| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| TheSoapMaven |
Posted - Dec 23 2006 : 2:58:46 PM
Tell all! I am looking for one...know nothing!
Susan
http://www.thesoapmaven.com
http://notquitejunecleaver.com
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| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| herbquilter |
Posted - Mar 12 2007 : 9:43:09 PM
I love my serger...Juki 5 thread. It does it all!!! Juki makes sergers for Bernina.
I bought mine from All Brands.com. It was less than $1000.
24 years ago I bought a serger, it too was a Juki. They had just come out & could only be purchased from manufactors or commerical sewing supply companies then.
That first serger worn out after 20 years of hard work and hundreds of garments. I have a large family of 8 children and have sewn most of their clothes & my own too.
No other brand to buy, except Juki in my mind.
Good Luck & Have FUN!
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many & Herbalist
www.herbalmomma.com
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| UrbanChick |
Posted - Mar 12 2007 : 8:33:18 PM
I love my serger. I have a Babylock Evolve. It is pricey but I love it and it threads very easy and I can thread it in any order. I can't live without my serger, I use it all the time.
"Courage dosen't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying: I will try again tomorrow." |
| Alee |
Posted - Mar 12 2007 : 6:24:21 PM
Another great place to look for a great deal on a sewing machine or a serger is a repair shop. We have a great little shop here in Moscow called Vac-U-Mart. He fixes sewing machines and vacuums and is extremely knowledgeable. Sometimes people take a broken machine in and leave it, forget about it, or don't pay their bill. I bought a almost brand new machine from him for the repair bill which was only $40! The people had left it in his shop for over 2 years!
Places like this are _glad_ to sell these machines which they have already invested money in to fix and they want to get rid of something that is taking up floor space. I am tempted to go buy another from him and then Ebay it since I am sure I could make pretty good profit doing this! (lol) He also gave me lessons on how to operate my new machine and when I had a question I called and he was able to walk me through the problem over the phone.
Hope this other idea helps!
Alee |
| Lizabeth |
Posted - Mar 12 2007 : 3:26:09 PM
I just purchased a Viking 936. I highly recommend Nancy Zieman's "Serge with Confidence" and her "Serge and Sew for Babies". I wasn't talked into these books by a dealer I found them on my own and love her clear concise directions. The baby book comes with a versatile mccalls pattern and great sewing and serging techniques. I can't wait to make outfits for my soon to arrive twin neice and nephew!
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| Knittymama |
Posted - Dec 30 2006 : 2:36:04 PM
It does, thanks!!
http://knittymama.blogspot.com |
| sewgirlie |
Posted - Dec 29 2006 : 6:02:46 PM
Hi Knittymama:
I sew a great deal and like my things to look "finished." I would not really use the serger for quilting, so if that it was you do, then do not bother. If you like to make napkins, home dec stuff like curtains, etc or if you make clothes, then I would say yes. I have sewn for most of my life and only recently got a serger. I did fine without it for all of those years (and that includes making dresses for weddings). I just felt that I had reached that stage where I could have the serger for finishing my work to make it look more professional. Plus, they are so fast and uniform if you have a good one. It's not necessary and probably not worth buying if you have a good blindstitch or zigzag on your current machine, though.
Hope that helps!
Sheryl-lyn |
| Knittymama |
Posted - Dec 28 2006 : 3:47:25 PM
Okay, as someone new to sewing, what exactly is the point of getting a serger? When would I choose to use one rather than my sewing machine? Are they worth the extra cost and bother?
http://knittymama.blogspot.com |
| FarmGirl~K |
Posted - Dec 27 2006 : 3:42:57 PM
I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics not long ago & looked at a machine there. I didnt end up getting one there, but they are very helpful. The reps in the sewing machine dept. do not work for Jo-ann. The lady that helped me was very nice & answered all of my ?'s & even gave me a demo. She did say that they have free lessons. I can't remember if it was for the life of the machine or something like that. May not be ideal for you Susan with such a long commute, but if you do happen to be in town, you could maybe get a lesson in there.
Live! Laugh! Love! |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Dec 27 2006 : 3:02:39 PM
Susan -- I'm looking at sergers too. All I can say is from what others have told me -- cheaper is NOT better. I'm looking at a Huskavarna which is about $1200. But it is self threading, computerized, etc. I would go to a reputable sewing machine store and talk to a salesperson. Get tons of info before you make a final decision.
