How to Use a Serger to Finish Tulle Fabric
A serger, also known as an overlock machine, is a sewing machine that sews a finished seam while cutting away excess edge fabric. A serger sews faster than a standard sewing machine and is used in industrial clothing production to professionally finish the seams. Sergers can be adjusted to sew various stitch types not available on standard sewing machines, such as a rolled hem. A rolled hem is one that has a narrow roll between 1 to 3 mm in length and is stitched in place.
Instructions
-
Rolled Hem With R Settings
-
1
Remove the left needle and stitch finger from the serger. Some serger machines have a lever that releases the stitch finger. The stitch finger is the narrow finger-shaped plate where the stitches are created.
-
2
Adjust the thread dials to a narrow width and short length. Set the width and length to "R" if this setting is available on the machine; otherwise, set it to 0 to 3 mm. A 0-mm setting creates a firm edge, while a 3-mm setting creates a slightly scalloped edge.
-
-
3
Adjust the thread tension to roll the fabric to the wrong side of the fabric and create the rolled hem. Lower the tension number for the upper thread to make it looser, and increase the lower thread number to make the tension tighter.
-
4
Change the presser foot to the R foot if the serger requires a special foot for the rolled hem. A rolled hem foot should come standard with the serger if it is required to complete the task.
-
5
Mark the hemline on the tulle with a washable fabric pen to make sure you sew a straight hem.
-
6
Run a test swatch through the serger to verify that the rolled hem is set to the desired thickness and that the tension is set to properly roll the hem underneath the fabric. Make additional adjustments if necessary.
Rolled Hem With Integrated Serger
-
7
Turn the hand wheel on the machine to raise the serger needles.
-
8
Pull the stitch-selection lever to the correct position for a rolled hem. In many machines, this requires pulling the lever toward you so it is set to the farthest position from the pressure foot.
-
9
Mark the hemline on the tulle with a washable fabric pen to make sure you sew a straight hem.
-
10
Run a test swatch to verify the rolled hem is sewn to the desired thickness and stitch length. Make adjustments to the stitch length and width if necessary.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Serger features and functions vary by manufacturer. Consult the user manual for the specific machine being used for the proper procedure for setting tension and stitch length and width.
