There are many sewists out there who swear by sergers, and it's no wonder why! Similar to a sewing machine, a serger is used to sew pieces of fabric together, but it does so with a twist. Not only does a serger stitch fabric, but it also cuts off extra fabric and seals in hems with an overlocking stitch, all at once! By using this one-stop-shop machine, you can cut your sewing time in half and produce projects that look professionally sewn. See only some of what you can do with this page full of serger basics and 15+ Serger Sewing Projects! Your stitches will be stronger than if you use a sewing machine and your hems will be protected against fraying. In short, a serger is a godsend for the sewing process. Itching to try out a serger yourself? Whether you want to know more about what a serger is, how to operate one, or to find free serging patterns, this collection has something for you! In this list, you'll find everything from a guide on serging 101 to patterns for couture fall accessories. If you'd like to know more about sergers, read our guide, Is a Serger the Same as an Overlocker? You don't have to scour the internet for serger patterns anymore. We've done the heavy lifting for you so that you can get to sewing designer-level pieces right away. Click any link below, and your serger will do the rest! Plus, we're sharing advice from our readers who use sergers to help you before you buy or as a beginner. Sign Up For More Free Patterns >>>
We are answering the question what does a serger do. A great guide for beginners who recently bought a serger or looking to buy one. This serger guide will help you.
. Many of you have noticed. And many of you have asked. And yes, I finally am using a serger. (Or overlocker…….same thing.) Here was the issue. A serger is an investment. And I already have a fantastic sewing machine (Bernina Aurora 440) that does all sorts of great stuff. (Thank you Bernina……we are getting …
HOW TO USE A SERGER: Free eBook SERGER SCHOOL Vol. 1: Serger Basics, Techniques & Tips Learn all about sergers and all that they can do to help your garment sewing. Download a free ebook
This helpful serger guide was submitted by Sarah from Sewing Parts Online. If you're ever in the market for a special sewing foot, pedal, bobbin, instruction manual, etc. be sure to check out their website. They even have parts for older machines like mine. Sarah hooked me up with some great darning feet! And now she's been kind enough to share this amazing guide with us. Enjoy! ... Learning all the new options a serger brings into your sewing life is a challenging and rewarding experience. I know most of us are intimidated by just the appearance of a serger, let alone figuring out what heck you can do with it! However, with a little time and patience, your serger will add all whole new perspective to your sewing. Successful sewing relies on a great community we all make together, so if you know any special tricks or have a few questions, leave them in the comment section below. Someone may have the same question or your trick might save us all a little more time! Firstly, mentally prepare yourself for a little confusion. When you're learning new serging techniques, you will find yourself adjusting, rethreading, crying, readjusting, switching needles...it's a lot to take in. This is because, just like a conventional machine, your setting have to be altered to fit different stitches, fabric, and thread weight...x4 (or x3 or x2 depeding on your stitch, but we'll get to that later). It takes time, but it does get easier and is well worth it! Secondly, give yourself time to really experiment with your serger before starting any projects. Trying to complete a project and compute all your serger settings will more than likely overwhelm brain circuits and cause spontaneous combustion. For me to understand my serger, I used my manual, library books, and surfed the internet to create a Serger Scrapbook. I tried out each stitch and different techniques one at a time. Once I had a stitch or technique done correctly, I glued the fabric swatch in my scrapbook, recorded all my settings as well as some tips and adjustments for different threads. Because there is so much to learn, having a scrapbook is an easy and fast way to recall information. While learning, I would limit myself to a couple hours of serging at any one time and just walk away when you feel the urge to break something. Give yourself time to learn in a stress-free environment and don't judge yourself if you mess up. It gets better! A few things to remember: Use good quality thread. Back away from the bargain bin; it will only end in tears. Sergers have fast moving parts and inferior threads cannot keep up. Maxilock and Toldilock are great options. Do whatever you can to ensure the thread is feeding evenly and consistently off the spool. Any wiggling will cause hiccups in your stitch. I have had to stuff my thread spools to secure them tightly. The thread nets are also very helpful. Use the Stitch Finger