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From: grandmasue
Date: 11-01-2004, 12:52 PM (1 of 20)
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I see a need for a cover stitch machine-serger in my sewing room. I am at a total loss tho as to what machines would be best. I have seen machines that do nothing but cover stitch, in a 2, 3 or 4 needle, and I have seen cover stitch listed on some sergers. I have a small home based business, thus I have a small budget as well. What I am asking is can someone enlighten me? P.S. new to this site and LOVIN' it! Grandma Sue
------------ At the end I am not showing up at my grave all pretty and well preserved...I am coming in sliding, yelling "What a ride!" |
User: grandmasue
Member since: 10-26-2004 Total posts: 138 
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From: Bevchris
Date: 11-01-2004, 01:14 PM (2 of 20)
| I have just pruchased a Bernina 1300DC. Now that I have mastered the threading I am very happy with it. IT does all the stitches, chainstitch, coverstitch etc. |
User: Bevchris
Member since: 10-29-2004 Total posts: 8 |
From: grandmasue
Date: 11-01-2004, 01:25 PM (3 of 20)
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thank you for the heads up on your machine. I am lucky enough to own several Berninas tho none of them are sergers. How wide of a hem can you make on this machine? Many times I will be needing a hem of about 2 inches or more.
Grandma Sue
------------ At the end I am not showing up at my grave all pretty and well preserved...I am coming in sliding, yelling "What a ride!" |
User: grandmasue
Member since: 10-26-2004 Total posts: 138
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From: Bevchris
Date: 11-01-2004, 01:54 PM (4 of 20)
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As I am still getting used to my new machine I have not had a chance to fiddle around with hem sizes etc yet. Maybe the Bernina website might have that information. www.bernina.com |
User: Bevchris
Member since: 10-29-2004 Total posts: 8 |
From: Kylnne2
Date: 11-02-2004, 04:41 AM (5 of 20)
| Many sewers love their Benina 009 that does the cover/chain stitch only. They say they are workhorses and they like not having to convert a regular serger over to cover stitch all the time. The 009 is always set up raring to go. I was interested in this little machine until I found it only does the double seam coverlocks. I wanted a triple seam coverlock. I bought the Elna 744 serger for less than the price of the Bernina 009. I cannot tell you how I love this serger. It has many stitches, auto tensions, and it does the triple thread and narrow and wide double thread cover and chain. It is only a 4 thread and not a 5 thread unbelievably. It has tilt needles (5 of them) for easy changing etc. The back 2 needle areas are used for regular serging and the front 3 placements are used for cover and chain. The first time I used the triple cover it did it beautifully. I just went by the book. A video was supposed to come with my serger but was not in the box and my dealer has ordered it for me. It is much easier to convert to coverstitch than most sergers. You just thread the chain looper and ad a little table to the front that slides in and flip a lever and tilt the needles to put in what ever needles are needed. No need to change a plate or a foot. A clear foot does come with the serger in case you need it for chain stitch easy viewing for deco work etc. I was surprised to find some built in storage on the left side of the machine for needles, threader, converter and tweezers. It also has a box of accessories. I have been making baby blankets and fleece throws all day today. It does a nice stretch wrapped stitch for stretchy fleece. I love this serger. If you are considering a coverlock I highly recommend this one or at least checking it out on the Elna website. |
User: Kylnne2
Member since: 07-10-2004 Total posts: 629 |
From: paroper
Date: 11-02-2004, 08:05 AM (6 of 20)
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You might like the USA Bernina site. It seems to have a little more information than some of the others and it has a good message board under the Community heading if you want to ask Bernina users about their sergers. It is: www.berninausa.com It also has a (very) few downloads (which change about once or twice a month), lessons, machine information, foot information, sewing lessons and projects.
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: grandmasue
Date: 11-02-2004, 10:44 AM (7 of 20)
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As I am really new to my search of coverlock machines can someone explain to me what a double seam or triple seam is? and 4 thread versus 5 thread?
