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From: bridesmom
Date: 06-07-2006, 12:43 AM (1 of 16)
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does anyone use their serger to do their 1/4" seams? My serger seam is just a smidge over 1/4" so if I use it am I going to mess up my patterns so they don't match. If you don't serge it, how do you stop the edges from fraying?? I think I could get it to 1/4" if I didn't use the left straight stitch.
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: esrun3
Date: 06-07-2006, 09:42 AM (2 of 16)
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Laura, I know there are people out there who use their serger to make quilts but I haven't tried it. I don't think the smidge over is a big deal though as long as you use the serger for the entire quilt so the blocks all come out the same size. Or you could enlarge the pattern a bit and then cut down to the right size after the block is serged together.
Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: plrlegal
Date: 06-07-2006, 02:48 PM (3 of 16)
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Do the serged seams add a lot of bulk to the blocks? Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: Patty22
Date: 06-07-2006, 04:47 PM (4 of 16)
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Laura, you asked "If you don't serge it, how do you stop the edges from fraying??" Since the seams are on the inside and protected by batting and backing, there isn't the stress on the raw edges to cause fraying as there would be in a garment where your body causes friction on the raw edges of the fabric, and there is friction from agitation in washing. I have taken apart antique quilts (taken out the quilting and pulled apart the batting and backing) and when opening them up, the seams are still in good condition. Now, if it isn't necessary to serge or do some sort of seam finish, do you still want to serge them? I would see it as consuming thread unnecessarily and possibly adding a bit of bulk. However, I admit up front that I am a renegade and I press my seams open (I don't get into the light and dark fabric discussion and having shadows as same color fabric doesn't seam (hahah seem) to shadow through. I just don't like worrying which direction the seam should be pressed; this is especially true for me when I am machine piecing blocks together and there are several seams intersecting at the same place I find it easy to have pressing decisions already made. http://pelkovitch.photosite.com/Album1/ there are some of my quilts from this year...... If you do serge, do as esrun3 said and be sure you do all the blocks on the serger. 1/8" smidgen off on 1 block will make 8 blocks off by 1". If there are several seams in the block, I could see it being off by a bit more. Patty
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User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 06-07-2006, 05:56 PM (5 of 16)
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My serger is older than dirt, but I can adjust the seam width.. It just so happens that one day I had changed it, and it 'looked like a 1/4 inch seam, so I measured it.. It was , exactly 1/4 inch , so that is where it stays now for most all the time.. I like piecing on the serger.. My seams are just as flat as if they were sewed the traditional way on my machine instead of my serger. Now , most of my patterns are the simpler ones.. If I had a lot of points, it might not work so well..
Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022 
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From: esrun3
Date: 06-07-2006, 06:48 PM (6 of 16)
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Patty, your talent humbles me.........now I know I am truly a beginner quilter! Your quilts are beautiful. Lib-I'm thinking I might have to try a quilt on the serger....heaven knows clothing goes together much faster with one! Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: Patty22
Date: 06-07-2006, 07:51 PM (7 of 16)
Libby - I got my serger when Bernina first came out with one - a Bernette 234 - it must have been in the middle of the 80's. That sucker is still working away, but it is not a machine for those that don't want to deal with threading several loops and gadgets out the wing wang and fuss with tension knobs.  Sergers have come a long way! Since you have pieced with the serger maybe I'll give it a try ....... and then let you know how I did.esrun3.... you're going to be whipping out quilts before you know it! I find that if I make a few blocks a day, before you know it you have a quilt top together in no time (that's why machine quilting is so wonderful - to finish up all those tops). I do love my serger, but definitely not the expert on them as the other sewers on this forum.  They amaze me with their knowledge.
Patty
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User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 06-08-2006, 07:36 PM (8 of 16)
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Lyn and others,, Have yall seen the instructions for a serger made Project Linus Quilt ?? I think it is on their website.. That is what I did first for a baby blanket.. The one that starts out "cut three 6 X 18 inch strips from 2 different fabrics"...or something like that.. It makes up really fast and it is easy.. I made some of them once for a friend who was into proj. Linus in a big way... Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022
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From: esrun3
Date: 06-08-2006, 11:48 PM (9 of 16)
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Headed off to look for it!
Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: bridesmom
Date: 06-10-2006, 09:08 PM (10 of 16)
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After spending two hours ripping out all the sections I sewed together because I didn't get the points right (helps to really LOOK at the picture) I am SO glad I did't serge the seams! I would have probably thrown it into the garbage. Anyhow, here's my first project all ready to quilt, its waiting for sweet hubby to finish off my extension arm for my sewing machine so I can quilt it. (Yes, it is a Christmas pirce - it was supposed to be for my SIL last Christmas, I'm going to give it to her when we head to sunny California end of June) I'm going to quilt it in a varigated red, green and cream thread I think (I may change my mind yet, but I will have to do a sample first). Now, the label, do you sew it on at the end and by hand?? I was going to make one on the embroidery machine and put it on the back using the gold fabric but if I put it on first, then it will get quilted. so, what do you all do? My first project (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v425/LauraBC/Sewing/?action=view¤t=Jun10004.jpg) Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: esrun3
Date: 06-11-2006, 02:00 AM (11 of 16)
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Very nice Laura. I tend to sew my labels on by hand after I've quilted because I make my labels on the computer and usually add a saying, poem, picture, whatever to help personalize it and I don't like the quilting stitches through it.
Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: MissTaraTara
Date: 06-11-2006, 03:42 PM (12 of 16)
| Beautiful first quilting project. It looks very difficult. You do very nice sewing. I especially like your vintage jumper and magic flip jumper....just darling! |
User: MissTaraTara
Member since: 01-24-2006 Total posts: 227 |
From: Patty22
Date: 06-12-2006, 09:46 AM (13 of 16)
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Laura, Very nice present - your SIL is lucky! With the label, it can be done both ways (before or after quilting). If the label goes on before quilting chances are it won't be removed or come off  Since you have an embroidery machine, I don't think you want quilting to interfer with your label design as they are beautiful as they are. I usually ink my labels, but when I have a label with a great deal of information I have printed labels on my computer using products such as the June Tailor Computer Printer fabric. Patty
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User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 06-12-2006, 12:36 PM (14 of 16)
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Laura, if you go back and read what I first wrote about quilting with serger, I said I would never do anything with points because of the bulky seams . But also that would be very difficult to match up right.. I do simple things on the serger, 9 patch, rail fence, log cabin, etc... Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022
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From: bridesmom
Date: 06-13-2006, 10:45 AM (15 of 16)
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Libby, I understand what you mean, I just did my tote bag and serged all the squares together, it worked quite nicely and didn't add much bulk underneath at all. Thanks for all the info everyone, so far I am quite enjoying dong the quiliting piecing, now if I can get DH to finish off my extension arm I can start quilting it!
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: SewingStephanie
Date: 06-14-2006, 03:54 PM (16 of 16)
| I've pieced a few squares and such on my serger. It works great- just make sure your tension is tight enough. |
User: SewingStephanie
Member since: 02-08-2006 Total posts: 40 |
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