Serger Basics // 1 Day // February 1
Serger intimidation is real and affects thousands of sewists every year. Have you bought one of these life-changing machines but find it still sitting in its box? Have you liberated it from its box, used it once or twice, but can't figure out what all those dials and whirly-gigs are for? Have you only dreamed about a serger from afar but want to try one out to decide whether it's worth the splurge (spoiler: it is)?
A serger (also called an overlocker) is a specialized machine that trims & finishes the edge of your fabric. It is used to prevent woven fabric from fraying, and can also be used to sew the seams of knit fabrics due to the natural stretch of the stitches. If you look through your closet, the vast majority of your factory-made clothing have serged seams on the inside! Serged stitches strengthen your seams, lengthen the life of your garments, and make your projects look so much more professional and gift-worthy.
Let us guide you through the basics of how to properly thread and operate the serger so you can tackle all your projects with confidence. In this workshop we will provide Brother 1034D machines (the most common and highest-rated serger model for beginners and advanced home sewers alike). We'll walk you through the basics--setting it up, changing the settings, and achieving different stitches--and then teach you some tricks (did you know you can gather, flatlock and hem on a serger?) that would make any sewing nerd swoon.
Techniques Learned:
- Threading!
- Changing settings (when, why, how): tension, stitch width & length, differential feed, stitch finger, blade deactivation
- Stitch types: four-thread and three-thread serging, narrow hem, rolled hem, flatlock stitching, gathering
- Basic maintenance: changing needles, cleaning, troubleshooting
If you have your own Brother 1034D, feel free to bring it with ALL its accessories. If you have a serger that's a different brand or model, please let us know upfront so we can be prepared to help you. Also bring the manual! If your serger is in ill-repair or you know it hasn't be used in a long time, you may want to get it professionally serviced first to make sure it still works. Please note that we will NOT be able to accommodate two-thread overlockers, air-threading machines or serger/coverstitch combo machines in this particular workshop. If you're not sure if you have that, you probably don't, but you can always ask us :)
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner and beyond. It's okay if you've never used a serger before, but sewing experience on a regular machine is required. You have at least taken our Sewing 101 course or have equivalent experience so you can understand the difference between what a regular machine does and what a serger does.
1 Day; 3 Workshop Hours
Section 1: Saturday, February 1 from 2:30pm-5:30pm
