When you check at the seams on store-bought clothing, you’ll see that a thread casing neatly wraps around the fabric’s cut edge. Instead of a standard sewing machine, a serger is used to create this extra-durable form of stitching! But what is a serger sewing machine, exactly?
Using three, four, or five thread sources, a serger creates looping overlock stitches. As they stitch, sergers trim the surplus fabric from the cloth edge. Instead of employing a lockstitch with an upper and lower thread like a sewing machine, they surround the seam with a knitted thread structure.
You’ll learn how a serger works in this post. The fundamental distinctions between a serger and a standard sewing machine will be discussed. Finally, there are some pointers on how to operate your serger and make them useful for your embroidery digitizing work.
What is a Serger in Sewing?
A serger or overlock machine binds the fabric’s edge into a secure seam by using several thread sources. When “sewing” a seam, a serger accomplishes three fundamental jobs.
It starts by slicing through any cloth that protrudes beyond the sea’s edge with a small razor blade. Second, one or two needles are used to draw threads through the cloth and secure the seam. At the same time, it encases the sliced seam’s raw edge with its looping thread pattern.
In a matter of seconds, you’ll have a very robust, nicely completed seam!
To construct this enclosed seam, most sergers employ three or four spools of thread. Five spools of thread are commonly used by professional or advanced models. You can discover devices that store up to eight spools of thread at a time in certain rare circumstances!
Because you don’t have to stitch the seam and then go back to finish the seam in a second phase, this nearly miraculous procedure allows you to complete certain sorts of sewing jobs faster. When you use an overlock stitch, everything happens at once.
What is a serger and how does it work? The needle (or needles) transport the thread from the top of the cloth to the bottom side of the fabric, just like a regular sewing machine.
Then one or two loopers alternate between moving back and forth. These loopers are equipped with another thread that loops around the needle thread, generating a knitted or chain structure of threads around the material’s edge.
An overlocker weaves complicated chains of thread through and around the edge of the cloth instead of “sewing” in the sense of producing stitches.
Most sergers have three basic stitch options.
- The overlock stitch, which provides thread casing around the edge of the seam, is the most often used of them. The four-thread overlock stitch uses four spools of thread and two needles to create a robust, flexible seam and casing that works well on knit materials due to its chain stitch structure’s added elasticity.
- A flatlock stitch, which employs two threads to create a seam that rests flat on both sides of the cloth, is also available on some models.
- A rolled hem is also possible with most sergers. This stitch creates a thin thread casing around the edge of a rolled-over cloth area, giving it a lovely hemmed finish. It’s especially effective on transparent textiles like silk or chiffon.
What is a Serger’s Role?
A serger is ideal for stitching knit materials, encasing straight seams, and completing lightweight fabric edges. It doesn’t “stitch” like a standard sewing machine, but it does have a lot of functions that a regular sewing machine doesn’t. As a result, it’s appropriate for specific tasks.
So, what is the purpose of a serger?
- Any project that necessitates straight, finished seams. When using a serger, keep in mind that certain types of seams, such as princess seams, are not possible. However, if you want to sew the side seams of a skirt, your serger will stitch and finish the seams all at once, saving you time and effort!
- Any knit or stretch fabric project. Your serger is the way to go if you want to sew t-shirts, swimwear, or stretchy sweatpants. The overlock stitch, which works well on knit material, has a more flexible structure than a regular sewing machine lockstitch.
- For sheer fabrics like chiffon, lace, and silk, we provide professionally finished edges. You can use the rolled hem feature on other fabrics, such as knits, in some cases.
- Making ruffles or other decorative items that require a quick finish. A serger, on the other hand, does not have topstitching for finished edges. More information on this can be found later in the article!
- Elastic that is encased in a garment.
Another thing to keep in mind about most sergers is that they sew extremely quickly. At speeds ranging from 1300 to 2200 stitches per minute, they whip the looped threads back and forth! Because of its speed, a serger can help you finish sewing projects in a fraction of the time it would take on a regular sewing machine.
What’s the Difference Between a Serger and an Overlock Machine?
Because a serger is an overlock machine, there is no difference between the two. This machine is known as a serger in the United States. The same machine is known as an overlocker in Europe.
However, the two terms have the same meaning. A serged seam, also known as an overlock seam, is one that holds fabric together while also encasing the raw edge in threads.
Overlock machines or overlockers are used by European brands like Bernina, whereas sergers are used by American brands like Singer Machine.
The most significant difference between most sergers is the number of thread spools they can hold.
An overlock stitch with two threads encasing the edge is created by a model that uses between two and four spools of thread. In an encasing seam, a model with three to four spools of thread will use at least three threads, while a model with five or more spools will use three threads for the casing and two for the seam line.
The majority of beginner sergers come with three to four spools, with four being the most popular. As a result, you can use two needles and two loopers at the same time. Only advanced models, in general, use five or more spools of thread.
Another distinction between beginner and advanced models is whether manual threading is required or whether automatic threading is available. Even for someone who has used a serger for years, threading it takes a few minutes. It can be quite difficult for a beginner!
Threading the needles is similar to threading a regular sewing machine, but threading the loopers is more difficult and often necessitates the use of tweezers and/or eyeglasses!
Self-threading functions, which use jet air puffs to push the thread through tubes and set up both the loopers and the needle threads, eliminate all of that struggle. This is as incredible as it sounds, but keep in mind that a serger like this costs well over $1,000.
Finally, keep in mind that there is a significant difference between sergers and cover stitch machines. By stitching together professionally finished seams, a serger aids in the construction of a garment or item. Except for a rolled hem on sheer fabrics, you don’t usually use a serger for outside elements like hems.
You’ll need something called a cover stitch machine for this. Any ready-made t-shirt with a lower hem will have two lines of stitching on the outside and an overlock knitted pattern of threads on the inside.
This type of hem is not provided by sergers. Remember that as it sews, a serger cuts away excess fabric from a seam. Instead of a cut edge, most hems have a folded edge.
Coverstitch machines are similar to traditional sewing machines in that they only have one looper rather than two. Hemming and sewing on lace or ruffles are examples of finishing tasks they perform!
To be continued in the next part till that read these blogs…
