How to Begin Sewing on a Serger

A serger needs lightweight thread that holds up under the machine's fast movement.

A serger, also called an overlook machine, is a special type of sewing machine. Instead of using one thread and needle, it uses from two to five threads, needles and loopers. A serger is helpful for working with knitted and stretch fabrics, because it creates a long lasting seam that weaves around edge of the fabric. The name of every serger indicates what types of stitches it can perform. Most use four threads, two needles and two loopers.

Things You'll Need

• Serger
• 100 percent cotton or synthetic thread
• Needles
• Long, angled tweezers
• Sewing scissors

Instructions

1. Choose the correct needles for your sewing project. A sharp needle will work best for woven fabric; a ballpoint for knits, and a stretch needle for stretch fabrics. Size 80 needles are best, although sizes 70 and 90 are also workable. For each project, all of your needles must be the same size. Select the right lightweight thread made of either 100 percent cotton or 100 percent synthetic, or a cotton and synthetic blend.

2. Thread the serger in the correct order, according to the diagram found on the inside of the looper cover at the bottom of the serger. For a four-thread Singer serger, for example, the upper looper will be threaded first. The looper is sharp and has an eye, but is larger than a needle and is positioned horizontally over the needles.

3. Place the thread on the spools and through the thread guides above them. Draw out the upper looper thread -- on a 4-thread Singer serger, the second spool from the right -- from the spool and down through the thread guides below it, including the small metal loop on the top of the serger. Pull the thread through the slot to the left of that thread's tension disk. Some machines require that each thread be set to a different tension. Adjust the tension for your particular project.

4. Pull the thread down through the looper thread guides and take-up levers. Your machine may have colored dots that correspond with the color-coded diagram on the looper cover, such as the Singer serger does. Follow these to make sure that you are threading in the correct order and through the correct thread guides.

5. Thread the lower looper thread in the same way, pulling it through the thread guides at the top of the machine and down the gap at the left of the tension dial, and then through the looper guides at the bottom of the machine. Always check your serger’s manual or DVD on looper threading to spot special requirements for threading your particular serger.

6. Thread the right needle next. The needles have a few extra threading guides near the tension dials, but are not threaded through the guides at the lower part of the machine as the loopers are. Again, follow the diagram provided on your particular machine. Use your tweezers to thread the needle, and then pull the thread back, under and behind the presser foot. Thread the left needle in the same way, and you're ready to start stitching.

Tips & Warnings

• Use long, angled tweezers to grasp the thread easily in tight spots and when threading the needles.

• Remember that the threads must wrap around one another in a particular way, so the order in which they are threaded is important.

• If you have to re-thread a looper, you must also re-thread all the others that came after it.

References

• What The Craft: Serger F.A.Q.'s and Buying Guide
• Utah State University Cooperative Extension: Sewing with Serger Basics
• The-Sewing-Partner.com: Serger Threading - It’s Easier Than You Think!
• You Tube: How to Sew: Using a Serger: How to Thread the Upper Looper on a Serger Sewing Machine
• You Tube: How to Sew: Using a Serger: How to Thread the Lower Looper on a Serger Sewing Machine
• You Tube: Part 2 How to Thread a Serger

Resources

• The-Sewing-Partner.com: The Serger