as a guide for sewing. Keeping an eye on the Stitch Finger (or the needle when the Stitch Finger is on R) will prevent the material from getting wrapped around the Upper Looper. Love thy Tweezers! I literally cannot thread my machine without tweezers. Tweezers also help if you are trying to detangle thread that wraps up where it shouldn't. Keep those pins far, far away from the cutting blade and the needles. You know how on your conventional machine you can get away with sewing over a pin or two? Not on your serger. You can always use basting spray to secure your fabric. If you must use pins, place them three inches away and parallel to the blade. Oil every 15 hours of serging and dust frequently. That cutting blade makes one heck of a dust pile. If a thread breaks in the upper or lower loopers, I rethread both of them in order just to be safe. Remember to keep your manual handy. I know we all hate trying to read manuals, but they really are a helpful reference. Here we go! Construction A four Thread Overlock stitch is ideal for constructing your projects. It'll finish the edges and hold your fabric securely. This is your basic starting point. You can serge in twill tape or ribbon into the seam to prevent stretch (like in shoulder seams). However, I recommend reinforcing heavy activity areas of clothing on your sewing machine after you have serged (like the crotch area of your pants). I have felt the wrath of not securing this area on a conventional sewing machine...in public. Settings for four Thread Overlock on Muslin using Regular Serger Thread: Left Needle- 5.5 Right Needle- 5.5 Upper Looper- 4.5 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 2 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Engaged (Can you spot the spelling error? Thank goodness for spell check!) Corners Serging an outside corner is basically serging a straight line. You can't pivot the material as you would on a conventional sewing machine. You simply serge a 3 inch chain past the end of the fabric, lift the needle and presser foot, and reposition your fabric to serger another straight line. The ends of the chain get secured in the stitch. Serging an inside corner requires you to bunch the fabric in to a straight line and serge normally. Don't worry, your fabric won't stay bunched. Try to get your line as straight as possible. Curves The trick to serging curves is all about control. Make sure you have a firm hand on the fabric and are controlling the feed with purpose. Try to slowly serge until you get the hang of it. Circles To successfully serge a circle, you need a starting point. Cut out a one inch long notch in the edge of the circle. The notch depth should be equal to your finished edge. So if I am cutting off 1/4 an inch, my notch will be two inches long, 1/4 inch deep. Just like serging a curve, maintain control of the fabric. You may find it helpful to draw your hem line and follow it as your serger. I always find it helpful to watch the needle(s) as I serger. Flatlocking Consult your maunal and adjust as needed. The trick is to have no tension in the needle and high tension in the loopers. Also, you want to examine your stitch finger and make sure the thread is hanging about 1/8 an inch past the edge of the fabric to ensure the fabric will lay flat when pulled. I especially love flatlocking with nylon thread in the upper looper. Here are my settings for three Thread Flatlocking with Nylong thread (on muslin fabric): Left Needle- 4 Right Needle- - Upper Looper- 5 Lower Looper- 9 Length-2 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged We see flatlocking often on active wear, but it also adds a great decorative element. With the wrong sides of the fabric together, you get the serging stitch in the right side of the fabric. But if you serge with right sides together, you will get a cool ladder stitch on the right side of the fabric. This is great for weaving in ribbon or yarn or beads. Spread or Two-Thread Converter Talk about a great way to save thread! A spreader, also known as a two Thread Converter, fits into the upper looper, making it think it's working when it's not. The same technique for sewing a three thread flatlock applies to sewing a two thread flatlock. Remember to let the fabric hang over. I find it most accurate to follow the stitch finger as I serger. I aim to have the edge of the fabric meet with the inside edge of the stitch finger. I keep my eyes glued to that and I get the best results. Inserting Spreader (Pardon my dust) Settings for two Thread Flatlock using a Spreader (serger thread and 100% medium weight cotton fabric): Left needle- - Right needle- 1 Upper Looper- Spreader Lower Looper- 5 Length- 2.5 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged Rolled Edges Rolled edges are so beautiful! Especially with decorative threads and on lovely sheer fabrics! Rolled hems are the stitch of choice for light-weight decorative fabrics, but require a few extras to be successful. Regarless of the stitch width, I recommend