Scuff Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I'd like to get a serger. It could come in handy so often. What do I need to look for? I borrowed my mil's and hers trimmed as you went. That's nice, but I'd also like to have the option of it not doing that. I don't need top-of-the-line, but I don't want junk, either. What should I buy? I see several on amazon around $200. I have about $300 in the bank that I could use and can wait to save more if i need to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeBeaks Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 Sergers do trim as you go. Most of the models you will see will do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted December 10, 2011 Author Share Posted December 10, 2011 Bummer. I was thinking for sewing diapers that it'd be nice to not have it do that. Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
---- Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 A good place to start is the forums at patternreview.com - they are really knowledgeable people. I'm not sure where you're starting - do you have a sewing machine? A serger will not replace a sewing machine. However, you can sew well on a good used singer from the '70's or earlier that has a straight and a zig-zag stitch; a good tuned-up one should be less than $70. That leaves you $ for a serger. You'll want to do your homework, though. A cheap junky machine is not worth your time and will just be frustrating. Let us know what you'd like to sew and we can help you figure out what to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 My Brother sewing machine has a stitch that is the same as a serger - and a foot you can buy that does the serger trimming at the same time... that's probably the only way to get something that "serges" without having it cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hana Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 On my serger, I can remove (or move out of the way--it's been a while since I've used it) the trimmer blade. Mine is a New Home/Janome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 There are sewing machines that do serger-like things, and sergers that can move the blade, but I"m wondering whether the OP is a raw beginner who doesn't yet know exactly what she needs to do what she wants to do, KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted December 10, 2011 Author Share Posted December 10, 2011 I do have a regular sewing machine. I don't sew a lot- who has time for that? But I'm good with the basics. I'd like it for all the times it'd be nice to have a finished edge- diaper layers, rags, ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Can you give us a sense of why you'd want to move the cutting edge out of the way? Wouldn't most things you'd edge need a clean edge in order for the overlock to work? Sometimes I serge cutting off very little, for various reasons, but usually cutting a bit off (even 1/8") makes the whole thing work best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 Maybe I shouldnt? :) I've only used one a few times. Once, I was making cloth all-in-ones for my older girls, and I wanted to be able to serge the edges of the inner extra layers withou cuttin through the top layers. Now that I think about it, I probably could've just serged the extra layers together and the. Sewen them in with the regular machine. This was a few years ago and i was trying to figure it out myself. I don't remember how i ultimately decided to do it. Anyway, what's a good middle-of-the-line model? Where do I go to find out more about what to get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Maybe I shouldnt? :) I've only used one a few times. Once, I was making cloth all-in-ones for my older girls, and I wanted to be able to serge the edges of the inner extra layers withou cuttin through the top layers. Now that I think about it, I probably could've just serged the extra layers together and the. Sewen them in with the regular machine. This was a few years ago and i was trying to figure it out myself. I don't remember how i ultimately decided to do it. Anyway, what's a good middle-of-the-line model? Where do I go to find out more about what to get? Sometimes when you use a serger you have to reorganize the sewing order to take advantage of the serger. For example, sometimes you have to edge something before you put it together with something else. When I do basic side-seam pockets, I serge the pockets together before I put them in the garment, because otherwise I wouldn't be able to get to the end of the piece where it's enclosed in the waist seam. Also, I would edge the side seams of the pants or skirt the pocket will be in, before sewing the side seam, because I won't be sewing the whole seam - I'll be leaving a space for the pocket part. So you have to be a little savvy in figuring that out. Sounds like with the diapers it would be a 'serge first" thing. I even do things like sew one side seam of a skirt, leave the other one unsewn, serge around the hem (not to hem it or anything, just to edge it), then sew up the other side seam. It's easier to edge the hem when flat than if it's already sewn in a circle. Then I use the serging as a guide to turn up the hem twice, and I topstitch it down. The serging part doesn't even get seen, but it makes hemming so easy that it's worth it. Sometime the serged version is pretty much the same with a bit of serging here and there, and sometimes you have to completely re-work the order of sewing. I draw little diagrams, and save them for the next time I"m making something similar. Palmer & Plesch have a bunch of books out about serging, which can teach you the basics of this stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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