Easy Guide to Serging Fine Fabrics
All books in the category Comprehensive
by: Kitty Benton
Topics include: roll hemming, serger for roll, upper looper, gathering ratios, thread serged seam, woolly nylon, stitch fingers, hem setting, fusible thread, lower looper tension, bias tubing, stitch bed, circular hems, hairline seam, your serger, trimming width, looper threads, upper knife, rolled seam, fabric puckers, resume sewing, thread tracing, presser foot, stationary knife, gathering foot
Book Description:
Getting the most out of the versatile and efficient serger Have you bought a serger, but haven't yet learned how to use it? Do you own one, but know that it could do more if you only knew how? This is the book for everyone who owns or has considered buying the versatile and efficient serger. With valuable technical information, and more than 130 photos to clarify every step, Kitty Benton will guide you through everything you need to know to get the most out of your machine, including how to: thread your machine right every time find the machine settings, needles and thread that suit your fabric make fancy edges and hems that only a serger can do choose and use the notions that work best turn inside and outside corners perfectly work with sheer fabrics and lace make a fancy braid or a custom ribbon to match your garment sew easy bias tubing, and much more
The serger can be intimidating at first glance. There it sits with all those dials, spindles, needles, and inner gears!,. like an ugly toad on your sewing table. But once you fall In love with it, you will recognize it to be the true prince of the sewing room. My own love affair with sergers began when my children "outgrew me" and I went back to school in mid-life to take on the challenge of expanding a satisfying home-sewing hobby into a career as a professional designer. Part of my education was learning all about the specialized industrial machines. Some were scary monsters that clanked out buttonholes, some were intriguing puzzles such as the multi-needle shirring machine (with 45 needles to thread!). But the one I truly longed for at home was the overlock (or merrow machine, as it's still called in the industry), the factory staple that overcasts, trims, and stitches the seam all at once. At the same time, about ten years ago, imported sewing machines hit the American home-sewing market and caused such a sensation that home overlockers, or sergers, soon followed as companion machines-much as automatic dryers followed washing machines. In the decade since, the creative energy found in home sewing workrooms has uncovered exciting new capabilities for the serger and triggered many added conveniences. Why bother with a serger? Because it's fast! With a serger, you can stitch, trim, and overcast a seam in one step instead of three, and in less than half the time of a conventional sewing machine. This remarkable machine cuts hours of precious sewing time from large and small projects, and will often give you more professional results than a conventional sewing machine. Most people associate the serger with utilitarian knits and sportswear, yet it has a much wider application. The beauty of the serger is how it can handle fine fabrics. The firmness of the grip between presser foot and throat plate will help you control slippery fabrics such as lace and chiffon, and the machine zips through tiny, accurate seams in delicate fabrics, making it ideal for labor-intensive dressmaking chores, such as making large circular hems on tiered skirts, and fine heirloom looks, such as joining rows and rows of lace insertion for a christening dress. If you already own a serger, let me share my excitement and professional secrets with you to help you discover new ways of getting the most from your machine. If you are still thinking about buying one, this guide, based on years of personal experience and experimentation, will help you decide which features and threading variations will best serve your needs. Each chapter in this book addresses progressive steps to mastering serging with fine fabrics, so whether you are a new or an experienced serger, you will be able to launch right into hands-on techniques that you can adapt to your own projects. You can go through the whole book for a complete course in fine serging, or, once having mastered the basics, you can skip ahead to the stitch treatments you can immediately apply to a garment. Chapter 1 describes the advantages of a serger and how the parts work together to form stitches. It explains initial threading and tension adjustments, as well as optional features and accessories. You'll learn easy maintenance procedures and simple troubleshooting to keep your serger at peak performance. Chapter 2 helps you to select compatible threads and needles for your fabrics, prepare the fabric for stitching, and take advantage of helpful products and notions. In Chapter 3, you'll learn to master useful serger skills, including starting and finishing seams, and sewing curves, corners, bias areas, and circles. Then you'll learn basic seams, finishes, and hems for all types of fine fabrics. Chapter 4 covers more specialized applications so you can produce elegant self-ribbing for fine knits, add tailoring touches to crisp wovens, create festive detailing for special-occasion garments, and seam laces for delicate lingerie and heirloom treatments. Four simple projects let you use your serging skills right away. At the end of the book is a handy photo index that will help you to review, compare, and locate the finishes introduced in the main text. This section will boost your creativity with the serger because you will see at a glance the various treatments you can use, from utility seaming to special decorative effects and monogramming. Setting boxes tell you just how to thread and adjust your serger for the treatments shown in the photos. You will also see the decorative potential of fabrics. threads, and edgings and design them into your projects. -- Kitty Benton
Reviews: