I also sense there's some snobbery out there about using a serger to finish seams - like they should all be enclosed through a more traditional method (esp. I like to look at all the pretty pictures in it but I've never really sat down and read it carefully, or thought about what I could potentially create with my serger. In case you're wondering, I do have what looks to be a wonderful book on serging, Serger Secrets. Who hasn't mistakenly fed their serger a piece of a precious garment not meant for serger consumption? I have! (I try to serge only when I'm at my most alert, and never after a few glasses of wine. There's something about all those thread spools and tension dials, the rapid speed, and the fact that these little monsters will chomp your fabric to bits if given the chance, that makes people afraid of them. The serged seams look great, though, as you can see, I'm not much of a stickler for matching thread to fabric.Īnyway, just yesterday I received an email from a NYC-based reader asking me if I knew someone who could help her learn how to use her late-model Singer serger (I don't - do you?), and I realized that there are probably a lot of us serger-phobes out there. I change the differential feed from time to time depending on the fabric, but that's it. And the instructional DVD is posted on YouTube if you ever need to watch it.īut here's the thing: I use my serger for just one task - finishing seam allowances with a 3-thread stitch (the Brother has a 4-stitch capacity). The hand wheel turns toward you just like a sewing machine's does (the Huskylock turned the opposite way, grrr.). It's (relatively) easy to thread and uses regular sewing machine needles. It cost less than $200 refurbished - not a whole lot for a serger - and it has more than earned its keep. Six months later I treated myself to the serger everyone on Pattern Review seems to love: the Brother 1034D, and boy am I glad I did. I can't quite part with it yet (it sits on a high shelf in a closet) but it's a stinker. Finally, tired of investing hours upon hours on it, I gave up. I must have knocked something out of whack yanking out the stuck fabric because it never worked right again. When I was finally able to get it going - it took days - I tried to serge through multiple layers of denim flat-felled seams and jammed the thing. I purchased a second-hand Eighties-era Huskylock on eBay the summer before last and it was an absolute nightmare to thread (not to mention it came without presser foot, thread stand, or manual). My introduction to serging was unfortunate. But I'll let you in on a secret: these machines scare me. It has performed flawlessly, cleanly finishing my seam allowances whether they be chiffon or denim. Friends, I love my little Brother 1034D serger, which I've owned for nearly a year and a half.
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