Glossary of Serging Terms

All-purpose or serger thread—All-purpose thread is usually cotton-covered polyester, wound parallel on conventional spools. Standard serger thread has the same fiber content but is lighter in weight than all-purpose thread and is cross-wound on cones or tubes so that it can feed more easily during high-speed serger sewing.

Balanced stitch—A serged stitch in which the upper- and lower- looper thread tensions are balanced so the threads meet at the edge of the fabric, forming loops.

Binding—A strip of fabric sewn to an edge, then wrapped around it and secured to hide the seam and the raw edge.

Bite—The distance between the knife and the needle, affecting the amount of fabric in the stitch.

Decorative seam (also decorative exposed seam)—Any seam on the outside of a garment or project that enhances design detail.

Decorative thread (also decorative serging or decorative finish)—Any thread other than all- purpose or serger thread, although even a contrasting color of these threads is technically considered decorative. Our favorite decorative threads include woolly nylon, rayon, pearl cotton, metallic, and crochet thread. Many others are also available.

Ease plus—A manual option to the differential feed, accomplished by force-feeding fabric under the front of the presser foot and preventing it from exiting out the back.

Edge-stitch—A medium-length (10 to 12 stitches per inch) straight-stitch on a conventional sewing machine applied near an edge. Edge-stitching is often used to join two serge-finished layers.

Filler cord—Crochet thread, pearl cotton, or buttonhole twist that simulates piping when serged over with a short, satin-length stitch.

Flatlocking—A technique in which the needle thread is loose enough that the serged stitches flatten out on top of the fabric, forming decorative loops when the fabric is pulled apart. The under side will show a ladder effect of evenly spaced, double parallel stitches. Used for both seaming and decorative stitching on a folded edge, flatlocking lends many creative possibilities.

Heavy thread—Crochet thread, pearl cotton, or buttonhole twist used for serge-gathering or filler cord in serger piping.

Long stitch—A serged stitch 4mm or 5mm in length.

Machine basting—Long (6 to 8 stitches per inch) straight-stitching on a conventional sewing ma chine.

Mail order—A growing trend that offers the convenience of at- home catalog shopping. Almost any product is available through mail order, but without the immediate, hands-on selection available at your local fabric store.

Matching thread—Thread the same color as (or that blends well with) the project fabric.

Medium-length stitch—A serged stitch about 3mm in length. Medium-width stitch—A serged stitch about 3.5mm wide. Narrow-width stitch—A serged stitch 2mm to 3mm wide. Used to serge a narrow seam or edge.

Quarter mark—Marking a circle or edge in four equal sections, using pins or a disappearing marking pen. This technique is often used to apply elastic evenly.

Ready-to-wear—Garments available for purchase through retail stores and mail-order outlets.

Rolled edge (finish or seam)— Also called a narrow rolled edge or hem, this stitch is created by altering the tension so that the raw edge rolls to the underside. A short stitch length creates an attractive satin-stitch edge.

Same grain—The direction your fabric is being serged—with the lengthwise grain, crosswise grain, or on the bias. Always test a decorative serged stitch on scraps using the same grain as the edges or seams you’ll be serging in the project.

Satin stitch (satin length)—A stitch short enough that the thread covers the entire fabric over which it's serged. Appropriate for both a balanced stitch or a rolled edge.

Serge-finishing—Most often a medium-length, medium-width, and balanced 3- or 4-thread stitch used to finish the edge of one layer during the construction process.

Serge-gathering—Several serger techniques are possible for gathering an edge. You can use differential feed on the 2.0 setting. An other option is to tighten your needle tension and lengthen your stitch. Or simply serge over heavy thread with a balanced stitch, being careful not to catch the heavy thread in the serging. Then, after anchoring one end, pull the heavy thread to gather the edge to any specific length. A fourth option is to loosen the needle tension, serge, and then pull up the needle thread.

Serge-seaming—The same medium-length, medium-width, and balanced 3- or 4-thread stitching used for serge-finishing, but in this case it’s used to seam two layers together.

Short stitch—A serged stitch 2mm or less in length.

Stitch-in-the-ditch—Stitching directly on top of a previous seamline to secure another layer positioned on the underside. Often used for nearly invisible stitching when applying a binding to an edge.

Straight-stitch—A medium- length (10 to 12 stitches per inch) straight stitch on a conventional sewing machine.

Thread chain—The joined loops formed by serging on a properly threaded machine with no fabric.

Top-stitch—A conventional- machine straight-stitch (10 to 12 stitches per inch) used to attach one layer (often serge-finished) to another or to secure hems and edges.

Wide stitch—A serged stitch 5mm or more in width.

Woolly nylon—One of our favorite decorative threads that became popular with the advent of serger sewing. A crimped nylon thread, it fluffs out to fill in any see through spaces on a decorative edge.

Zigzag stitch—A basic stitch on a conventional sewing machine that forms a back-and-forth pattern.