sides of the fabric together, you get the serging stitch in the right side of the fabric. But if you serge with right sides together, you will get a cool ladder stitch on the right side of the fabric. This is great for weaving in ribbon or yarn or beads. Spread or Two-Thread Converter Talk about a great way to save thread! A spreader, also known as a two Thread Converter, fits into the upper looper, making it think it's working when it's not. The same technique for sewing a three thread flatlock applies to sewing a two thread flatlock. Remember to let the fabric hang over. I find it most accurate to follow the stitch finger as I serger. I aim to have the edge of the fabric meet with the inside edge of the stitch finger. I keep my eyes glued to that and I get the best results. Inserting Spreader (Pardon my dust) Settings for two Thread Flatlock using a Spreader (serger thread and 100% medium weight cotton fabric): Left needle- - Right needle- 1 Upper Looper- Spreader Lower Looper- 5 Length- 2.5 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged Rolled Edges Rolled edges are so beautiful! Especially with decorative threads and on lovely sheer fabrics! Rolled hems are the stitch of choice for light-weight decorative fabrics, but require a few extras to be successful. Regarless of the stitch width, I recommend using some form of stabilizer on the lighter fabrics. You can use water soluble stabilizer or ribbon. I have actually heard of people using plastic wrap to secure the stitch of super delicate material. If you don't have any stabilizer available, you can simply fold the edge on itself and serger. You just need to go back and trim the extra fabric that's left over. Settings for Rolled Hem on Muslin using regular serger thread: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 3 Upper Looper- 9 Lower Looper- 9 Length- F Differential- 1.0 R or S- R Blade- Engaged Settings for Rolled Hem with Nylon Thread on Muslin: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 2 Upper Looper- 2 Lower Looper- 5 Length- 2 Differential- 1.0 R or S- R Blade- Engaged Remember, you will have to adjust your settings to accommodate for fabric weight and the type of stabilizer you use. Gathering You can buy a Gathering Foot for your serger, but it can be done with the general purpose foot, it just needs a little tweaking. I found I get the best definition using lighter fabrics, but you can increase the volume of your gathers by simply manually pulling on the needle thread after you have serged. Settings for Gathering with Nylon Thread: Left Needle- 5 Right Needle- - Upper Looper- 4 Lower Looper- 3 Length- 4 Differential- 2.0 R or S- S Blade- Engaged You can adjust the width as you please. Lettuce Edges A lettuce edge is an awesome decorative edge! You will get the best results from ribbed knits because they have a great stretch and bounce back quality. I tried a lettuce edge on other knits and wasn't pleased with the results nearly as much. The trick is to stretch the material from front to back as much as you can. Really pull on the fabric to get a great lettuce effect. You aren't going to hurt your machine. Slowly sew until you get the hang of it. Keep a firm grip and control the fabric. Settings for Lettuce Edges on Ribbed Knit using Embroidery Thread: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 2 Upper Looper- 2 Lower Looper- 6.5 Length- 2 Differential- 0.7 R or S- R Blade- Disengaged Making Waves There are a couple of ways to make your stitches look like waves. To create a wave look within your stitches and the create a wave effect with multiple rows of stitches. Wave Illusion within the Stitch: If you own a Babylock machine, you have a wave stitch built in. For the rest of us, you will need to do it manually. First, start with your manual's recommended settings for a three-Thread Overlock and make slight adjustments to fit your thread and fabric weight. User your left hand to guide the fabric. With your right hand, loosely hold lower looper thread between your pointed figner and thumb. Count 1-2-3 out loud and sqeeze your finger at the intervals beween each second. So you are literally pinching the thread for a millisecond as it comes off the spool. This takes a lot of practice. I'm still working on my precision. Settings for Manual Wave Stitch on Muslin using Nylon Thread: Left Needle- 5.5 Right Needle- - Upper Looper- 3.5 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 1 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Engaged Wave Illusion on Fabric: To create a wave look on your fabric, you serge multiple parallel lines using a shortened three-Thread Overlock Stitch. It looks best when you use decorative thread in the Upper Looper and thread matching your fabric in the Lower Looper. Then, on your conventional sewing machine, you sew a grid of alternating lines that intersect the serged lines. For example, you serge five parallel lines one inch apart. Then you go to your conventional sewing machine (match your thread to the fabric), sew five more parallel lines that cross over your serged line. You alternate the direction you sew to create the wave look. Basically, you are sewing a grid. Settings used on the Serger on medium weight fabric using decorative thread in Upper looper: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 5.5 Upper Looper- 4 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 1 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged Blind Hem Yes, it can be done! This works great in place of a cover stitch on knits. Start with a Flatlock. Adjust your settings to match your fabric and thread. Fold hem to the wrong side of fabric, then back over to the right side of the fabric. For a truely invisible hem, extend the raw edge past the fold and stitch on the extended hem edge (1/4 inch part), allowing the machine to just barely catch the fold. Sew slowly and keep your eye on the needle to make sure it is catching the fabric. Match your needle thread with the color of your fabric. Setting for Blind Hem on muslin using Nylon thread (increase tension in upper looper for regular thread): Left Needle- - Right Needle- 1 Upper Looper- 4 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 4 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged I hope you found this article helpful and good luck with your serger!
