Many will tell you that the serger is not essential, that there are plenty of alternatives to have beautiful finishes. To this, we will answer you that indeed there are alternatives so that your seams survive in time without serger.
For example by sewing with your machine zigzag stitches, overlock stitches, folded seams, English seams. We can always get by without it.
But let’s be honest, the result will never be as clean, as fast and as effective as with the serger
Even if you obtain a satisfactory result with a simple sewing machine, it will in any case require much more time, much more handling than if you had made this seam with the serger.
For me, the serger may become essential in your sewing journey to save time and have a top result. And no matter how often you sew, you’ll be happy to have it when you need it.
So, to answer this question simply, we will tell you: the overlock machine will be an inevitable purchase (if you have the budget of course), and if you sew on a regular basis and you want to do “quickly done well”. The use of a beginner serger machine is essential there.
What types of stitches do we want to achieve?
In general, any 4-reel overlock machine will allow you to do the following:
Most commonly, we will mainly use the 4-thread overlock to assemble and the 3-thread overlock for finishing.
So, it is not really the number of points that you can make with the serger that should influence you in this purchase (because they are generally the same ones that come back), but it is rather the ease to change the point and to getting a good result that matters.
Let me explain: the settings can differ and become more tedious depending on the model chosen.
For example, on the famous LIDL overlock machine (both models), you will need to use an accessory called a “converter” to make a two-thread overlock, while on other models this will not be necessary. The rolled hem will also require more or less adjustments on some models.
- Before choosing a serger, see if you can juggle the different settings easily.
- If you have to spend too much time changing the settings each time you want to change the stitch or fabric, this may discourage you.
- This step of research and comparison will take you a little time but it is a very important step not to regret your purchase and especially not to be discouraged from using your machine. Another type of adjustment must be screened: threading. Let’s see that in my next question.
Will the threading be simple?
Threading the serger may seem complex but its degree of difficulty varies from one model to another: on some, it is a painful test and on others it is child’s play.
