Sell me on a serger...

[dakotablue]

I have a great sewing machine, but I feel like something is missing :shrug3

Does anyone have both a serger and sewing machine? Do you use both? What is a serger mostly for?

I'm thinking about this because well....I think this bean is a girl and I'd love to sew for her (I've mostly given up on sewing for the boys:shrug3)

Oh and any suggestions on brands? Thinking Christmas here:think

[Kernigemom]

Oh yes, I love my serger. Not that I have much time to sew, but that's kind of the point - it makes some projects go soooo much faster, because it sews, cuts and edges all at once. The seams look neater and more professional, plus lay flatter and are often more comfortable than a zigzagged seam. I also think they're stronger.

Some cons to a serger, IMO, are that threading can be a pain, and tight curves are tricky. You also really don't want to have to open and redo any serged seams if you goof up. :doh:no

My serger has done some nice decorative stuff, too, like roll-edged sheer curtains. Anyway, I'd really miss mine if I didn't have it.

[musicmama]

Other than some finishing stuff, and making unpaper towels, I could live without mine :shrug I like the look and feel of a french seam over a serged seam so I choose that more often than not anyway :)

I don't think they're necessary. I would probably miss mine because then I couldn't sell serged edged unpaper towels anymore, but I'd probably just double layer turn and topstitch them instead :lol

[AdrienneQW]

The knife on my serger broke on Tuesday... I was practically convulsing for the three days I was without a serger. Could I sew without one? Yes. I did for over a year. Do I *want* to sew without one? Nope.

My original serger was a Brother 1034D, which runs about $200. I got a lemon first (had a burr in the upper looper and couldn't sew more than 3-4 inches without the thread breaking) so I swapped it out for another and had no trouble at all with that machine. I used her for 2+ years until she tried to kill me on Tuesday (hence, she's been re-named Christine). :giggle I'm going to replace the knife and keep her as a back-up... she's a good little machine. :tu

But, now that I know that I love to sew, I decided to get a higher-end serger. I ended up with a Babylock Imagine, which I loooooooooove so far. It's only been two days, but I've already done 4-5 different stitches including a rolled hem, which looks amazing. :tu I'm totally spoiled now. :)