Successful Serging: From Setup to Simple and Specialty Stitches

Successful

SERGING

From Setup to Simple and Specialty Stitches

BETH BAUMGARTEL

Contents

WHY CHOOSE A SERGER?

About the Serger

WHAT IS A SERGER?

The Serger and the Sewing Machine

Serger Capabilities

Anatomy of the Serger

Needles

Knives

Presser Feet

SERGER THREAD

Buying Thread

Color and Weight

Decorative Threads

Working with Decorative Threads

THREADING MADE EASY

Threading from Scratch

Threading by Tying

Rethreading Looper Threads

Threading Success

Serger Stitches

THE PERFECT STITCH

Stitch Length

Stitch Width

Adjusting the Stitch Width

Differential Feed

Presser Foot Pressure

BALANCING THREAD TENSION

Tension Controls

Adjusting for the Overlock Stitch

Perfect Stitch Tension

Tension Adjustments

BASIC SERGER STITCHES

Stitch Types

Edge-Finishing Stitches

Rolled-Edge Stitches

Seaming Stitches

Combination Stitches

Cover Stitch

Starting to Serge

PREPARATION

Safety First

Test Sample

Starting and Finishing

Stitching and Trimming Fabric

Securing Thread Tails by Machine

Securing Thread Tails by Hand

Removing Serger Stitches

STITCHING TECHNIQUES

Edge-Finishing Conventional Seams

Basting

The Basic Serger Seam

Preventing Puckered or Stretched Fabric

Serging Corners

Serging Curves

Serging Circular Edges

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

Gathering

Specialty Seams

Applying Elastic

Hemming

Inserting a Zipper

Rolled-Edge Techniques

Cover Stitch Techniques

Flatlock Techniques

Embellishments and Specialty Fabrics

DECORATIVE SERGING

Beading

Couching

Chain and Braid Trims

Decorative Edgings

Heirloom Serging

Shirring

Topstitching

Ribbing Bands and Edges

SPECIALTY FABRICS

Knit and Stretch-Woven Fabrics

Sheer Fabrics

Lace and Other Textured Fabrics

Heavyweight and Bulky Fabrics

Fake and Real Fur

Slippery and Satin-Finish Fabrics

Quick Fixes and Tips

Top Ten Secrets to Success

Troubleshooting Guide

Machine Care and Maintenance

Buying Guide and Considerations

INDEX

Why Choose a Serger?

For the speed and the many creative possibilities, of course!

Modern sergers are easy to use and capable of so much more than edge finishing—which was their great appeal when they first appeared on the market. They are still great for finishing seam allowances for a professional, ready-to-wear look. They also stitch flat, smooth seams in hard-to-sew knits and slippery fabrics.

Today’s machines are also capable of stitching with many threads at once, in a variety of styles, which gives you incredible potential for creating decorative work. Flatlocking, couching, rolled hems, beading, and novelty-thread work are just a few of the many possibilities. Creative potential is the reason that the serger is the machine everyone is talking about and wants to own!

The question is not whether you should invest in a serger (because you really should!), but how you can use your serger to its full potential. This book is filled with serging tips and techniques to help you answer that question. In this easy-to-use reference, you’ll learn how to make the most of the time you spend sewing—regardless of the type of sewing you do or how much of it—so you can create the very best projects possible. So, serge on!

About the Serger

What Is a Serger?

A serger is also called an overlock or Merrow machine (the manufacturer of the industrial version). Overlock is really the name of the primary stitch formed by the machine, but the term is frequently used to describe the machine itself.

The serger stitches a seam while trimming and overcasting the seam allowance, all in one step. It moves at a speed of about 1,700 stitches per minute—much faster than a standard home sewing machine. It can save hours of tedious seam finishing and give all your projects a more professional look, whether the serged stitches are functional (on the inside) or decorative (on the outside)!

A serger is typically defined by the number of threads it uses, anywhere from two to five (with additional threads if there are double or triple needles on a single shaft). The number of threads, in turn, determines how many stitches and what types of stitches the machine can form. (For a complete explanation of serger stitches, see here.)