using some form of stabilizer on the lighter fabrics. You can use water soluble stabilizer or ribbon. I have actually heard of people using plastic wrap to secure the stitch of super delicate material. If you don't have any stabilizer available, you can simply fold the edge on itself and serger. You just need to go back and trim the extra fabric that's left over. Settings for Rolled Hem on Muslin using regular serger thread: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 3 Upper Looper- 9 Lower Looper- 9 Length- F Differential- 1.0 R or S- R Blade- Engaged Settings for Rolled Hem with Nylon Thread on Muslin: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 2 Upper Looper- 2 Lower Looper- 5 Length- 2 Differential- 1.0 R or S- R Blade- Engaged Remember, you will have to adjust your settings to accommodate for fabric weight and the type of stabilizer you use. Gathering You can buy a Gathering Foot for your serger, but it can be done with the general purpose foot, it just needs a little tweaking. I found I get the best definition using lighter fabrics, but you can increase the volume of your gathers by simply manually pulling on the needle thread after you have serged. Settings for Gathering with Nylon Thread: Left Needle- 5 Right Needle- - Upper Looper- 4 Lower Looper- 3 Length- 4 Differential- 2.0 R or S- S Blade- Engaged You can adjust the width as you please. Lettuce Edges A lettuce edge is an awesome decorative edge! You will get the best results from ribbed knits because they have a great stretch and bounce back quality. I tried a lettuce edge on other knits and wasn't pleased with the results nearly as much. The trick is to stretch the material from front to back as much as you can. Really pull on the fabric to get a great lettuce effect. You aren't going to hurt your machine. Slowly sew until you get the hang of it. Keep a firm grip and control the fabric. Settings for Lettuce Edges on Ribbed Knit using Embroidery Thread: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 2 Upper Looper- 2 Lower Looper- 6.5 Length- 2 Differential- 0.7 R or S- R Blade- Disengaged Making Waves There are a couple of ways to make your stitches look like waves. To create a wave look within your stitches and the create a wave effect with multiple rows of stitches. Wave Illusion within the Stitch: If you own a Babylock machine, you have a wave stitch built in. For the rest of us, you will need to do it manually. First, start with your manual's recommended settings for a three-Thread Overlock and make slight adjustments to fit your thread and fabric weight. User your left hand to guide the fabric. With your right hand, loosely hold lower looper thread between your pointed figner and thumb. Count 1-2-3 out loud and sqeeze your finger at the intervals beween each second. So you are literally pinching the thread for a millisecond as it comes off the spool. This takes a lot of practice. I'm still working on my precision. Settings for Manual Wave Stitch on Muslin using Nylon Thread: Left Needle- 5.5 Right Needle- - Upper Looper- 3.5 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 1 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Engaged Wave Illusion on Fabric: To create a wave look on your fabric, you serge multiple parallel lines using a shortened three-Thread Overlock Stitch. It looks best when you use decorative thread in the Upper Looper and thread matching your fabric in the Lower Looper. Then, on your conventional sewing machine, you sew a grid of alternating lines that intersect the serged lines. For example, you serge five parallel lines one inch apart. Then you go to your conventional sewing machine (match your thread to the fabric), sew five more parallel lines that cross over your serged line. You alternate the direction you sew to create the wave look. Basically, you are sewing a grid. Settings used on the Serger on medium weight fabric using decorative thread in Upper looper: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 5.5 Upper Looper- 4 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 1 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged Blind Hem Yes, it can be done! This works great in place of a cover stitch on knits. Start with a Flatlock. Adjust your settings to match your fabric and thread. Fold hem to the wrong side of fabric, then back over to the right side of the fabric. For a truely invisible hem, extend the raw edge past the fold and stitch on the extended hem edge (1/4 inch part), allowing the machine to just barely catch the fold. Sew slowly and keep your eye on the needle to make sure it is catching the fabric. Match your needle thread with the color of your fabric. Setting for Blind Hem on muslin using Nylon thread (increase tension in upper looper for regular thread): Left Needle- - Right Needle- 1 Upper Looper- 4 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 4 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged I hope you found this article helpful and good luck with your serger!
