Hey everybody, today I’m going to talk about sergers and sewing machines in the sewing world. Some of their differences and uses.
When you first start sewing it can be confusing with all the difference supplies out there and terms. And this post is to help you learn a little bit more about sewing machines and sergers.
Also, if you really need a serger to get started on your sewing journey. Sewing is a great craft and can be a very practical thing to know how to do.
With sewing you can make anything from pretty dresses to kitchen tea towels. What I love about sewing is you can be as creative as you want.
And sewing is a fairly easy craft to start and you just need a few items to get started. Here is a post I did on the supplies you’ll need to get started sewing.
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What is a Sewing Machine?
A sewing machine is simply put a tool that joins together fabric, (that sounds real technical ;-). Sewing machines use a needle to stitch your sewing projects together. They have a top thread and a bottom thread (bobbin thread).
Sewing machines can be computerized, mechanical or even some vintage machines can be treadle sewing machines. A regular sewing machine can have different types of stitches, the most common are the zig zag stitch and the straight stitches. But, even the most typical sewing machine will usually have a few different stitches to choose from.
With a sewing machine you can even adjust the stitch length and the stitch width. If you have a fancier sewing machine that has a wide variety of stitch options, you can use the fancy stitches to decorate the fabric pieces.
And sewing machines have multiple presser feet to choose from for all kinds of different purposes. But, I will mostly use my zig zag presser foot, even though I do have a variety of presser feet.
Here is the sewing machine I have.
What is a Serger?
A serger is also called a overlock machine and is most commonly used to finish the seam allowances. It finishes the raw edges of the pieces of fabric to keep them from fraying and gives the entire garment clean edge seams.
Sergers are used to give your sewing projects a professional finish. Serger machines use multiple thread cones to create the overcast stitch. And a lot of serger will stitch and cut the edge of the fabric.
Serged seams can give your sewing projects professional-looking hems. Trims the excess fabric off your seams and gives the edge of your fabric a neat finished look.
Here is a link for a serger.
Their Differences
Sergers and sewing machines are different machines. The main differences are pretty much that the sewing machine is used to sew the seam and the serger is used to finish the seam.
And that sergers only have one stitch and sewing machines can have hundreds of stitches to choose from. Sewing machines also have bobbins and sergers don’t.
Sewing machines also only use a top and bottom thread, while a serger can use three or more spools of thread (I think up to five) to make the overlock stitches on the fabric edge.
Do I really need a Serger?
While a serger can be a great machine to have, you maybe surprised that you don’t actually have to have one to sew some great projects. I know a lot of sewing enthusiasts have both sergers and sewing machines in their sewing room.
I have been sewing for a few years and the only machine I have is a sewing machine. I will probably get a serger sometime in the future, in fact I have been thinking about getting one here recently. But, if you’re just getting started sewing or if you can’t afford to get both a regular machine and a serger. You can use normal sewing machines to finish seams, so if you don’t have separate machines.
I’ll use the zig zag stitch to finish the edges of fabrics and if you’re using knit fabrics, you shouldn’t have to finish the seams at all because knit fabric doesn’t fray like cotton fabric.
I hope that this post has helped you learn a little bit more about sewing machines and a serger. Thank you for reading this post and be sure to check back on my blog often for new posts, tutorials and more.
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