Sewing people-Serger question

[bananiem]

I asked this on the Crafting forum but I thought I'd ask it here too, for those of you that don't hit that forum.

I want to make skating dresses for my dd and was told a serger will make it a lot easier. I'm not an expert at sewing but I've done some. What exactly is it about a serger that would be better than just using my regular machine? Does it work better with stretchy materials?
Thanks!

 

[Nancy]

I am not that familair with them , but I know that they were used them on dance costumes. I still sew with the old fashioned machines, but my DD wants a serger. I guess what they do is sew and finish the seam at the same time.

 

[doxdogy]

I am not a sewer, so I had to ask DH how it is different. A serger will do a stronger stitch than a sewing machine. If you look at the hem of a t-shirt, that was done with a serger. He says that yes it is better to use with stretchy material. However, he prefers to hem with the sewing machine.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

If you've never used a serger before you DON'T want to start with a nice skating outfit! Because it makes the nice finished seams, it's better for stretchy fabrics and a clean, finished look. But...it also cuts as it sews. So, when you're learning, you start out making a fleece shirt for yourself, but by the time you're done, it fits the cat! At least, that was my initial experiences. I like my serger, but don't use it too much--it was a gift. There are lots of fancy things you can do with it, like invisible hems and so forth, that take time to learn. Plus, good ones cost $$$. You probably already know that they use multiple threads (2-4, for mine--2 in needles, then two to cross thread).

I'd be happy to answer questions if I can--I'm no expert, but have made some things with it.

 

[Kermit]

I love my serger!

Sergers are great for sewing knits, which you obviously use for skating outfits. A serged seam has some stretch, so you don't have to worry about stretching the fabric with your hands and using a zigzag stitch like you do with your regular machine.

Sergers can cut the surplus fabric as you stitch, but you can disengage the knives if you don't want to. For patterns by companies like Kwik Sew that have 1/4" seam allowances, I prefer to disengage the knives, since my serged seam is already 1/4" wide and there's nothing extra. (I think Jalie also uses 1/4" seams, but I'm not positive. I'm guessing you'll use either Kwik Sew or Jalie for skating outfits.)

A basic serger will sew seams with 3 or 4 threads. A really nice one will have 7 or 8. Mine is a 4 thread machine. I use 3 thread stitches for rolled hems and other decorative stitches, and I use 4 threads for sturdier seams on the inside of garments. You can't do a traditional hem with a 4 thread serger. I can do lettuce edging and things like that, but if I want a regular hem where the fabric is folded over and stitched, I have to go to my regular machine.

The really nice ones with 8 threads will do a coverstitch, which is what you see on the hem of a t-shirt. I've never seen one in action, but apparently it does an overlock stitch at the fabric edge, folds the fabric, and hems it all in one pass. I do know people who have one, and most of those people actually recommend that you get a more basic serger PLUS a coverstitch machine if you want to be able to do that. The reason is that it can take a while to convert the machine from doing regular serged hems to doing a coverstitch.

I strongly recommend that you check out the machine reviews on Pattern Review before you make a purchase. You can see what other people think of their sergers, and there are message boards where you can ask questions, too.

 

[bananiem]

Thanks for all of the responses. I have already looked at the Pattern Review site a little today when I was googling. It was helpful.
I only want to make some practice outifts for her so they won't be the fancy ones. For synchro they all have the same outfit and she hasn't done a solo competition yet, but she will in November. We found an outift on sale for cheap. But I'm amazed at how much companies want for practice dresses! I figured I could make them for less, but not if I have to buy a serger too.