A beginner's guide to overlocker stitches and when to use each stitch.
How To Adjust the Blade On A Serger.Adjusting the knife on your serger allows you to adjust the stitch width and control if the fabric is cut while serging.
Covering your serger or sewing machine is essential. This popular pin will show you how to make a simple serger cover in very little time.
You can make a Blind Hem with Serger Machines? This technique is a super clean way to finish the hems of all your knit sewing projects.
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Did you know that you can easily gather fabric with your serger? No rethreading, no complicated change ups. Just two easy steps and your fabric is gathered!
Happy National Serger Month! Last April, we discussed Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Sergers (But Were Afraid to Ask). Our goal was to demystify sergers for our sewing community. We’ve seen a lot of new sewists enter the Thimbles family over the course of the last few years, and growing your skill sets is our top priority. While sergers are not the first machine we’d direct new sewists to, as you become more accomplished sewists you’ll find that sergers really are indispensable. They’re especially useful when working with stretchy fabrics and for creating fast, durable projects with neat, fancy edges. This year, we want to talk about some of the best serger projects for beginners. These small, simple, and seasonless projects are really great for practicing working with a serger. If you’re interested in buying your first serger, check out our available sergers here. You can always give us a call at (815) 836-8735 for more information and help! Napkins This quick tutorial outlines how to make some fast and easy napkins on your serger. This is a true beginner project—once you’ve cut your fabric, you’ll have a finished napkin off the serger in less than 15 minutes. The video has some good step-by-step instructions on how to keep the corners of your napkin tidy. Depending on the size of your napkins, this is a great project for scraps and fat quarter bundles. You can check out our latest bundles here. Scrunchies We don’t want to hear any scrunchie slander! They’re gentler on your hair than bare elastics, perfect for using up fabric scraps, and they make really cute party favors for kids. They are also a great canvas for testing out different edging stitches and threads. Plus, it takes less than an hour to whip up these super simple serger scrunchies. Find the directions on WeAllSew here. Bummies If spring is baby season, then bummies might be the perfect spring pattern. Bummies are great diaper covers and don’t use very much fabric, so they also make nice fabric scrap busters. You can follow along with the video above while making your bummies. If you’re looking for a free pattern, this one is very cute and well-suited for beginners. The video above also includes a really handy tip for using a suction cup shower handle on your ruler to protect your hands when cutting small pattern pieces. We love the ingenuity of sewists! Shoelaces Dress up a pair of plain white sneakers this season with custom shoelaces! This is another quick and easy project—it should take you less than one hour to finish both laces. We love the possibilities for this project. Holiday-themed shoelaces, shoelaces to flaunt your favorite sports team (calling on our Cubbie fans! Get your fabric here), custom shoelaces as party favors for a kid’s party, there’s a lot you can do. Find the tutorial for serger shoelaces on WeAllSew here. Twisted Headband The above twisted headband is another great fabric scrap buster and a really nice project for beginners. It involves just two strips of fabric, a little clever (but easy!) folding, a few passes through the serger, and you’re done. Eyeglass Case Sunny weather is just around the corner, so make sure you keep those sunglasses protected with this serger eyeglass case. It will likely take you an evening or a weekend to complete this intermediate-level project as there are a few more steps involved, but it’s worth it for the results. There are also lots of great tips about adjusting tension and testing out thread and material combinations. It’s another great stash buster project—and a really nice gift idea to keep in mind for birthdays and the holiday season. Find the serger eyeglass case tutorial on WeAllSew here. Snack Bag Ditch the plastic and grab some of your favorite fabric to make these adorable reusable snack bags. These are environmentally friendly and perfect for on-the-go snacking. You can mix and match fabric for the inner and outer layers and make these in whatever size you’d like. This is another project you can finish in less than an hour. We also like that the sewist links to some tips on how to finish seams on a serger. We hope these projects have inspired you to start your first serger project. Let us know the projects you’d like to see us make on a serger. We’re always looking for inspiration for new classes at Thimbles! Like this post? Pin it!
