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- Give your sewing project a professional look with a serger, which finishes seams and edges, makes ruffles, handles both delicate and heavy fabrics, and produces decorative hems and stitches.
- With numerous stitch options and three- and four-thread overlock stitch capabilities, the easy-to-use and versatile Brother 1034D 3/4 Thread Serger with Differential Feed is our top pick.
Since learning to use a sewing machine in middle school, I've enjoyed creating homemade costumes and clothes (even my wedding dress!). Items I make have adequate seams with raw edges that I trim and press. But what they lack are finished seams, like those in well-made, store-bought garments. Although my sewing machine has an overlock stitch function, what I really need is a serger (also known as an overlock machine) - a tool that doesn't replace but complements a regular home sewing machine.
With a serger, you can give homemade sewing projects a neat and sturdy finish, quickly and easily. How? Sergers secure and finish seams by stitching fabric pieces together, trimming the seam allowance, and enclosing the raw edges - all in one step. The resulting seam is not only professional looking, but also strong, durable, and stretchy.
Because sergers produce stretchable seams, they are great for working with woven or knit fabric without compromising elasticity. Using a serger to sew clothes made of thin stretchy fabrics, like spandex or Lycra (e.g., swimsuits, dancewear, workout gear), allows for attractive topstitching that looks good, reinforces the seam, yet still lets the fabric expand and move. You also can stitch elastic directly onto stretchy fabric to make waistbands and the like.
Versatility is another advantage of sergers, which can handle delicate fabrics - like silk, satin, chiffon, and organza - as well as heavy materials such as denim, upholstery fabrics, and more. The flat, raw-edge-seam-allowance-encased seams produced by sergers eliminate thick, unattractive lines as well as bulk produced by seam lines in projects made with sheer and heavy fabrics.
You can use a serger to finish edges on pieces like silk scarves or anything that needs neat and delicate yet strong edges. Different model sergers can make ruffles, rolled hems, chain stitches, cover stitches, and other decorative stitches.
When choosing a serger, the most important deciding factor for most users is the number of threads the serger can handle, which determines its versatility in stitch options. For example, the popular "3-4 model" executes durable four-thread overlock stitches for clothing as well as less-durable (but still decent) three-thread overlock stitches. Some models produce three- or two-thread flatlock stitches for thin knits and delicates as well as a two-thread rolled hem for finishing raw edges.
More advanced sergers may use five or up to eight threads. Depending on your needs and projects - from clothes for yourself and family to home decor and garments for sale - you can choose from models ranging in price from $200 for personal use to $500 or more for commercial use.
Here are the best serger sewing machines in 2019:
- Best serger overall: Brother 1034D 3/4 Thread Serger with Differential Feed
- Best budget serger: Singer ProFinish 14CG754 Serger
- Best portable serger: Juki MO654DE Portable Thread Serger Sewing Machine
- Best serger for beginners: Janome 8002D Serger Includes Bonus Accessories
- Best serger for advanced users: Singer Professional 5 14T968DC Serger
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
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