Grandma Sue
------------ At the end I am not showing up at my grave all pretty and well preserved...I am coming in sliding, yelling "What a ride!" |
User: grandmasue
Member since: 10-26-2004 Total posts: 138
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From: Kylnne2
Date: 11-05-2004, 04:18 AM (8 of 20)
| Grandmasue, I just completed a very long post to try and answer your question and when I clicked on the reply button my post disappeared. Soooo, I will try to do it again but make it shorter. Your coverstitches are like the hem in Tee shirts. If you look at one there is a straight seam on top and a serged loopy seam on the underneath or wrong side of the fabric. A triple cover will have 3 straight seams on top. A double cover will have 2 seams on top and the 2 seams can be wide or narrow. Some sergers might even offer more variation in coverstitches. You can also reverse the coverstitch so that the straight stitch seams are on the wrong side and the loopy serged look on top of the fabric for a decorative look. Most coverstitch machines also do chainstitch. With a chainstitch you can do deco and seaming and basting. Now..the diff between 4 and 5 thread sergers. A 4 thread serger uses 4 threads..it can also sew with only 2 or 3 threads depending on the type of stitch you chose. Some 4 thread sergers cannot use 2 threads unlsess they have a coverter to cover the upper looper. A 5 thread serger uses 5 threads and can usually do the same as the 4 thread serger plus more. It can do a 5 thread safety stitch and a braided chain..and someone that has one might be able to explain it more. Most 5 thread sergers do the coverstitches. Some 5 thread sergers only do a double cover. There is one 5 thread I saw on line that does no coverstitches. I bragged in an above post about the Elna 744 because though it is only a 4 thread it does all three covers that I have been talking about plus the chainstitch with little fuss in converting over etc. I hope I have not confused you. |
User: Kylnne2
Member since: 07-10-2004 Total posts: 629 |
From: grandmasue
Date: 11-05-2004, 09:59 AM (9 of 20)
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I want to thank everyone for their help in my search for a new machine. Klynne2, your explaination is just what I needed to know. In my business I sew custom figure skating dresses and I need a machine that will allow me to bind one lycra over another in a variety of patterns. Zig-zag will let me do it but the look is not professional enough to please me so I spend extra time and money using fancy trims to cover all the seams. This is why I feel I need to get a coverlock machine. And even tho I have 3 sergers right now they are not all new so the idea of the Elna 744 is very appealing because it would serve as a back-up serger should the need arise. Now how to convince the husband to give the small business a loan to get this machine....? Gotta work on this one! I have tried to find it online for sale but it appears that I will HAVE to go to a local dealer to get it. oh well life goes on and I go shopping.
Grandma Sue
------------ At the end I am not showing up at my grave all pretty and well preserved...I am coming in sliding, yelling "What a ride!" |
User: grandmasue
Member since: 10-26-2004 Total posts: 138
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From: Kylnne2
Date: 11-05-2004, 10:00 PM (10 of 20)
| grandmasue, I purchased my Elna from a local dealer but I have seen the Elna's for sale on line. Good luck in your search. I would check all as much as possible because I have sure seen a variance in price. |
User: Kylnne2
Member since: 07-10-2004 Total posts: 629 |
From: sewcr8v
Date: 11-06-2004, 01:56 PM (11 of 20)
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I thought I would offer my 2 bits on coverstitch machines. I too sew figure skating dresses in a home based business and saw the need for the coverstitch. I went out and purchased the Husqvarna 936. Needless to say it is great when it works but a very frustrating experience. It does not like taught serging at all (so not good for coverstitching wovens especially) and constant thread breakage on the lycras. I had it back to the shop a number of times and it never worked any better than when I took it in. One thing I did come to realize was that it liked stretch 90 needles the best for lycra. It's a great machine for serging but I would not buy it for coverstitch. My choice would be the Bernina 009 as I have seen it in action but the post here about the Elna 744 will get me looking at that machine as well. And by the way, I wouldn't trade my 14 yr old, heavily worked on, Juki MO634D serger for anything - too bad it doesn't do a coverstitch! Let us know what you end up with!
