serger woes

[Bekka]

I have been using my serger a LOT this year making diapers, etc. I'm just learning about wooly nylon, and I bought a different brand to try (cheaper). I've been trying to keep the lower looper from breaking and I've completely eaten up my patience for sewing tonight which is usually my de-stressing activity. I was hoping to finish nightgowns for 2 dds, but I still have a partially threaded serger! I will try again tomorrow; I need to stay away from it now--got some ideas online. Whew--thanks for letting me vent. I should go and .

PS. My serger is a Bernina 2500 with several letters after it. I love it, and I'm only starting to get used to all the things it can do. It is easy to thread--much easier than the Bernette I used to have. SO, anyone looking for a serger, don't write off Bernina! It's an excellent quality machine and very nice. I don't know about any of the others by Bernina ... but they have a great reputation in the sewing world.

[Janessa]

Well after hours and hours messing with tensions etc I have personally given up on wooly nylon it's not worth the stress for me. I wish I could have gotten it to work but I just couldn't. For the record I have an old heavy duty Elna. Serges like a dream through tonnes of layers with regular serger thread and jean stitch for pretty colors and varigated stuff but never worked right with wooly.
Janessa

[pageta]

I had a blank-blank-blank time with wooly nylon until I figured out the correct tension. Now it works beautifully every time. The normal tension on my machine (starting point) which is a Janome is 3. For wooly nylon, I start out at 1.5 and adjust between 1.25 and 1.75. If I go any higher, it breaks, and as we all know, wooly nylon is a b**** to thread. I also have become very adept at tying 6-inch strands of regular thread on the end of wooly nylon for threading. I use a square knot and pull all 4 ends at once to tighten the knot (or it will just slip off somehow). It works like a charm. I change threads all the time, and I always re-thread my machine rather than just tying knots to the thread already in the machine. I understand the frustration - my dh used to forbid me to sew when he was around because he got tired of listening to me complain about it. But now that I've figured it out, I LOVE wooly nylon. Also, you only use it in the loopers - the needle threads should be your regular thread. HTH!

[Janessa]

Great Tana now I'm going to have to try again thanks soooo much: Just when I was finally ok with my wooly nylon inabilities :LOL
seriously though thanks for the starting point for tenions
Janessa

[Clementine]

I was going to crack open my woolly nylon this weekend - trying it for the first time with my Pfaff! I'm glad that I read about playing around with the tension! Wish me luck!

[pageta]

One more tip - make sure your machine is oiled. Wooly nylon breaks very easily (as we all know). You can do everything perfectly, but if your machine isn't oiled, you'll keep breaking thread. Believe me...I learned all of this the hard way. My serger is supposed to be oiled once a week or every 10 hours of sewing. However, with the high lint fabrics like fleece, sherpa and hemp, it needs it much more often than that in order to run properly. Now that I know how to adjust everything else, the first thing I do when I have any thread break is oil my machine. HTH!

[Janessa]

OT
Hey Clementine, I grew up in Alberta just out side of Edmonton
Janessa

[beckyj]

I can tell you from my experience that it depends on the woolly. I have 2 Berninas as well and I can tell within just a minute if the woolly will work. I use the good woolly but sometimes how they are spun on the spools will ruin it totally with the stitching. I say toss it if it hasn't worked by now. Throw you some maxilock on there and finish it up