How to Use a Serger Machine

Learning to use a serger will help you to produce more professional looking garments.

Just as conventional sewing machines revolutionized home clothing production years ago, today the serger, or overlock, has helped home sewers create professional-looking items and use a wider variety of fabrics. Sergers also help to cut down on sewing time because they can cut, trim, and finish seams all at once. Stretchy knits, once outside the domain of home sewers, can now be competently sewn using sergers. Once you learn to use a serger, your repertoire of sewing skills will be greatly expanded.

Things You'll Need

• Serger
• 4 spools of matching serger thread
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Place the four spools of thread on their slots and pull the thread ends through the telescopic thread guides. Thread the serger by threading the four thread ends through their respective needles in the following order: upper looper, lower looper, right needle and left needle. This order is consistent for most sergers, but you should check your manual because there are a few sergers that are threaded in different orders. After threading the machine, pull the four threads gently through below and behind the presser foot to keep them out of the way of stitching. Run the machine without any fabric to create a chain of threads before making a seam in your fabric.

2. Place the fabric next to the presser foot and then feed it right under the presser foot to sew a seam. Don't lift the presser foot unless the fabric is too thick to run underneath without assistance. The serger's knife will cut off 3/8 inch of the seam allowance as it sews, so remember to sew at the proper distance for your pattern.

3. Adjust the tension by moving only one of the four tension dials at a time, and only move them in small increments. After each adjustment, run a few inches of sample seam to see if your stitches contain the right amount of tension for a finished, polished seam.

4. Continue to hold down the presser foot when you reach the end of a seam, even after your fabric has completely run through the machine. You should continue to hold the presser foot down until you have about 5 inches of chain past the end of the fabric. This is called "chaining off."

5. Secure loose thread ends by threading the loose chain end on a large tapestry needle. Slide the needle back through the previous stitching until the entire chain pulls through, and then clip any loose ends with scissors.

6. Sew slowly around curves. Use your hands to adjust the fabric as you head into curves. If the curve is tight, stop stitching and adjust the fabric as much as necessary to keep the presser foot in the correct position for the curve.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your serger clean to maintain it in top working condition. Dust and oil will interfere with the inner workings and can cause jams and snags.

References

• What the Craft: Serger Basics
• UK Cooperative Extension; Serger Basics; Marjorie M. Baker; Oct. 2007