Sewcr8v
Keep the world sewing... |
User: sewcr8v
Member since: 09-05-2004 Total posts: 30 
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From: Kylnne2
Date: 11-07-2004, 12:47 AM (12 of 20)
| The Viking sergers are very big and beautiful. They are as big as a sewing machine. I have seen some posts from people that did like them but I have seen many more posts from people saying they were difficult. |
User: Kylnne2
Member since: 07-10-2004 Total posts: 629 |
From: grandmasue
Date: 11-08-2004, 08:43 AM (13 of 20)
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I am on the trail of a Elna 925 DCX. The owner bought it and never used it and now wants to sell. I just have not had much success in finding info on this machine good or bad. This could be my first "bells and whistles" purchase and I don't want to make a big mistake. Any info would be a great help. thank you
Grandma Sue
------------ At the end I am not showing up at my grave all pretty and well preserved...I am coming in sliding, yelling "What a ride!" |
User: grandmasue
Member since: 10-26-2004 Total posts: 138
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From: Kylnne2
Date: 11-10-2004, 03:27 AM (14 of 20)
| grandmasue, did you check the ratings on that serger at PatternReview? I don't know if that particular one is rated but they do have many ratings. |
User: Kylnne2
Member since: 07-10-2004 Total posts: 629 |
From: Skye
Date: 11-10-2004, 07:06 PM (15 of 20)
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Grandma sue, there is a discussion group for elna sergers over on Yahoo and they seem a friendly bunch. there is a coverstitch machine in my future. BTW I believe Janome have just put out coverstitch only machine might be worth a look too Skye |
User: Skye
Member since: 09-28-2000 Total posts: 233 |
From: mommydionne
Date: 11-10-2004, 07:39 PM (16 of 20)
I'll have to defend my viking serger  but I have the 910 , not the 936 which is the model with the cover stitch, I didn't feel the cover stitch was worth the extra $700 and it looked like a lot of fiddling to switch from regular serging to the cover stitch.I've seem some adds for a babylock which has 8 (eight!!) threads but you don't have to do hardly anything to change to the cover lock stitch. But I think it was pretty pricey. Threads did a review within the last 6 or so months on sergers, might be worth checking out Jeanette
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User: mommydionne
Member since: 01-08-2004 Total posts: 838 
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From: Kylnne2
Date: 11-11-2004, 06:06 AM (17 of 20)
| Wow Jeanette, just for the added feature of the coverstitch the 936 was another $700 in price? I only paid around that for my Elna 744 with 3 coverstitches and something like 16 stitch programs. Doesn't the 936 have a free arm too? I really had no idea they were that expensive. My Pfaff without the coverlock was about as expensive as my Elna and I also gave a trade in for the Pfaff. My little Janome was only $199. It works wells also and for that price seems a bit special. LOL Skye, yes Janome has 2 new coverstitch models. One is free with the purchase of the 4900 sewing machine. I see the newest model does the triple thread cover and double threads but the one that is free with purchase of a machine does not state the type of coverlock it does. They look like interesting machines. |
User: Kylnne2
Member since: 07-10-2004 Total posts: 629 |
From: mommydionne
Date: 11-11-2004, 10:33 AM (18 of 20)
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Well... we are talking canadian $ here, and yeah it was that much more, but I live in the valley (ie no cities near by) in Nova Scotia and it is a tiny dealer so she really doesn't have a whole lot of room to deal on price etc. The 910 has a free arm too so the only thing you were missing was the 2 thread chain and the coverstitch, I just sew for home so a twin needle suffices for the coverstitch look for me, If I sewed professionally I would consider the investment or perhaps a separate cover stitch machine. Jeanette
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User: mommydionne
Member since: 01-08-2004 Total posts: 838
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From: Kylnne2
Date: 11-12-2004, 01:16 AM (19 of 20)
| I planned to use my Elna for just the cover and chain stitch because I have 2 other sergers but I find I am using it all the time for everything because it is so easy. I always wanted a serger with a free arm because I make doll clothes and thought the free arm would make it easier. I think the new Janome coverlocks have a free arm. It seems there is a big difference in the size of the free arms on sergers. I would still like one. I remember the old Singer sergers had them but at that time I bought my Babylock. |
User: Kylnne2
Member since: 07-10-2004 Total posts: 629 |
From: grandmasue
Date: 11-29-2004, 10:56 AM (20 of 20)
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I have my fingers crossed that my new (used) Elna machine comes today. I went with the Elna 925 and I am feverishly trying to get all my other jobs out of the way this morning to free up some practice-play time should it arrive today. My many thanks to all who helped me in this big desicion and the referral to the Pattern-review site was most informative and helped ALOT! Again, thank you!
Grandma Sue
------------ At the end I am not showing up at my grave all pretty and well preserved...I am coming in sliding, yelling "What a ride!" |
User: grandmasue
Member since: 10-26-2004 Total posts: 138
|
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