Serger

A free serger??!! Take it!

You could make some fun quilts--maybe one out of denim where the seams are all on the outside--serged with denim yellow thread.

Want to finish the edge of kid's quilts that are definitely not heirloom? Wooly nylon makes a great edge.

Need to join pieces for backing. The serger can cut the selvedge and finish the seam.

Gonna be awhile before you get the top quilted? Serge around the edge to stabilise the edges. If you never get to it, your great grandchildren will be so happy the edges are serged.

Want to make some pillows/hot pads/placemats/chair pads, etc.???? They are fast and easy to serge.

If it has never been used, all the directions on threading should be there!!

Happy quilting,

Lenore

Personally I wouldn't, I learnt to use one at school and my interests mean I'd use it so infrequently it simply wouldn't be worth it even if we did have the space. At school they had two, one threaded with black and the other with white as they were so complicated to thread!

Cheers Anne

How nice!! Once you get it, follow the instruction manual to learn how to thread it and set the tensions just as the book shows you. There are so many uses for your new serger! If a friend is having a baby, you can make baby blankets much faster than you thought! You will love it! Barbara in SC

If you do any garment sewing, a serger is wonderful. It sews a seam and finishes it all in one step. Of course, you do have to make sure it is not going to be too small before you serge it, because the seam is trimmed to about 1/4 inch. It is especially nice for sewing stretch fabrics -- t-shirts, swimwear, etc. I also like it for sewing sleepwear out of any fabric.

Julia in MN

Yes, my goodness Yes! take it. You won't have to hold it in your lap. One of mine sits happily on the floor of a closet until I need it. That one is hard to thread and does exquisite fine heirloom stitching - not needed here often but she's a keeper. The Elna is easier to thread and it just wonderful, especially with holiday stitching to do. I just serged a soft little stack of preemie diaper shirts and need to do a dozen or so napkins to line cookie tins for Christmas. You most probably can learn to thread it by yourself but if not, there are SM dealers who offer classes to learn sergers - any model or brand. If not, there are excellent books. We can help you with buying thread and such. You will want to wait until life has gotten easier for you to learn serging but the time will come. Holding you close, Polly

Grab it, girl! I never realized I would use a serger until I stayed a week with a friend who had one and "played".......it opens up a whole new world and it's not like you're BUYING something you might not use. If it turns out it's not for you, pass it on.

I serge the cut ends of fabric before I wash it....no ravels, no strings. You can finish things off in a jiffy as many others have already said. I sat down with a pile of old ratty white T-shirts, cut them across the chest, from "pit to pit" then starting at the side seam serged the cut edge to the opposite pit, hung a left, it cut down the side and finished at the same time, hung another left, finished and cut the band off the bottom, hung another left and serged up to the start.....did the same with the back side of the T-shirt. In less than half an hour I had 22 dusting/cleaning rags with finished edges that don't roll up when you wash them! I've made cleaning cloths from wash clothes and towels that start to get frayed edges by finishing them with a serger. None of that "terry lint" when I wash them. I can zip up a pair of cotton knit draw string 'jammie pants' I like to lounge in around the house in about 30 minutes from yardage to pants. I can whip up boxer shorts for the boys in about 45 minutes a pair....I learned the "quick elastic trick" in that class. If you've ever made stuffed animals or pet toys sergers are the bomb. the seams are very sturdy and won't pull apart. The more you use it, the more you will use it.

The one thing I would highly recommend is take an intro class. I learned so much more than I didn't even know I didn't know by just using the manual for

Threading is a snap if you take the time to learn......put a different color thread on each spool and open the manual. Thread it in the *exact* order the manual tells you.....serge a 6" sample, cut the thread then pull all the thread out and do it again.....six times. The different colors helps the beginner not get confused with "where am I?" That's what the teacher had the people in the class do that had trouble threading their machines (and also us old timers, a few times, just to prove we COULD thread it) and somewhere between the fourth to sixth time they were threading those babies up without even glancing at the manual. It's OK to tie off the threads to pull them through, but if you have a snapped thread it's frustrating to figure out threading in the middle of a project. Rule number ONE: learn to thread that thing before you start sewing!! Then also, when you are learning to adjust tension and such the different colors of thread will tell you what each looper is doing. Makes it easier to learn what that machine does and troubleshoot your mistakes.

