Serging Ahead

Above: my first serging experiments!

So I've been looking for a serger workshop but had trouble finding one that fits in my schedule; inevitably I'd miss classes because of Urban Tapestry practices or Balticon or other commitments.

But I did sign up for a beginners' sewing workshop at Sew Be It workshops studios, and supposedly we get some practice working with a serger. Each student is supposed to bring a pattern and fabric.



The course isn't until next month, however, and there was no way I could ignore my new serger until then. So I took out the manual and sat in front of my new Janome 9102D, then went through the diagram of all the parts to make sure I knew where everything was.

I also bought Quick and Easy Sewing With Your Serger by Becky Hanson. The Internet is a wealth of info, but I was getting frustrated trying to sort through all the advertisements for various sergers and serger companies as well as advanced technical serger details -- I was looking for a very basic serger primer. As the Internet continues to grow, of course, this sort of problem is only going to get worse -- the challenge of sorting through all the info to find what you want.

Anyway, I found the book gave a good overview of serger basics as well as listing some easy projects. I've also ordered The Complete Serger Handbook by Chris James.

After I figured out what all the parts were for and where they were, I used my Canon PowerShot to take some macro shots of the settings and threading. Yes, the manual has drawings but I wanted some real-life photos as well, for the inevitable day when I'll have to re-thread the serger myself.




I had never even seen a serger being used before, so I also browsed YouTube for videos. Finally I had done all the prep and procrastination I figured I needed, and actually turned my new serger ON (*gasp).

Once I started serging on some scraps, I noticed immediately that there's a LOT more going on than a regular sewing machine. More parts moving, knives cutting, threads being pulled this way and that. But overall, it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be.

My confidence bolstered, I even experimented with changing the thread tension, stitch lengths, and differential feed ratios. I've also figured out how to disengage the upper cutting knife for times when I don't want the edges trimmed.

So far, I think the initial main challenges are going to be:

- Figuring out how to cut/sew accurately. The serger cuts as it sews (I tried NOT cutting as I sewed and it's not nearly as even-looking) so I'll have to be really careful about not cutting off material I shouldn't! Once the material's cut, it's cut. Plus unlike a regular sewing machine, there's no reverse function. Going around corners is also going to be interesting, I can tell.

- Figuring out to properly start and end seams. I need to get some liquid seam sealant plus learn how to tuck the ends in under the stitches.

- Figuring out what thread tension, stitch length and differential feed ratio to use for different types of stitches. There are tips in the user manual, but I'd like to NOT have to look this up each time.

But the main thing I'm nervous about is RE-THREADING. That looks pretty scary, what with four threads and a zillion (ok, maybe slight exaggeration) places you have to tuck each thread around and into and behind, differently for each thread. I'm going to use the recommended trick of tying an old thread to the thread of a new spool, of course, but inevitably I'll have to re-thread someday. But I'll deal with that when I come to it. :-)

Overall, though, I'm EXCITED! The more I research, the more I realize that the serger can really help my sewing projects look more professional, plus opens up the range of possibilities for types of projects.

Finished another tank top last night (nice soft blue material) and am starting a t-shirt with SLEEVES today. Sleeves scare me, but not as much as threading a serger.



I've started doing weekly Cartoon Caption Challenges in the BoardGameGeek.com's game-related comics forum, if you're interested. The comic above is the result of last week's challenge. I posted another challenge today. Feel free to post your suggestion in that forum; the answer that gets the most votes ("thumbs up") from other users wins.

Babylon Five Virgin update

SPOILER WARNING: The blog below focuses on my reports while watching Babylon Five for the first time. An LJ feed is also available. If you haven't seen B5 yet and don't want spoilers, please DO NOT click below.

Episode 52: Messages from Earth (1)
Episode 53: Point of No Return (2)



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