Learn all the serger stitches that you can do with your Serger/Overlock machine, and download this free printable guide.
New to the world of overlockers and sergers? Understanding your serger will help you feel comfortable and confident while using your machine.
Serger Tension
What is a Serger Machine? Learn their uses and functions, and find the best options for professional sewing right here!
A coverstitch binding attachment will help you to achieve perfect and professional knit and jersey neckbands every time.
Understanding Differential Feed: What is Differential Feed and How do you Control it? Find out the easy answers to these seemingly hard questions!
Have you ever wondered how a serger actually works? All month long we're digging deep and learning to love our sergers. Last week I ...
These simple overlocker drawstring bags are quick-to-stitch and make perfect gift holders for a shower, birthday party, or hostess gift!
You can make a Blind Hem with Serger Machines? This technique is a super clean way to finish the hems of all your knit sewing projects.
In this post, I will tell you the secret shortcut to change serger threads on your Overlock/ Serger Machine quickly and without errors.
I made the sewing caddy using this tutorial from How Joyful. But as I serge alot when I make diapers, and make a huge mess. I decided to craft a lil serger scrap bag that snaps on with KAMsnaps so I can help keep my pretty sewing room, well PRETTY. :) Here is the tutorial for the serger scrap bag. Feel free to use it as you wish. If you sell any ,just give me credit! Thanks! And if you want one really bad, you can send me a message and I can make one for you. Check out my Facebook page as well, Gaia's Treasures List of materials: One rectangle, 14" long x 20"wide , of a contrasting fabric you used for your caddy. one piece of corset boning- 12" long, 3/4" braided elastic 4 " long, 2- strips of fabric for the straps: 7" long x 4" wide, 4- KAMsnap caps, 2-KAMsnap sockets, 2- KAMsnap studs, coordinated to your fabrics! Or velcro or other method of attaching your bag to your caddy. Seam allowance of 1/2" on all pieces. Step One: Cut your fabrics. Step Two : make your straps. Fold in the sides about half an inch,and the top edge, pin then sew the long side and top edge. Step Three: Fold your large rectangle into half, short side together, pin and sew or serge. Step Four: Square up your end and make pretty:) Step Five: Fold your bag bottom to make the square bottom. It should look like this, and as even as possible. Step Six: Measure from the start of the corner to 1 1/2 inches down. Mark with your tailors pen and then use your ruller to draw a sewing line. Sew the corners, and cut off the excess leaving about 1/4 seam. It should look like this: Step Seven: Now onto the casing! Fold down the top layer 1/2 an inch and then 1" down again. Pin in place, using your pins to make a start and stop point. You need to leave a 1-2" opening to fit your boning into. Be sure to back stitch both starting and stopping points. Step Eight: Insert the piece of boning into your casing. I find putting a lil tape on the end keeps it from catching on threads etc as you guide it in. It is stiff enough to push on thru. Go across til you form a semi circle with the back seam centered and equal. Should look like this when you are done. Step Nine: Attaching your straps. I use a box stitch anytime I do straps on bags. Its sturdy and I know it will hold well. Pin your straps and sew them in. BE SURE you do NOT sew over the boning. Your machine will not like it, no no no.... boning BAD for the machine....:) Step Ten: Add the elastic between the straps. This will give you a good fit over the table edge from your caddy. I use a 3 step zig zag and pull ( with your needle down in the fabric) about 90% all out. Trim the excess. Step Eleven: Add your KAMsnaps to the straps per their instructions, either with pliers or snap press. I did my studs on the straps and sockets on the caddy. For the caddy , I placed my straps with the studs installed, hard on my caddy about 1 1/2 " from the edge. and spaced about 2 inches apart. TIP: If you press down on the studs, it will leave a lil circle which you can then use your fabric marker to make a placment for your socket. You can use velcro as well. Just sew on a square of hook to the ends of your straps. Step Twelve: place your wonderful hard working serger, aka "Sugar Baby" onto it's lovely caddy.... then bust out a dozen diapers, filling your new scrap bag up!!!
