For many people, even seasoned sewing enthusiasts, sergers are seen as equal parts tantalizing and terrifying. They can do so many cool things at once: seam, trim, and finish – all at lightning speed. But to make it happen, there are a lot of threads working together and… knives!

Luckily, the benefits more than outweigh the apprehensions. Adding a serger to your sewing/quilting/creating space is a great way to save time and give your seams a professional quality finish. We put together our Top 7 Reasons for making a serger your sewing machine’s newest companion.

Okay – we just told you a serger does so many things. But in actuality, a serger does only one thing: it sews forward. To achieve the various stitch styles; settings and tensions are changed, needles can be single or double, and threads can be different in the needles and “loopers.”

New to serging? If so, “looper” is your word of the day. Instead of using a bobbin like a standard sewing machine, a serger uses an upper looper and a lower looper. A looper is a hook-shaped metal part that works in tandem with the needle(s), moving side to side to catch the thread and lock it around the fabric’s edges. The upper looper moves across the top of the fabric to place and interlock the top threads. The lower looper moves underneath the fabric to deliver the bottom thread and form the base of the seam. Don’t spend too much time focusing on all those moving parts. These are Janome machines, so you know they are engineered to perform with precision and without worry.

The most important thing to remember is to always, always test the stitch you want, using the exact thread and fabric as your project. Different fabrics and threads all behave differently. Testing is the only way to insure the adjustments you make will give you the results you want.

We used the Janome MyLock 654D Sailing Line serger for four of our samples, turning to the Janome AirThread 2000D for the other three samples.

The MyLock 654D is a versatile 2, 3 or 4 thread machine that is a great all-around model for pro-sewers and beginners alike. A color-coded threading guide and easy lower looper threading simplify the various stitch set-ups.

The AirThread2000D has an amazing One Push Air Threading System, as well as an 8-piece feed dog configuration, and a built-in one-step converter that makes changing from 4 and 3-thread to 2-thread applications fast and easy. It’s received multiple awards for its design.

One of the newest options in the Janome serger selection is the SewSwitch: a combination sewing machine and serger! Turn it one way and it’s a standard sewing machine with 30 practical stitches. Rotate it to the other side and you have a hard-working 2-thread serger that is ready to produce a professional finish.

Review the Reasons

Below are our 7 Reasons to Add a Serger to Your Sewing, Quilting, Creating Space. Each Reason includes a description of why we chose it as well as the details of how we set up our serger. There’s also a special “Pro Tip” for each technique. Along with the beauty images of our kid-friendly samples, there’s a video you can review to see the process in action. Simply click on the arrow within the video window to play it.

From cutting out the fabric to finishing all the edges, we made six double-layer flannel burp clothes in about an hour! A beautiful rolled hem is a classic serger technique for napkins, scarves, even bridal veils, and – as you can see – burp cloths. Often done on just one layer, the MyLock 654D performed flawlessly on our two layers of flannel.

A rolled hem can be done with either a 2-thread or 3-thread set-up. We used a 3-thread set-up with a single needle in the Right position, wooly nylon in the upper looper, serger thread in the lower looper, and serger thread in the needle.

Pro Tip: Always tighten the screw on the side of the removed needle. This is important due to the high speed of the stitching.

Want to make an adorable baby gift in less time than it takes to brew a cup of tea? A serger is your friend for this sweet blanket! Just cut, layer, and stitch. And, that’s using two layers of fleece. You could choose just one thicker fleece layer and reduce your steps to simply: cut + stitch!

We used a 3-thread wide overlock set-up, a single needle in the Left position, decorative thread in the upper and lower loopers (we chose a 40wt polyester embroidery thread), and serger thread in the needle.

Pro Tip: Reduce your stitch length to get the look of satin stitch coverage for a beautiful balance front and back.

Pull-on pants are a staple of any little kid’s wardrobe. From playtime denim to our flannel pajama pants, a serger can help you whip up these wearables in minutes. Our sample took about 30 minutes to cut out, another 30 minutes to sew. The serger’s super power for this type of project is the ease with which it can finish any raw edge prior to seaming. Many woven fabrics, especially flannel, are very prone to raveling. Stop that in its tracks with a overlock finish.

We used a 4-thread wide overlock set-up, 2 needles, serger thread in both loopers and both needles. We finished all the raw edges and even attached the elastic with the serger, switching to a regular sewing machine for the final seam, the bottom leg hems, and to close up the elastic casing.

Pro Tip: Finishing the edges with a serger but seaming with a standard sewing machine is the traditional process garment makers use to give a project more polish. Could you seam and finish in one pass with just the serger? Yes you could! And, with children’s clothing that is usually more casual and more quickly outgrown, it is certainly an option.

