Fran-- I never wanted a serger, either. But once I learned to use one, I really liked it. I still don't use it for quilting, but it is very handy for garment sewing. It finishes off seam allowances quickly and beautifully. I use it when sewing Victorian clothing, too. I'm not about to finish all those seams by hand overcasting, when they're not visible while wearing the garment anyway.
Two other handy uses: rolled hems, such as napkins, and gathering anything. Because they have so many possible settings, and differential feed, you can make them do many different things. If you get a serger, please take a class or two on what they can do. Kim -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lavolta Press Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2008 6:36 PM To: Historical Costume Subject: Re: [h-cost] Overlocker thread I've never liked serging but: Is it useful for fabrics besides knits? I know it can be used on woven fabrics, but there are a variety of seams that can be used on those but less of a variety for knits. Thing is, I never sew knits. And I never wanted a serger before but now that I'm adding to the machine collection. . . I'm really regretting selling that early electric Singer with the bentwood case that I had years ago, it worked perfectly and had a great straight stitch. It's just that I was a college student, I also had another machine, and I didn't want a lot of stuff to haul around. Is it easy to get them into good condition? Mine was like new. Fran Lavolta Press http://www.lavoltapress.com Kim Baird wrote: > > You need a strong thread for serging, because there is a bit of > jerking going on, and high speed. I use polyester thread for serging, > whether it's dedicated serger cones or just spools of Guterman or > Metrosene. I also like to use wooly nylon in the loopers, because it covers the edge so well. > However, you have to be careful when pressing the garment. Too much > heat, and wooly nylon becomes stiff and scratchy. > <snip> _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