A while back I shared with you in a blog post how I had wanted to create a rolled hem and needed a little assistance from my local sewing centre. I finally had a chance to have a go today and was very excited with the results. The hardest part to this stitch is setting up the machine to the correct settings. Hopefully this series of images and instructions will help you. Each brand of overlocker will obviously be different, but will still give you an idea. If you have your instruction manual it will help (my machine is a Janome) Firstly remove the left needle. You only use one needle for a rolled hem. Change your stitch dial control on the side of the machine to (R) with a tension of either 1-2. You will need to play with the tensions but generally the lower loop thread tension is tighter (increase by 1-2) Now there are two parts to this step (this is what took me the longest to figure out!). Open the side compartment on the left and there is a dial that when pushed in moves back the arm against the cutting blade. While this is pushed out - pull the lever from (S) to (R) and then release. You are then ready to start sewing! It may take a few goes to get the tension right so be sure to use scraps. Some general tips. Change your thread to the colour you are wanting to use before changing any settings. You will get a more even stitch if you gently pull the fabric through while sewing. If you are wanting to use a decorative thread, add it to the Upper loop It is also recommended that a Woolly nylon thread be used on the Upper loop (but I just used a normal polycotton)
THREAD, DON’T DREAD Do you dread to thread? Overlockers or sergers of all kinds have a reputation of being impossible … More
Finished binding should look like the photo below. The twin-needling is at the down-folded edge of the binding next to the main fabric and the coverstitch loops cover the raw or folded edge on the reverse. It should not look like this: And in most cases, nor like this. Although there may be times that you want the topstitching to straddle the binding edge as a design element and in that case, it's OK! If your stitching does not fall on the binding like in the first photo above, you need to change how the strip is folded by adjusting one or both of the two screws at the top of the binder. These guides control how much of the strip is folded into each section of the binding. Screw 1 below adjusts the top guide. Screw 2 adjusts the bottom guide. The reverse of the industrial type binders is shown in the photo below. Your specific brand binder may look slightly different. On a properly adjusted binder, the top fold guide (1) will protrude slightly more than the bottom guide (2). Exactly how much depends on your binder, your machine, and whether you are using an A or B style binder. If the underside fold or raw edge of the binding is not covered by the looper stitches, loosen the right screw (when viewed from the front of the binder) and slide it a tiny bit to the right. This will pull in the guide for the lower fold and result in a binding with less underfold sticking out. If your top stitches are straddling the binding edge (and this is not a design choice), loosen the left screw and slide it a bit to the left to make the binding top fold land a bit to the left of the underside edge. With both of these adjustments, you may also need to adjust where the entire binder sits in relation to the needles. Once I have the binder position finalized on the bed of the machine, I mark it with a Sharpie marker so I don't need to fiddle with it again.
Before I got my first Serger, I pondered about it for along time. When I was first looking to buy an over-locker (which is what we call a serger in Australia), they were very expensive, and to be honest, just a little bit scary. So many threads and dials to consider, but I wanted to get the best serger I could find. Back then the internet wasn't well established so looking for serger reviews wasn't all that easy, so I had to go by word of mouth. I was also a bit wary because, a serger machine also cuts the
Mastering the overlocker, and learning new skills
A serger or overlocker tutorial on serging curves by Make it Handmade as part of the Relationship Rescue Serger Series.
Understanding Differential Feed: What is Differential Feed and How do you Control it? Find out the easy answers to these seemingly hard questions!
Challenge: Create item from a picture Project: Scrap Catcher As the handmade Christmas continues, I have been asking for input on the re...
