Expensive serger just sitting around

[northcountrymamma]

unused that is....arg!

I don't know how to use the darn thing aside from going straight along the edge. It is worth about $1000 and it was a gift. At this point I am contemplating selling it, anyone interested...SERIOUSLY!

But if there are no takers, how the hay do I make this thing work for me...what do I do with it other than stitch two pieces of fabric together. Can I hem pants, sew seams on clothing, anyother ideas????
It just seems silly to me, all the things that I can do with my regular machine can't really require a serger can they. But this all being said, I said I wanted one and that I would have a hard time selling my threads unless they were serged, but where do i start...

oh yeah and is the thread really that expensivE!!!!!

:

[sabrinat]

You can do alot w/a serger. I'm a novice too and I don't fully use mine and it was also a gift and very spendy. Although I have a book on reserve at the library called Serger Secrets. I am determined to learn. It's apparently a very nice tool in sewing so I want to get the best I can out of it. You can also call sewing stores and have them give you private lessons. I also heard JoAnn's fabrics does free lessons.
You could try selling it on ebay if you don't want to use it yourself.

[northcountrymamma]

Hey thanks...
I thought about ebay trust me!
I will look into that book though. Maybe this frustration stems from sewing with a regular machine coming sooo easy to me when i first started that. Mind you it was long before dd and i had sooo much time to kill!

I have those free lessons from Joann's but I just moved from the states to canada and we have no joanns here. The lessons came with the serger, you think they'd send a video version of it????

[eepster]

A serger is really meant to compliment a regular sewing macine not replace it.

I bought a video all about serging at Borders over ten years ago though back when I got mine. They often serge on the show Sewing With Nancy.

Other than making neater more finished seam it is also good for doing decorative edging, rolled hems, and flat seams. By adjusting stitch length and thread tension you can achieve a great variety of effects.

Though cones of serger thread are expensive they last a very long time b/c there is alot of thread on a cone. Some sewwers use the cones on there regular machines. The fancy decorative serger threads like wooly nylon usually only go on one of the loopers. If your doing a small project you need a particular color for you can just buy regular spools. If it's a larger project you can get cones for the loopers and spools for the needles.

Once you get the hang of it you will probably love your serger as much as I love mine. Mine actually needs to go in to the shop for repairs and I've been putting it off b/c of cost.

[northcountrymamma]

Thanks for you wisdom...
I know that this machine is supposed to do all that, i am just struggling. I spent the greater part of last night trying and trying to sew a simple cloth pad with no avail...the stitch kept getting looser and I couldn't figure out how to tighten it.

I do feel that if I were to figure it out it would compliment my regular machine and I could put out some great clothing for me and my dd, that would last longer than my just sewn stuff.

Thanks for listening to me pout...I still would offer the thing to whomever was interested in a Husqvarna Huskylock 905!!!!

[marybethorama]

Originally Posted by northcountrymamma

Thanks for you wisdom...
I know that this machine is supposed to do all that, i am just struggling. I spent the greater part of last night trying and trying to sew a simple cloth pad with no avail...the stitch kept getting looser and I couldn't figure out how to tighten it.

I do feel that if I were to figure it out it would compliment my regular machine and I could put out some great clothing for me and my dd, that would last longer than my just sewn stuff.

Thanks for listening to me pout...I still would offer the thing to whomever was interested in a Husqvarna Huskylock 905!!!!

It took me a while to get the nerve to use my serger. Now I love it and woudn't be without it. I don't use mine for seams since it's not really strong but I do use it to finish all seams.

If your stitches are getting looser you may need to play with the tension. Do you have the manual? I just used trial and error but I found that I did have to set the tension dials to a different number.

I love serging all my seams. It makes them look so nice

[eepster]

Originally Posted by northcountrymamma

I spent the greater part of last night trying and trying to sew a simple cloth pad with no avail...the stitch kept getting looser and I couldn't figure out how to tighten it.

Was the pad all curvey?
If it is your problem is most likely that the knives arewn't cutting in the same place your stitching. Iyou pull the fabric straight while surging it will fix this problem.

[happyfrog]

i have a bernina.

what i do when trying to understand how the tension is and stitches are affected by differnt turns of the various dials, etc (i have 2000DE) is i put 4 colored threads in to match the colors of the thread dials/threaders - so red/blue/green/yellow. made it A LOT easier for me to understand how to adjust the tension for each project.

i just finished a tree skirt just now - taught myself how to flatlock and do rolled hem along with 2 differnt circles - one inside, one (large) outside circle.

the trick to the inside circle really is to pull the fabric kind of straight while serging.

i REALLY REALLY REALLY like the 'abcs of serging' that book is what taught me what to do.

it's VERY helpful.

practice on fabric - plan on serging it away for a bit - it made it better for me to get over the fear. that and threading it.

hth.

nak

[happyfrog]

forgot to mention i HATED my serger til i made myself just 'waste' thread and fabric - i know those threads are expensive but you have a good machine you will really like it once you get familiar w/it. i know i'm not as scared of mine now. only been using it a couple of months.

tonight was my first 'real' project - a snoopy treeskirt for my dh (he loves snoopy).

also, once you use 4 diff colored threads, you will start to learn which threads 'show' in stitching and THOSE are the threads you will worry about matching to fabric.

i have used my sewing machine to fill up bobbins of serger thread that matches what i'm doing and put those on the rack to use.

serger thread is a little thinner/lighter than 'regular' thread - you can use sewing therad, but it may make a more bulky stitch and you have to adjust the tension to compensate for the thicker thread.

hth.

bettyann

[boingo82]

OP, you need this book:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Sewing-Ser.../dp/0865733309
It is chock full of huge colorful pictures and will tell you how to do all sorts of things with your serger. It is a GREAT resource.

[northcountrymamma]

Thanks for all the great posts...I am learning and using much of what you told me!

I made 6 pads this week. They aren't beautiful, but they are functional and they taught me so much about my serger. I won't be getting rid of it now that I have seen what I can do with it.

I should post some pics of the pads...(before I use them all up...as soon as i finished the last one AF came! )

Thanks again for your wisdom...and I will be getting that book when I get the next cash flow!

[art4babies]

So.... you are keeping the machine - ???

[northcountrymamma]

Why, do you want to buy it???

I am still open to that notion...but working on trying to enjoy it unless I find a buyer!

[LoveBaby]

The huskylock 905 is supposed to be a brilliant machine, mama! Hang in there and when you figure it out you'll be in love!!

When I got my first serger I literally wanted to throw it out the window because of tension issues, then I figured out that I needed to gently pull the thread down into the tension plates, it was just running across the top and giving me all sorts of issues.

Also, if you are sewing with knits, you need to make sure you adjust your differential feed dial to allow for the stretching. I usually set mine to 1.5 or so for knits, that way they don't curl and get all wonky. After you've cut your cloth pads, take the scraps and start running them through the machine. Adjust the tension, the differential feed and if it's an option on your machine the feed dog pressure. Those all make a difference in how the fabrics feed through.

I took a bunch of scraps and then wrote in marker on the scrap what settings were used to get the right look, then when I go to sew something I can see exactly where I need to start my settings. After awhile this becomes second nature and I don't need to look anymore, but at first it was invaluable. I also got really good at serging with the manual close by and just referring to it as I was working on projects. It was slow at first, but it's really made a difference now!

[art4babies]

Originally Posted by northcountrymamma

Why, do you want to buy it???

Oh... I toy with the idea. lol
My DH and I have talked about buying one, but sort of only if the right one comes along. I definitely need one, but it is sort of a matter of timing, and the subject was dropped a while ago.