After you played with it for awhile you'll wonder why you ever put off getting one. Sergers are totally kewl! This gift is a sign from the Goddess of Sergers......go for it!!

Val

I don't think I would sew as much clothing as I do, if I didn't have a serger. I think it makes the assembly of clothing fast and professional looking. They are a bit more complicated to thread, but then they use large cones of thread and so you don't have to thread them as often as a sewing machine. And, it you do use it a lot, then the threading proceedure becomes second nature. If you load it up with neutral colored thread, you can use it for almost any sewing project. Other people have commented on it's application for quilting, but I use mine for sewing of clothing and home decorating projects exclusively. If you can get it fro free or cheap, I say go for it, if you do any clothing assembly work or home decorating work.

John

Actually once you get it threaded and want to change thread colors start with the loopers . You just tie the two threads ( new color and the one that was already on the machine ) together and either lower the tension and pull the threads through or just serge and the new thread comes through. For the needles you can do the same thing except when the new color thread gets to the needle with the knot in it you just cut the knot and thread the needle. Thre are a lot of books out there too that are very helpful for on how to use a serger. A pair of long tweezers help me and I did buy a video by Nancy Zieman on using serger feet and there might be good helps on threading it , etc. on that video. The thread that you use is fine ..comes in quite big cones...actually quite cheap to buy...and you don't need a zillion colors unless you are planning on making a lot of clothing.

I've only used mine for overcasting the seam allowances and sometimes sewing seams but have never used it with fancy threads . I used to sew a lot of clothing and couldn't wait to have a serger but it seems like once I bought one I sort of stopped sewing clothes !! I won't get rid of mine but I'll probably not buy a new one if this breaks down.

Also, I'm pretty sure there is sewing gadgetry for sergers such as 'bobbins or spools' that you can load so that you can buy one of those cones of thread and fill them...thus avoiding buying 4 cones of the same color .

If you're sewing something that needs matching color thread (other than the neutrals used in the loopers) that isn't too big - fill a couple bobbins for the needles.

Donna in Idaho

Thanks Val for a great post... I've looked at them, but now, am "almost" convinced I could actually use one. Happy sewing. :)

I use both of mine a huge amount for garment making: less so for quilts.

Threading is easy once you know how, and it will have a manual. If the manual is lost, Pfaff will send you another (for a consideration!).

I usually use 120's poly or polycore in mine, woolly nylon/bulk poly, and various other threads depending on what I'm doing and whether or not this is decorative or merely construction. For main seam sewing you really need 3-5,000m cones of serger thread in basic colours/the colours you use most.

Unless you break a thread, you only need to thread a serger once! Cut the threads near the top of the serger, tie a secure knot with the new thread attached to the old, and carefully pull the thread through. You do have to thread the needle(s) at the end though. I don't use my serger as much as I used to, but it still deserves a space in my sewing room!

I serged the seams in the back of the quilts I made for my young children.,... They get washed a lot and I just dont trust my quilting ability will keep that tiny 1/4 in seam in tact. Thefirst q uilt I made, pre serger, is popping in places. The post serger kids quilts are all fine. Anyhow, I think for the extra utility type quilts especially those made with flannel, which always frays so badly. maybe a quilter would use a serger under certain circumstances. Oh I have serged the seams on a quilt I tied as well.

Carissa whoi used the serger all the time, its my favorite machine. :)

DS serged the quilt he made in 8th Grade...uses it nightly washed whenever he thinks it needs it (in other words it gets a work out) and so far it has not had to have any kind of repair anywhere. Don't have a serger any longer.sometimes, I wish I did but not often enuf to buy another

Butterfly

Thanks, Carissa, for the suggestion on serging the seams of the quilt backs. I've got a serger but have not really used it ... other than a bit of practice. I just don't 'get' WHEN one would use a serger instead of a regular SM, nor HOW one would cut out the pattern.

For anyone with out a serger, I suggest piecing the quilt back as we do in my little Quilts of Valor group. We use a very wide seam .... about 1/2" I think, but we 'eyeball' it, so that is a guesstimate. Then we sew the seam AGAIN about 1/8 to 1/4" into the seam allowance. This makes a pretty sturdy seam. I WILL try the serger seam though.

PAT > I serged the seams in the back of the quilts I made for my young