Sewing machines are a girl's best friend, right? Earlier this year I went into some detail on my most valuable tool as a seamstress: My Janome DC2010 sewing machine. This week I will be walking you through a second step-by-step sewing machine review on the other love of my love: My Brother 1034D serger. Not only will I be telling you ALL about this beauty (and why it's 100% a worthy investment) but I will also walk you through how to thread a serger. Because it's definitely not easy, and it definitely takes practice. And no--I'm not getting paid to write this review, or being sponsored by Brother. I simply love my Brother 1034D serger, and wanted to share one of my most valuable tools with you guys. But first.. What IS a serger? Sewing machines can be used for pretty much anything and everything when it comes to sewing. Think: Sewing seams, decorative stitches, buttonholes, and even finishing off raw edges of seams. On the other hand, sergers (like my Brother 1034D serger) are used solely for the purpose of finishing off the raw edges of seams. So. If a regular sewing machine could be used to finish off a raw edge, then why buy a serger? The short answer: Sergers finish off a seam MUCH, MUCH CLEANER than a regular sewing machine ever could. A serger simply provides a cleaner, professional, and overall more secure finish. (Ready to up your sewing game? Don't forget about building up a good sewing kit first. Grab your complete beginner's guide & shopping list below!) While regular sewing machines only have 1 thread for sewing, sergers typically have 3-4 threads. This not only allows for a more secure finish, but the additional threads encapsulate the raw, frayed edge much more than a single thread stitch on a regular sewing machine ever could. And while the idea of encapsulating more threads might not seem worth it to invest in a serger (not necessarily my Brother 1034D serger, but any machine) I promise you that it is the perfect reason to invest in one. The instant most fabric is cut, it starts to unravel. (With the exception of heavy fabrics, like felt.) But, for the most part, keeping fabric from unraveling during the sewing process is a real issue. Not securely closing off that raw edge not only looks unprofessional, but will result in the fabric continuing to unravel over time. Any semi-experienced seamstress can take one look at a seam finished off with a serger and a seam finished off with a regular sewing machine and know the difference. And honestly, who wants to wear clothing that actually LOOKS homemade? #notme (Ready to up your sewing game? Don't forget about building up a good sewing kit first. Grab your complete beginner's guide & shopping list below!) I have mentioned before in previous posts that one of my very favorite questions to be asked is