The Rustic Cottage Etsy Shop http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands -Proverbs 31:13
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| windypines |
Posted - Dec 27 2006 : 2:29:32 PM
My husband bought me a cheap serger, from walmart. What a night mare it is. Found the best thing I could do to try to make it work was get good thread. But at the time we had very little money and he did the best he could. So I for one would make sure I could get a better one, don't go cheap. |
| KarenP |
Posted - Dec 24 2006 : 06:23:12 AM
Susan,
I have Babylock Pro-Line Serger I bought new in the 80's.
I did tons of research before I bought it.
Author and Sewing/Serging Goddess,Gale Brown and I e-mailed back and forth as she helped me decide on what I needed.
My sewing machine repair guy was also a wealth of knowledge.
My machine is a 3-4 thread (you can use either 3 or 4 threads)
has differential feed, and fairly easy to tread (compared to some others I had looked at).
I tend to still use my sewing machine the most, but it sure is nice to have when I want it.
I think it was worth the money, now that I have had it for so many years and I think I have put maybe 3 sets of blades in. I have even used it at work when we have an upholstery fabric that will fray too much, I'd run home and pick it up.
Susan, please take your time and do some research on how your going to use it before buying. You might want to check around for a used trade-in model now after christmas!
just my 2 cents
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
| berries |
Posted - Dec 24 2006 : 05:51:37 AM
I have had a Bernina 700D for about four years. I like it, had trouble at first, but once I had the thread thing figured out, I'm good to go. There are alot to choose from, but I always say - but the best you can (afford). Don't always think about what it costs. Sergers are tricky, and like everyone one has said, take a class, work with someone else, or buy a CD that shows you how to operate it. It will be well worth it! Like Sheryl-Lyn, I too whipped up new holiday pillowcases for everyone I could think of! They do make great items to share!
Let us know what you get!
Happy Holidays and best wishes to all, gloria g. Richards, TX
strawberry fields forever and ever!
www.strawberryhousequilting.com |
| sewgirlie |
Posted - Dec 24 2006 : 05:41:52 AM
You can get a perfectly functional serger (like a Brother or White) for under $300.00. The high end Huskvarna goes for about $1000.00 (but it still does not thread itself). As long as you get to practice it at the store and learn how to adjust it for different fabrics and stitches, you can make yourself happy with most sergers. I like the Huskvarna 910 because it does not really have to be adjusted by me. I tell it the stitch and the fabric and it tells me what to move the knobs to. I like that. It was worth the money not to be frustrated all the time. There are probably sales all over the place now, so you can probably get a good one for a fair price. Singer makes an excellent one too. If you cannot take classes then get video for it and the CD that goes into the computer. They help a lot. Most of the machines come with those items now. Good luck! Sheryl-lyn Merry Christmas!! |
| TheSoapMaven |
Posted - Dec 23 2006 : 6:51:01 PM
I am going to venture into the city on Tuesday and look...should be some sales. I dont know if I can get to classes or not...80 miles one way!! But surely I can read and do okay...I hope. Thanks for the encouragement...what are we looking at here $wise???
Susan
http://www.thesoapmaven.com
http://notquitejunecleaver.com
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| sewgirlie |
Posted - Dec 23 2006 : 5:46:10 PM
I have a Huskvarna serger. It's the 910 I think. I love it to death, but wish I had the money to buy a self-threading one. That was the hardest thing to learn how to do with any consistency. I just whipped up about 15 pillowcases this past week for my family and friends. They are so nice and you can make them to match curtains and quilts, etc. Napkins, etc....It is the greatest sound to hear that thing whizzing through the fabrics.
Wherever you get yours, make sure they offer free classes to new purchasers. Then take them all! Even if you don't want what they are making, you will learn how to use your machine for everything.
Have fun!! XXOOO Sheryl-lyn |
| suzyhomemaker |
Posted - Dec 23 2006 : 3:56:35 PM
Love mine. I ahve a Pfaff, but my brother has an Elna and lvoe his even more as it is easier to thread.
I use mine to finish all seams in clothing construction and home dec items like pillowcases. I have used it some for finishing edges with rolled type hems on sheer fabrics (like organza puffed sleeves on girl dresses for special occasions).
It is a definite help in making cloths look like store bought ones.
Country girl in NE PA |
