You might not know what a serger is but if you’ve ever
looked at the seams on the underside of a t-shirt, you’ll know what a serger
does.
A serger is a super sewing machine that cuts and sews at the
same time. It finishes seams so that your homemade garments and other fabric
creations look like they were finished professionally. According to Elsa Hopman,
a serger can’t replace a sewing machine; it’s an extra that sewers want to take
their projects to the next level.
“A serger can do more than a sewing machine,” Hopman explains,
while admitting that you still need a sewing machine as well.
A simple serger project would be table napkins. The edges of
the fabric squares would unravel without finished seams but instead of hemming
each edge, a run through the serger creates a neat binding of zigzag
thread.
Hopman suggests that sewers with sergers are often asked
whether their creations are do-it-yourself or store bought. This is especially
true of garments made of knit or stretch fabrics which are difficult to sew
using a conventional machine. How many sewers would attempt to make a bathing
suit? With a serger, it’s easily possible.
“You can sew a whole t-shirt on a serger,” the accomplished
sewer and serger says, adding that anything that stretches can be created using
a serger.
Fine rolled hems are another serger specialty that delivers
“a fine look”. It can be used to attach
lace to a hemline. The machine can also take on heavier projects like coats and
other outerwear. Hopman has an impressive red jacket she finished with a serger
that people come into the store to see.
High end sergers can be used to embellish projects with a
cover stitch, where the stitches are made on top of folded fabric. These
advanced machines can also sew right on the surface of the fabric like a sewing
machine. Decorative yarns and colourful or shiny threads can be incorporated to
make serger projects really stand out.
According to Hopman, “It really has expanded the whole world
of sewing and of serging with high tech machines.”
To find out more about sergers, sewing machines and sewing
classes, visit the Sewing Machines Etcetera website at
www.sewingmachinesetcetera.com.
