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What is a serger machine?

16 years ago

Is it like a merrow(sp?) machine? We used a merrow machine back in sewing class in high school years ago and I think it cut/stitched edges---is that right? Is it the same thing as a serger? Can you use it on sheer fabrics to keep them from fraying?

Hope these aren't dumb questions.

Thanks!

Mary

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Comments (4)

soonergrandmom
16 years ago
So what exactly is a serger?
A serger is a machine that creates the finished seam you see on the seams of ready made garments such as side seams in sweat shirts and tee shirts. Due to industrial influences, you will hear people refer to what home sewers have come to know as serging by many different term. Overlock and MerrowÂ® (named after the Merrow Sewing Machine Company) are just a few.

What does a serger do?
A serger trims the seam and encloses the seam allowance inside a thread casing, all in one step.
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kathyg_in_mi
16 years ago
There are no dumb questions here!
Kathy G in MI
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Try playing with the tension.....upper and lower and see if it helps..try different stitch sizes...does it look like the cone thread has burrs on it? Did you try a different cone? That is what I would start trying...I've used cone on my Featherweight using a cone stand and it worked for me. Good luck
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No ,I googled it and couldn't find anything on it.It kinda looks like the Simplicity one.(i saw your pictures on the other post.) Did you get it yet,and if so what do you think of it??? Kathi
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No, actually that is NOT correct. A "serger" is technically an overlock machine, that is set up with 3 threads, and lacks the capacity to produce a "safety stitch". The overlock stitch is the "serge", but only if executed with 3 threads. The machine that historically did that operation was the "Merrow" machine (one needle and two loopers). Over time the term "serger" has become more generic, but if you work in the world of machinery "serger" is synonymous with "Merrow", a 3 thread overlock. "Overlock" is the generic term for the stitch that finishes a raw edge. It describes either a 2 or 3 thread overlock ("serge"); a two thread overlock uses one needle, one looper and a "spreader", only two cones of thread are used. A machine that not only overlocks the raw edge but also provides a first line of stitching (this is the "safety stitch", one needle and one looper to provide a chain stitch) is designated thusly: "5 thread overlock" or "4 thread overlock". The difference is in how many loopers the configuration provides, and how many cones of thread are required to produce the overlock stitch. A three thread overlock requires one needle and two loopers and is the most secure of the two, requiring 3 cones of thread to complete the stitch; strong enough to join pieces... two thread overlocks are not.
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cmc_97
16 years ago
Recently, the sales lady at my sewing machine shop (where they know me well enough to call me by my first name) explained sergers in a way I hadn't thought of before:

Sergers KNIT a seam and seam finish all at the same time. Depending on the model and how you set them up (there are a variety of stich patterns you can select on most home machines), the serger uses 1, 2, or 3 needle threads and 1 or 2 looper threads that do, indeed, knit a seam and seam finish, while also trimming off the excess seam allowance with cutting kinves.

I own two of these machines.

Yes, you can use them on sheer fabrics to keep them from fraying. I once made a lovely sueded rayon dress for a friend, with princess seams down the front and the back. I serged every seam allowance on all the flat pieced before I started seaming it together. This made adjusting the princess seams for fit much easier. I don't always use this method, but it worked well in this instance.

Sometimes I just sew seams on a garment with the serger. Other times, I'll baste with a regular sewing machine to check for fit, then "re-sew" the seam with the serger to do the final seam and seam finish all at once.

CMC
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sheesh
16 years ago
That is so true! I've asked quite a few and always get good answers.

As for the serger, I couldn't live without mine. So quick and neat.

A silly story: I have a Singer serger. When my dtr had just learned to read, she asked, "Mommy, why do you always call it a serger?" I launched into an explanation of the machine, and she said, ever so gently and sweetly, "But, Mommy, that's not an 'r' it's an 'n.' It's a 'singh-er!'" We still call it the "singher" (or however you would spell it!)

Sherry
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