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  • Writer's pictureCreative Roots Sewing

Sergers - Beginner to Advanced


A common question in the sewing world is - "do I need a serger?" Although this is kinda a loaded question, the simplified answer is no, you don't NEED one. Is it a total game changer? Absolutely - especially if you are going to be sewing garments.

What exactly does a serger do? Basically a serger is a machine that has a cutting bade on one side and two needles to the left of it. As you feed the fabric through, it both cuts the fabric and 'wraps' it up (this also prevents fraying). What this means is that you not only have a nice durable seam inside your clothes, but also a professional looking one. Go to your closet and take a look inside any of your store bought clothing and you are likely to see a serged seam.


Now, if you've already looked at sergers you will see that there are tons to choose from, ranging in price anywhere from a few hundred to in the thousands. So how do you know which is the best choice for you? And what does it mean to use a more expensive machine (I.e what's the difference between expensive and cheap machines)? I'm going to try to stay on task here, while keeping it organized.

I'll start with the cheapest machine you should be considering as a beginner - the Brother 1034/1134 (same model, U.S and Canadian versions). ​


​I say the cheapest machine you should consider because most machines below this aren't going to be nearly as good as this one. This is the very machine I started with. Actually, I've had 2 (not because one broke). Such an awesome beginner machine! They aren't picky, they really work well, and will serge a lot of layers for such an inexpensive machine. Another thing to consider with the brother is there's an enormous online support system for them. You can go on basically any forum and ask about your Brother and someone will have advice for you. This is the machine that a ton of us sewists start out with - you know, when we thought there was maybe a chance we wouldn't absolutely LOVE having one.

There are so many options in the sub $500 range now, including (but not limited to) the Husqvarna 200S, Juki (there's a few models), Janome, as well as deals to be had on low end Elnas, Babylocks, and most other brands.

Once you venture up from there, sergers go up quite a bit. From my brothers, I went to a Kenmore. I actually still have it as my backup serger (I'll get to what I use as my main serger in a bit). The Kenmore was definitely an upgrade from the brothers. ​


​ It had more weight behind it which meant it didn't jump around as much if you floor the pedal, and it cut more seamlessly. The original price tag was about $1000 and honestly, in that price range there's probably better or just as good machines to buy. I didn't use the Kenmore a ton so I don't have a lot to say about it really, but I imagine it's pretty similar to most machines in or around that price range. Before I move on, a note about Janome sergers - these were definitely on my list of possible upgrades. What I really loved is that the sides open wide (great for cleaning, and anyone who knows me know I am a stickler about keeping a clean machine). What I don't love is from what I understand, Janome machines like their Janome needles (I have heard otherwise also, but that deterred me, I like my regular old Organ home sewing needles too much lol). In this type of price range you're also looking at Pfaff (an amazing brand, I have also heard a little picky as a serger). The one I looked at was a combination serger/coverstitch machine and I really didn't think that was going to be best for me (think...Jack of all trades, master of none?) There's also Juki in this range which had my husband not taken me to our local shop probably would have been what I went with. There are cheaper Juki options like the MO644D, or the MO-50E but my advice is once you go up from your started/beginner machine, buy the best one you can get with your budget and this way you have some room to grow into the machine instead of out of it.

What I find with anything under the $1000ish range is that you are more likely to get something without a great feed system, and prone to inconsistent stitching. I am SUPER picky about the quality of my stitches and so it took machines in the $1500+ range for me to be happy with the feel and quality.

It wasn't soon after I bought my Kenmore (as a floor model from Sears), that my husband took me to A Great Notion to pick out the type of serger I really needed (read: wanted badly lol). I had been drooling over Berninas since my first days sewing. When the new Bernina L460 serger came out I thought there was no way I could ever get one. I was so in love with it I even read the manual front to back (not thinking I'd ever even have one...I'm weird and I embrace it). So I had done a ton of research on sergers before finding the Kenmore and though the Bernina was high on my list, I knew I wanted to make sure it was 'the one'. This is where I get into what a more high end serger gets you and some of the brands that will get you there. ​


In the price range I was looking with the features I wanted I was looking at Bernina and Babylock. I have amazing things to say about both and will possibly do a more dedicated blog if anyone wants to hear about the reason I went with Bernina (other than the price difference). With these models you are looking at some more robustness (that's a word right!?) as well as some nice features that aren't needed but are loved if you sew a lot (which...I do). This step is into more professional sewing, without getting into industrial machines. The Babylock has air threading (gasp) and that's it's real 'claim to fame'. For me this wasn't necessarily a bonus - I like something with a little more control and less electronic things to break. The Bernina has a nice big foot pedal, more control with the foot pedal (which is very different from lower end machines). it also stops with the needles up which is super awesome and saves my wrist a lot of wheel turning! The higher end machines also have some more advanced tension features - some of the Babylocks have auto tensioning, the Bernina doesn't have that per se, but it has a feature that essentially helps you to fine tune the seam (MTC).

The good and bad about the Bernina after using it for just over a year.

Pros -The knee lift is one of the best things ever - you have to get into the really high end Babylock sergers to get this feature. - Super quiet machine, and sews just beautifully

- The foot pedal is incredible, it gives you complete control and has a heel push option to lower the needles (which I use quite often)

- Super easy to thread and I have never thread it wrong even when I'm rushing (not picky at all).

- Seam allowance guide is the.best.thing.ever

Cons - There are two huge down sides to the Bernina, the first one is that the motor makes a sound. I think this is a frequency not everyone can hear, but I can and this lead me to the puchase of my next serger (I will discuss this later)

- The foot is fairly long making is somewhat difficult to do really tiny cuffs, but the knee lift helps a ton - The other downside is that Bernina has the worst customer service ever. The guy I was dealing with was one of the rudest people I have ever come into contact with. Shame on you Bernina!

So, in comes sergers number...ok, I've lost count at this point, but I think we are at #5 and #6. #5 The Husqvarna 200S - This was a Chrismtas gift from my husband who went to get me a second machine to my Bernina for those days when I didn't want to deal with the hum of the motor or just to have something in another thread color (I'm overly spoiled, I know). I took it out and tried it, I read the manual (of course), and it seemed like a really awesome little machine for the price. But, when I'm used to sewing on my Bernina, this machine just wasn't going to cut it. Right away I didn't like the way it was feeding and I boxed it up and brought it back. You heard that right - I brought it back! After my dealings with A Great Notion I went hunting for a shop that would stand by what they sell you, and I found the most amazing place ever - Quality Sewing & Vacuum. More on them another time, but their return/exchange/upgrade policy is like no other.

When I brought back the 200S I checked out what they had (they sell an extensive array of brands). I tried the new air threading Janome (not impressed), and the air threading Juki (this one was way over complicated for me), and finally I caved and looked at Baby Lock. If you read above you will know that when I bought the Bernina I was choosing between that and a Baby Lock, but I have always felt the need to not follow the crowd and never loved the Baby Lock brand (there was ZERO reason for this).

I tried everything, and then I made my husband try. He has always steered clear of Baby Lock also - again, we have no real reason for this. I was ready to walk out empty handed when he tried a handful of machines and said he loved the Baby Lock! What!? Gasp! He couldn't believe the stitch quality compared to the other machines (both lower and higher priced), and the deal on the floor model was pretty incredible, so #6 came home with me (this was only yesterday so I will update once I decide she's here to stay and use it for awhile).

There's quite a bit more to sergers than what I touched on here - for another day though my friends.


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