I love my serger

Beth In Alaska wrote:

Oh Beth, sorry to hear you are not getting on with your serger. I must admit that I'd looked at them a couple of times, and been put off by how complicated they seemed! Then all the posters here kept raving about them, I finally got fed up with zig-zag seam finishes, and went and bought a serger.

For me, it was a revelation - why the heck didn't I buy one sooner?? I've since up-graded to a 5 thread with cover stitch because I wanted the coverstitch feature. This is something I need to practice more - much trickier than 3 / 4 /5 thread overlocking! And it's time consuming to swap modes, but such a handy feature.

Right - tension. Too much tension causes stress, cross people and snapped threads! OK - you have 4 threads in your serger and 4 tension discs - one for each thread. They all work the same as the tension disc for the needle thread in your sewing machine. When you thread your serger, it's important to make sure the thread snaps into place between the discs properly - I find with mine they occasionally slip out mid-seam which leads to cussing. The tension on the left needle, upper and lower looper threads determine how the stitch fits and looks on your fabric. The tension on the right needle doesn't appear to do much as far as I can see to affect the overall look and interaction of the other 3 threads. The tension on your left needle thread is just like the tension on your sewing machine needle thread. The tension on your upper and lower looper threads affect how tightly the two threads wrap the edge of the fabric, and whether or not it rolls. You should aim to have the looper threads meet on the edge of the fabric. Tightening the lower looper causes the lower looper thread to be shorter in comparison, and pulls the upper lopper thread to the back of the seam, and in an extreme case causes a rolled hem. The tension on the upper looper works in the same way. You can also adjust the whole thing by altering the cutting width, shaving off a bit more or a bit less fabric. The right needle tension needs to be set similar to the left. It is great fun and very educational, and probably a standard part of any serger class to thread your machine up with four very different colours (red, yellow, blue, green seem to be favourite) and then play with your tensions on fabric samples, making a note of what change causes what effect.

Differential - the speed of the back and front feed dogs on a serger (yes you have two sets rather than the single set on a SM) can be made different, hence providing a stretching or gathering effect when you set your differential to anything other than 1. This can be used to stretch lycra as it's sewn when making swim costumes, or gather tulle to make a ballet skirt. It does take practice and I've found I have to be careful not to let the fabric move left or right as I guide it through if there is a high differential set.

HTH, lots of good diagrams and better explanations than mine in some of the serger books out there.

Regards,

Sarah

Really it was just as I wrote. Luckily for me I wrote the instructions in my manual and my notes say: "When threading on red marker, make sure that lower looper eye (step 10) is only just (and I underlined the 'just' 3 times) showing from the left beyond the stitich plate. If the looper eye is too far to the right, the thread continues to break. In the right position, the blue looper eye will be hidden."

Nah, if there had been any such rider on the instructions I would have noted it. And it was put in terms of one of those "we've found that..." contexts whichis why, as the compulsive note takers I am, I worte it down so clerly (and thank heaven I did as it proved to get me out of jam). Anyway, I think that I just may have found the answer to why it happens and I've only just had a very quick look at the machine to investigate.

Last night after reading Kate's response to my post, I went to bed with my Serger/Overlocker books and both of them mention that need to ensure that the lower looper thread is not over the upper looper thread as the thread will continue to break and there seems to be a postion where it is possible to do that and that is where the lower looper is extended too far as they described. When I've had a look at the overlocker it appears that this would indeed up the thread in the wrong position.

if the thread extends beyond a certain point after threading it.

=Irene

It's OK. It's a bit scary thing with too many threads and a moving KNIFE on there! But once you get comfy with it you'll be as addled about it was we are. I heart my serger, and it's only an old White SL34-D

The best advice I ever got about my serger was this - thread it with 4 different colors of thread - preferable ones that match the colors on the thread paths. Start sewing on some plain cotton fabric (old sheets are good for this, as a nice plain stable weave will stay out of your way).

Then sew a bit. Look at the stitches. The colors make it very easy to see what is doing which part of the stitch.

Now you're going to experiment. Turn ONE of the tension knobs a little way. Stitch again, and again look at the stitching. What's different? Put that knob back where it was before (I have my knobs marked with a sharpie dot at the usual position for a balanced stitch). Then fiddle a different one. Repeat as necessary.

This really made a huge difference for me in understanding exactly how the various parts come together to make a whole stitch.

I sew a lot of historical clothing, but it's all modern on the inside. After all that research, I want it to LAST, though season after season of hard wear and machine washing.

Wendy Z Still Sig-less in Chicago

PS _ I have 2 more tour weekends till my performing season is over. With that plus the day-job, I've not had a day off since early August!

different?

That is the best advice ever given regarding serger learning, and followed it to the letter when struggling to get my Bernina 335DS to "work". Sadly once you've got everything up and running you are so SCARED of changing anything, that you will work with those same four or five thread colours until they run out! *LOL*

Even my Bernina owner's manual as workbook suggests new users use several different colours for threading the first few times until one has things down pat. Of course using different colours for needle and bobbin thread has been standard teaching for sewing machine use for ages.

Candide