Okay – you have a pile of pants. What about the shirts? For many folks, a T-shirt is what comes to mind most often when thinking about what to make with a serger. You can make a T-shirt from start to finish on a serger – from setting in the sleeves – to seaming and finishing – to adding the neckline ribbing – to a final blind hem. Our sample stopwatch for this classic tee: 30 minutes from cut to finish.

We again used a 4-thread wide overlock set-up, 2 needles, serger thread in both loopers and both needles. For the hems, we switched out to a serger Blind Hem foot (it’s very similar to the Blind Hem foot you have for your sewing machine) and re-set for a 3-thread overlock narrow hem with a single needle in the Right position and keeping serger thread in both loopers and the needle.

Pro Tip: How often have you purchased an inexpensive T-shirt only to have a section of the neckline ribbing unravel after just one wash?! When adding ribbing, as with most serger processes, you chain-off at the end, creating a length of stitched thread. Take the time to knot the end of the chain against the ribbing before trimming off the excess chain. This helps prevent the unraveling that results in an annoying neckline hole.

A flatlock seam lays flat with no seam allowance and is also reversible. You can use it for color blocking or just as a cool decorative seam. Using contrasting colored thread can add an extra design detail. One side will display the upper looper thread and is called the “loop side.” On the reverse side is the “ladder,” which is the needle thread. You layer the pieces wrong sides together, aligning the raw edges with the correct marking on the machine’s throat plate; it should be the line nearest the edge. Serge together, chain-off, then gently pull open to reveal the flattened seam.

For the shirt’s seams, ribbing, and hems we used a 4-thread wide overlock set-up, 2 needles, and serger thread in both loopers and both needles. For the flatlock seams of the raglan sleeves, we switched to a 3-thread wide overlock, a single needle in the Left position, and serger thread the the upper and lower loopers as well as the needle.

Pro Tip: The key to a good flatlock is the correct setting for the needle. To allow the seam to flatten, you loosen the needle tension (usually to about .5 – 1). But, as always, you need to test – test – test with your chosen fabric and thread. After gently pulling apart the seam, make sure to press well.

A lettuce edge is a decorative finish made on a serger by stretching your fabric (this finish is almost always done with a stretchy knit) as it is fed through the serger. As the serger cuts and wraps the thread tightly around the raw edge with a rolled hem, you are gently pulling the fabric. When the fabric relaxes, the stretched edge ripples and curls like a ruffled leaf of lettuce. We made our rolled hem in a bright contrasting yellow to stand out against the pale grey turtleneck.

We used a 2-thread set-up with a single needle in the Right position, wooly nylon in the lower looper in a bright yellow, matching yellow all purpose thread in the needle. This is a set-up that would a perfect option for the Janome SewSwitch.

Pro Tip: Make sure you are gently pulling the fabric from both the front and the back as it moves through the serger.

This adorable quilt was made on a serger! From the center panel patchwork (a serger makes a perfect ¼” seam) to the rows and borders to attaching the binding; it’s all done with a serger. The top and backing strips that make up the rows and borders are layered with their batting panels then attached and quilted in one pass of the serger!

We used a 4-thread wide overlock set-up, two needles, and serger thread in both loopers and both needles. Do you like what you see? Leave a comment below if you’d like us to turn this unique serger quilt into a full step-by-step project here on S4H!

Pro Tip: For the binding, we used fusible thread in the lower looper. This allowed us to serge the binding onto the quilt, then when removed from the serger, we simply wrapped the binding to the back and pressed to activate the fusible. The binding is then held firmly in place for the final stitch-in-the-ditch with a standard sewing machine.

Some other tips to remember

The tolerances on a serger are extremely exact. All those rapidly moving parts have to operate in perfect unison. Make sure to only use the recommended needle type. This is so important, it’s usually printed on the face of the machine.

Your serger should come with tweezers; they make it easy to reach into the tight spaces when threading. The second super handy tool is a brush to help keep the lint at bay. Sergers create a lot of lint, dust, and scraps because of their cutting action. A can of compressed air is also a good cleaning aid.

A serger with five threads gives you the option of a cover stitch, which is a truly professional finish. A cover hem is a professional-style “serged” hem that traditionally has two to three lines of parallel stitching on the right side and a looper stitch which covers the raw edge of the fabric on the back side. It’s commonly found on most ready-to-wear knit garments (and many woven RTW items as well) as it has plenty of stretch and so will not distort the hem. You can check out our full article just about the clever cover hem here. Janome offers four different CoverPro models.

Visit your Janome Dealer for an in-person test stitch on a variety of sergers. It really is one of the very best ways to overcome any unease you may have.

Go ahead… give in to your urge to serge!