What is a Serger Machine? Learn their uses and functions, and find the best options for professional sewing right here!
When it comes to constructing knit garments, there is very little that requires the help of your sewing machine when you have a serger. This means that a basic sewing machine can most certainly get the job done with its serger buddy doing all of the heavy lifting. So what exactly makes a serger a better option for sewing knits?
Here I will compare a sewing machine vs serger vs coverstitch machine so you can be sure you have the right working tool for your intended sewing projects.
Sure, you read (or at least skimmed) the manual that came with your serger. But let’s be honest: there are a lot of types of serger stitches and thread…
Have scrap fabric you're not sure what to do with? You'll love this scrap busting tutorial -- RIBBON! From 1/4 yard of fabric you can make 11 yards!
Learn the 8 different types of serger stitches you can do. Included: close-up stitch photos & beginner-friendly descriptions.
Once you buy your first serger, it becomes time to learn how to use it. The first item on the agenda is learning about the best serger thread to use to help keep your machine working in peak performance and delivering top-quality results. Here’s what you need to know about choosing the best serger thread for your projects and the brands I recommend.
Sure, you read (or at least skimmed) the manual that came with your serger. But let’s be honest: there are a lot of types of serger stitches and thread…
🌸Just a small reminder of what a serger can do to spice up a garment. A lettuce edge hem is a decorative edge finish that you can do on ruffles, sleeves, dresses and many more and is made with knit...
Sure, you read (or at least skimmed) the manual that came with your serger. But let’s be honest: there are a lot of types of serger stitches and thread…
Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve joined in here at Itch to Stitch. I’m a teacher and back to school time is a crazy, exciting, hot mess as I’m sure many of you know. Do you know what else used to be a hot mess for me?! Removing serger seams! Honestly, I didn’t used to […]
Once you buy your first serger, it becomes time to learn how to use it. The first item on the agenda is learning about the best serger thread to use to help keep your machine working in peak performance and delivering top-quality results. Here’s what you need to know about choosing the best serger thread for your projects and the brands I recommend.
Learn the 8 different types of serger stitches you can do. Included: close-up stitch photos & beginner-friendly descriptions.
Learn about all the ways to achieve a professional seam finish for the interior of your sewing projects - including Hong Kong seams, serged, French Seams and more. From Love Notions Sewing Patterns, using the Luna Loungewear Pattern Collection
Learn about Sewing Knits Fabrics. Here you'll learn how to sew stretch fabrics, with and without a serger. Become a knit fabric expert.
Wondering what a serger is? How it works? What it does? We cover that AND the cover hem machine in detail!
Once you buy your first serger, it becomes time to learn how to use it. The first item on the agenda is learning about the best serger thread to use to help keep your machine working in peak performance and delivering top-quality results. Here’s what you need to know about choosing the best serger thread for your projects and the brands I recommend.
With over 9 years of experience in sewing and serging, I’ve compiled all of my experience into this amazing Learn How to Serge Ebook. With 12 comprehensive lessons you will become the serging expert you’ve always wanted to be! Here is a list of some of the lessons you will learn: -Detailed overview of each serger function -Comprehensive serger dictionary so you’ll know all the serging terms -Learn how to set proper serger tension (SUPER important when using an overlock machine) -Learn how to Serge Corners like a pro -Learn how to Serging 2 kinds of circles -Learn how to Serging with elastic -Learn how to Serging ruffles -Learn how to Serging corners -Learn how to How to clean your serger All lessons come with detailed pictures to make sure you understand every aspect. In addition, each lesson has linked tutorials on how to practice that technique.