Sergers have been marketed to home sewers for only about 35 years. The original machines were large, heavy, and loud, with exposed knives that were somewhat dangerous. Today’s sergers are much more user-friendly and are available at many price points and with a range of features. Many models are computerized.

A serger can’t entirely replace a sewing machine, but it can certainly enhance your overall sewing. You will find that the more you use your serger, the more comfortable and knowledgeable you will become, and the more you’ll be able to do with it. Whatever you call it—the serger, Merrow, or overlock machine—once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you ever did without it.

THE SERGER AND THE SEWING MACHINE

The serger is the perfect complement to your sewing machine—for its speed, its professional edge finishing, and its decorative versatility. Although it can’t replace a sewing machine, you can sew entire projects on a serger, such as knit items and some home décor projects.

The biggest difference between a sewing machine and a serger is that sergers have loopers instead of a bobbin for the lower thread. The thread passes through large eyes on the loopers, instead of wrapping around them, as it would around the bobbin. You still need your sewing machine to sew facings, most zippers, buttonholes, topstitching, and tailoring. The sewing machine is essential when accuracy, precision, and garment fit are important.

You don’t absolutely need a serger, of course—unless you sew professionally—but a serger certainly makes your sewing life easier, your finished projects more professional looking, and the sewing experience much more fun.

A sewing machine forms a stitch when the thread from a single needle (or multiple needles on the same needle shaft) pierces the fabric and interlaces with the thread from a bobbin, located within the bed of the machine.

A serger forms stitches with multiple threads. The serger has one, two, or three long metal loopers that carry the threads over and under the fabric. The loopers form stitches around the edge of the fabric without penetrating it. The looper threads interlace with the needle threads, which do penetrate the fabric.

SEWING MACHINE AND SERGER FEATURES

SEWING MACHINE

1 or 2 spools of thread, plus one bobbin

Lower thread feeds from a single bobbin.

Threads penetrate fabric.

Machine can backstitch.

Makes professional buttonholes.

Stitches precisely on curves and corners.

Does not trim seam allowances.

SERGER

2 to 10 spools of thread

Lower thread feeds through loopers.

Threads penetrate and/or wrap around fabric edge.

Machine cannot backstitch.

Making buttonholes is challenging.

Is challenging to stitch precisely on corners and curves.

Trims seam allowances as it stitches.

SERGER CAPABILITIES

When you buy a serger, take it out of the box right away and get acquainted. The more you work with your serger, the more you will discover all that it can do. The serger’s stitch capabilities depend on the number of threads the serger can accommodate and the number of loopers it has. Regardless of the number of threads, however, most sergers are capable of the following tasks:

Applying professional-looking seam finishes

Sewing and finishing long, straight seams in a single pass

Stitching a two-thread chain stitch

Sewing narrow pintucks

Creating decorative lettuced edges

Some straight stitching for garment construction

Making decorative trim

Working with difficult-to-sew fabrics (including stretch knits)

Strengthening children’s clothing (and other garments subject to wear and tear)

Adding decorative edgestitching to reversible items

Working with decorative and heavy threads (easily threaded through the loopers)

Executing beautiful rolled edges and hems (perfect for table linens and eveningwear)

Stitching pucker-free seams and edge finishes

Gathering single layers of fabric and gathering one fabric to another

Feeding fabric layers evenly through the machine to match plaids, stripes, and patterns

Decorative stitching for unique accent pieces and creative fabric painting

Doing all the stitching quickly, leaving more time for creative work!

ANATOMY OF THE SERGER

At first glance, a serger may look unusual and a little intimidating, but looks can be deceiving! Although every serger model is slightly different, the most essential parts on all machines are the same. The serger’s mechanical parts and the computer (if the machine is computerized) reside inside the body of the serger, but you don’t have access to them.

Sergers start to look different from each other on the front of the machine—depending both on the manufacturer and the machine’s maximum number of threads.

THREAD GUIDE POLE, THREAD GUIDES, AND SPOOL PINS

Vertical spool pins on the back of the machine hold the thread spools or cones. Each thread travels from the spool through a thread guide on the top of a telescoping thread pole. The pole prevents the threads from tangling and helps them feed evenly into the tension dials. The thread pole should be