Feel the Fear...and Serge it Anyway!

So I spent a few hours with my Brother 1034D yesterday.  Readers, I serged, I serged, oh, how I serged!  
By day's end I had a wastepaper basket full of fabric scraps, but I had de-mystified serging -- at least basic serging.  And if I can do it, you can do it -- time permitting, of course. 



Here's what I did:

I re-read the instruction manual.  (Actually, this may have been the first read.)

I dug out the little packet of accessories that came with the Brother and discovered I had a blind hem foot.  I actually put it on the machine and tested it!



I removed the stitch finger -- it took, what, 2 seconds? -- and discovered how the threads now looped around a narrow needle-like protrusion on the face plate (that metal plate beneath the presser foot), creating an altogether different-looking stitch (a narrow overlock or rolled edge stitch) I'd only read about before.







I played with all the various tensions and then successfully restored them to where their original positions!

I changed stitch width, stitch length, and differential feed settings.  I tried loose stitches and tight stitches, long stitches and short stitches.





I oiled it.

I even retracted the upper knife!

I sat down with Serger Secrets and picked up a secret or two.  Following the directions in the book, I made a little V-neck tee muslin out of some stretch polyester (think dancewear) someone sent me a long time ago.  I made a few mistakes, but it basically worked and I think I'm ready to try this with my blue cotton knit.







There are still things I have yet to do, which I hope to get to this week, including:

Change the needle for the first time ever.  (Do you believe I haven't changed the needle (I use the right one only) in nearly a year and a half of serging?  I've never had to.

Try some different quality threads.

Create a successful flatlock stitch (where you serge two pieces of fabric together and then pull them flat, creating a flat seam.

I know, based on yesterday's copious comments, that many of you are true serger-phobes.  All I can say is, schedule in a few hours of quality time with your machine and get to know it.  If you're scared to change the tension settings, write them down first or take a photo of them before making changes.  Nothing is irrevocable.

It's normal to feel anxiety around an unknown machine, but don't let that stop you from using it.  The only way to learn is by doing, making mistakes, and learning from them.  And there are so many instructional videos on YouTube and tutorials on people's blogs. 

Reading your recommendations yesterday, I may pick up an additional serger book myself.  I noticed that you can view a good portion of The New Sewing With a Serger book, from the Singer series, on Amazon, if you "Click to Look Inside."  There are so many popular serger books available and used copies can cost just a few dollars.

I think I'll still be using my serger primarily to finish seam allowances, as many of you do.  But it's nice to know it's there for other things.  Other than t-shirts, men don't wear a whole lot of knits -- or am I missing something? 

Serger-phobes, what's one simple step you could take in the next few days to move forward?  It's time to take that serger out of the box already!

Have a great day, everybody, and happy serging!

PS - I found this 7-part YouTube video to be extremely helpful.  Here's a taste:

Do You Suffer From Serger-phobia?

Friends, I love my little Brother 1034D serger, which I've owned for nearly a year and a half.  It has performed flawlessly, cleanly finishing my seam allowances whether they be chiffon or denim.  But I'll let you in on a secret: these machines scare me.  I am a serger-phobe. 

My introduction to serging was unfortunate.  I purchased a second-hand Eighties-era Huskylock on eBay the summer before last and it was an absolute nightmare to thread (not to mention it came without presser foot, thread stand, or manual).  When I was finally able to get it going -- it took days -- I tried to serge through multiple layers of denim flat-felled seams and jammed the thing.  I must have knocked something out of whack yanking out the stuck fabric because it never worked right again.  Finally, tired of investing hours upon hours on it, I gave up.  I can't quite part with it yet (it sits on a high shelf in a closet) but it's a stinker.

Six months later I treated myself to the serger everyone on Pattern Review seems to love: the Brother 1034D, and boy am I glad I did.  It cost less than $200 refurbished  -- not a whole lot for a serger -- and it has more than earned its keep.  It's (relatively) easy to thread and uses regular sewing machine needles.  The hand wheel turns toward you just like a sewing machine's does (the Huskylock turned the opposite way, grrr....).  And the instructional DVD is posted on YouTube if you ever need to watch it.

But here's the thing: I use my serger for just one task -- finishing seam allowances with a 3-thread stitch (the Brother has a 4-stitch capacity).  I change the differential feed from time to time depending on the fabric, but that's it.  I haven't tried anything more advanced.  I'm scared to try.

The serged seams look great, though, as you can see, I'm not much of a stickler for matching thread to fabric.







Anyway, just yesterday I received an email from a NYC-based reader asking me if I knew someone who could help her learn how to use her late-model Singer serger (I don't -- do you?), and I realized that there are probably a lot of us serger-phobes out there.  There's something about all those thread spools and tension dials, the rapid speed, and the fact that these little monsters will chomp your fabric to bits if given the chance, that makes people afraid of them.

Who hasn't mistakenly fed their serger a piece of a precious garment not meant for serger consumption?  I have! (I try to serge only when I'm at my most alert, and never after a few glasses of wine.  Consider a serger heavy machinery.)



In case you're wondering, I do have what looks to be a wonderful book on serging, Serger Secrets.







I like to look at all the pretty pictures in it but I've never really sat down and read it carefully, or thought about what I could potentially create with my serger.

I also sense there's some snobbery out there about using a serger to finish seams -- like they should all be enclosed through a more traditional method (esp. menswear).  But I must admit I sometimes do serge seams instead of flat-felling them, as I did recently with my pajamas.  I mean honestly: who cares?



I picked up some lightweight blue knit cotton fabric last week, the same day I bought my seersucker, with the intention of making a tee shirt.  And I'm thinking maybe I'll try making most of the shirt on the serger -- it would probably take less than an hour to put together.  But I'm not convinced I have the skills.  Or do I?

Readers, I ask you:

Do you own a serger and, if so, what do you use it for primarily?

Do you mainly just finish seam allowances with it, or do you actually use it to construct your garment, using a 4-thread seam? 

Are you secretly afraid of your serger and what you might make (destroy?) with it?

Serger-phobes and serger-philes, I want to hear from you!