Sure, you read (or at least skimmed) the manual that came with your serger. But let’s be honest: there are a lot of types of serger stitches and thread…
Once you buy your first serger, it becomes time to learn how to use it. The first item on the agenda is learning about the best serger thread to use to help keep your machine working in peak performance and delivering top-quality results. Here’s what you need to know about choosing the best serger thread for your projects and the brands I recommend.
Once you buy your first serger, it becomes time to learn how to use it. The first item on the agenda is learning about the best serger thread to use to help keep your machine working in peak performance and delivering top-quality results. Here’s what you need to know about choosing the best serger thread for your projects and the brands I recommend.
Description Providing the sewer and quilter even more surface area, the back drop-leaf in the raised position is an asset to your large projects. Yet, when the cabinet is closed it is still compact and easy to move around. The L-shape, with the serger shelf pulled out makes it handy for finishing off seams. Sylvia Design 1050Q is able to accommodate most of today’s larger sewing and embroidery machines with a storage drawer to store all your frequently used notions. The serger shelf hooks onto the sturdy door for support and stability. This is one of our most popular cabinets and was designed by quilters just for you. If you need additional workspace on your sewing cabinet for your quilt or larger projects, you can add the optional 1570 extension. The extension will increase your sewing cabinet surface area by 9 sq. ft. It measures Width: 35 1/4″ Depth: 19 7/8″ Height: 29 3/4″ You are Responsible to check the Sewing Machine Hole Size Be sure to measure your sewing machine with all attachments removed. For the best fit, allow 2 extra inches around your machine for the insert to fit well. The extra 2" also allows room for your machine to raise and lower freely with the lift and the sewing machine cords. The standard sewing machine opening size can be found in the specifications. Acrylic Insert Inserts are designed to fit your specific make and model of sewing machine and cabinet and fill gaps around your sewing area*, allowing you to work more efficiently and comfortably. They are made with one of the highest grades of acrylic. All the inserts are designed based on having the accessory tray removed from the machine. The insert is designed to be perfectly level with the free arm of the machine. If you have a top-loading bobbin this may affect your use. Occasionally those that are custom cutting the insert will have additional questions about your sewing machine, or the hole that they are fitting, and you will be asked more questions. Lift To support the weight of the new larger sewing machines, this cabinet has a Lift for your sewing machine table platform. The German-made heavy-duty airlift has three positions for your sewing machine. Positioned all the way down, you can close up the sewing machine cabinet completely. In the middle position, the arm of your sewing machine is flush with the top of your cabinet for sewing and quilting. This position is meant to be used with a sewing machine insert that fits around the arm of your machine. All the way up, the third position allows you to take advantage of your sewing machine free arm and use your embroidery unit. With three positions you can sew ergonomically and be comfortable as you enjoy sewing for hours. The lift allows 21.65" of height for your sewing machine and holds up to 60 pounds. This cabinet was designed by sewers and folks that use a serger and has conveniences built into the design. With your sewing in mind, there is a space to store your serger when it is not in use. The drawer at the bottom of the cupboard on the right-hand side is perfect for organizing the smaller items you use to sew with. Finishing Touches Sylvia Design finishes are made of hardwood melamine which is durable, heat, scuff, scratch, and stain-resistant. The tops and bottoms of the sewing cabinets are 3/4" thick and the upright pieces are 5/8" thick. Choose from any of the six beautifully rich colors that Sylvia has to offer: Castle Oak, Sunset Cherry, Twilight Linea, Brown Pearwood, White, and White with Oak trim. Every Sylvia cabinet is completely finished front to back, inside and out. The cabinet comes completely assembled. All you do is attach the commercial-grade locking casters. The cabinet even comes with a lifetime warranty. Sylvia Design is currently taking approximately 18 weeks to get their orders ready to ship. Delivery is to your curbside with a trucking company. The cabinet is secured on a pallet in one box and weighs approximately 275 pounds. You will need to be home to receive your cabinet and sign for it. Specifications Open Width: 95 1/4″ Depth: 39 3/4″ Height: 29 3/4″ Storage Cubby Dimensions: Width: 14 1/4″ Depth: 16 1/2″ Height: 14 1/4″ Closed Width: 49 5/8″ Depth: 21 3/4″ Height: 30 1/2″ Machine Opening Width: 26″ Depth: 12 1/2″
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 […]
