Wife wants a SERGER for birthday - HELP ME !!

Nope. Won't do it. Buying a serger is like buying a CD or a book. If you want to get her one she'll like and use (and like to use!),

*she* has to pick it.

Give her a gift certificate (either from the dealer or from you) for a serger, but *she* has to go pick it out. Would you buy her a car without her input?

What I think is important in a serger may not be what she wants. There may be little things about *this* serger that I can live with, but will drive her absolutely *nuts*; and something on this *other* serger that drives me nuts but that she likes.

My DH is pretty clueful about sewing. He knows my likes and dislikes fairly well. You couldn't get him to pick out a serger or a sewing machine for me. (In the same vein, I wouldn't even attempt to pick out a pair of observing binoculars for him.)

Some things are very personal....sergers are one of them.

jenn

-- Jenn Ridley snipped-for-privacy@chartermi.net

Why not give her a beautiful card with a hand-made certificate that reads "Good for one serger"? You can give this to her early and make a date to take her to look at them since machines are like cars, 'different makes & models for different folks'. In the most recent THREADS magazine is an article describing many different brands & models, what each do and suggested retail price. Many dealers sell several brands, and she must one that she trusts & is happy with, that will offer some instruction(most important if she is not familar with their uses), support and answer questions when needed. I have Pfaff sewing machines and sergers because they fit me, but 2 cousins, sisters, would never use a Pfaff, one of them is a Bernina and the other a Janome person. One thing, I can say in a loud voice, "Don't buy a Brother serger." Everyone whom I know that has bought one is most unhappy with them. On line, each manufacturer has a website desplaying their machines w/MSRP. But most people don't pay that much for them because there are promotions, sales, etc. Hope this helps, though this is a long response. Emily

You are a great husband to buy your wife a serger,but I have to agree with Jenn that she should test drive and pick her own. She should be able to see if the threading is easy for her and if it sews on the fabrics she wants to use. She should bring pieces of fabric with her to test on. The dealer should be willing to let her try them out and offer lessons,if not ,go to another dealer.

Elaine

Hello Bob,

I agree with the others - BUT - to make it more romantic and very special - go with her to pick one out! Stay with her in the dealership and when she has chosen the one she wants - and you have paid for it and placed it in your car - THEN take her out to dinner at her favorite restaurant. This would be 'sew' nice and she will love the thought of your giving her the serger she wants and will always remember that you actually went with her when the purchase was made. There is much to be said for telling each other want is wanted for special day presents but nothing makes it special like actually being there when the item is purchased!

Good Luck! Sun

DO NOT BUY YOUR WIFE A SERGER! (yes, I'm shouting!)... go get her a copy of Threads issue #108, currently on the newstands and probably also available at local fabric stores... there's a nice article in that issue on "how to choose the right serger". Wrap it up with a check or a promissory note and put it in a big box with lots of fancy paper and ribbons, and say, "here, dear, have fun selecting the one you really want".

It's sort of like buying someone else's shoes for them when they haven't tried them on (and indeed, have never even tried that brand)... you just don't know if what you bought is going to fit her, or just be a pain.

If you'd like some good makeweight in the box, hop over to

and check under needlecraft/sewing forserger titles. I've not looked there for a week or two, but theydid have some copies of Ultimate Serger Answer Guide (which hasprevented my serger from taking flying lessons a couple of times),ABCs of Serging (one of the books I learned on) and Easy Guide toSerging Fine Fabrics, which has also been useful. Hamilton is quitereputable, and I've bought from them for years... good prices, goodreturns policy.

Kay Lancaster snipped-for-privacy@fern.com

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm going to let my wife know that I consulted other people on this, and they all agreed a serger as a gift isn't something I can choose for her, she'll have to pick one herself.

I don't mind going with her to buy it, but there was no way I was going to buy one blindly without the advice of someone who actually knows what they do.

So do sergers have the same effect on a woman as jewelry? :)

Hallo Bob,

please be patient, my husband isn't in these occassions, than I walk to the shop on my own and he goes to his shops(pc's etc.) in the neiborough, than I call him to pick me up. Just an example if you aren't patient and don't like woman tolk...(laugh) It takes soms an hour to choose a good serger....

I think it would depend on the woman........but I've never lost a serger because it fell off the window sill and went down the drain ;-)

Val

ALWAYS! (ok, at least for me....) betsey "we do not inherit the earth, we caretake it for our children"

I wouldn't know, I don't possess a serger (cuz I don't particularly want one!!) but I am sitting here looking at my 17" flat-screen LCD monitor, which I requested last year as an anniversary present. I mostly wanted it becuse there isn't much room on my desk, and I wanted to be able to keep all my computer manuals etc behind the nice, slimline monitor - out of sight but easily accessible. And yes, we went out and selected it together, then dh produced the necessary plastic. I get much more use out of this than I would another piece of expensive jewelry.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

I hope not... jewelry never did much for me. I want tools! And a serger certainly qualifies for that designation.

Jewelry leaves me cold but a serger would make me swoon and dance with joy!!

Katy M

If my DH wasted a spare couple of thou on a diamond, I'd scream! What a waste when I could have had a Designer I!! I already HAVE the serger, which he bought for me!

You could buy a machine for your wife, but in that case, try to buy from a dealer who carries more than one brand, and who will be flexible with refunds or exchanges if you buy a machine that is all wrong. Use the chart from Threads magazine to determine prices, and then what types of sewing she might like to do. That will narrow your search down to about 4 or 5 machines.

What you could also do is buy her a whole bunch of serger thread cones,

4 of each color is especially nice and thoughful, and pack them in a box along with a "gift certificate" for the machine of her choice. Look at Marathon Threads for ideas. I have a Viking-Husqavarna 905. Sometimes known as Huskylock.

Reasons I bought this machine:

I had used one before in a sewing class, along with other brands of sergers. I liked the smoothness of the stitch.

The dealer I purchased it from gave me a 30 day no hassles return or a six month full value trade up to a higher model.

There was a sale :-)

Roberta

When DBF got me my sewing machine for my birthday, I took the day off and we went together and I test drove everything, settled on one, and was lucky enough to be able to take it home that day and play with it. I did do some reading/research before hand so I had a good idea of what models I wanted to look at. Get your wife a copy of the latest Threads with the serger comparison chart in it. She can decide what features she wants and what models to look at, then you can go shopping together.

Maureen

Emily wrote: