What is a Serger & why would I want one???

I recently put up a blog post with some shopping tips for sewing machines, embroidery machines, and also sergers. An old friend, new to sewing, asked me for some more information about sergers, so I decided to shed some light on these mystery machines here.

Short Answer:

On the practical side, a serger is a machine that people use to finish seams with a professional looking stitch. (Look inside of what you’re wearing right now. The seam was probably done with a serger.)

The serger has a built in blade and lets you trim the seam allowance, stitch the seam, and overcast the raw edge simultaneously so you get done much quicker than with a conventional sewing machine.

They also do decorative stitches that sewing machines cannot do and they have special settings that make it easier to sew on knits and tricky fabrics. If you’re just getting started sewing, you probably won’t need one of these right away.

Video Clip Answer:

As you may have figured out, I’m a fan of Nancy Zieman’s show, “Sewing with Nancy,” and I like to post some of her video clips here. In the clip below, Nancy does a great job of showcasing the “Queen of all Sergers,” the Babylock Evolution. Even though I don’t have the Evolution, watching the clip just now, reminds me why I love my trusty serger so much!

Oh, and if you’re brand new to serging, a really good book to get is: Ready, Set, Serge by: Georgie Melot