Crafts
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Serging tips?

Any tips on how to serge curves?  I made a batch of cloth wipes today and just serged off the end at each corner, cut it off, and then started over. I'm cutting fabric to try and make a cloth diaper, but am having trouble with curves. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

THanks!~

Lilypie Pregnancy tickers

Re: Serging tips?

  • Practice make perfect with going around curves. Also you should take a needle and hide the thread ends under the serger stitching. Or knot the end of the thread and trim. It makes a cleaner finish that wont ravel with wear. 
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  • Curves can be tricky, and do take practice.  Sometimes it helps to adjust the differential feed (I forget which direction, but it becomes quite obvious when you've gone the wrong direction-lol). 

    I took a class when I got my serger (it was actually free-one advantage of buying from a dealer), and a great hint was to keep a notebook near the serger and note the fabric you are using and the settings, as well as anything else that might be of help later.

  • imageadhdfashion:
    Practice make perfect with going around curves. Also you should take a needle and hide the thread ends under the serger stitching. Or knot the end of the thread and trim. It makes a cleaner finish that wont ravel with wear. 

    I don't mind on the wipes. They're for cleaning our baby's butt, so it's okay if they aren't the most glamorous things in the world. :)

    I watched a couple of YouTube videos about sewing curves before trying to make my soaker. It didn't turn out too bad. There are two little places where I didn't let it cut off enough and it didn't catch the bottom layer. It's definitely not perfect, but it's pretty good for my first attempt.

    In the morning I get to finish the diaper. Stretchy fabric + elastic + serging. I foresee swearing, crying, or banging my head on the wall. Hopefully I'm wrong and it turns out well. :)

    Lilypie Pregnancy tickers
  • There are some things that we make that have curves, that we prefer to cut to size and not use the knife on the machine.  It makes it easier to manipulate without having to worry about accidentally cutting something that shouldn't be cut.
  • imageTheBridesMom:
    There are some things that we make that have curves, that we prefer to cut to size and not use the knife on the machine.  It makes it easier to manipulate without having to worry about accidentally cutting something that shouldn't be cut.

    I was serging 6 layers of fabric (4 layers of t-shirt, 2 layers of sweatshirt) and needed it to trim for me. Darn stretchy materials.

    Lilypie Pregnancy tickers
  • imagemah482:

    imageTheBridesMom:
    There are some things that we make that have curves, that we prefer to cut to size and not use the knife on the machine.  It makes it easier to manipulate without having to worry about accidentally cutting something that shouldn't be cut.

    I was serging 6 layers of fabric (4 layers of t-shirt, 2 layers of sweatshirt) and needed it to trim for me. Darn stretchy materials.

    Something like that, we will usually baste it on the regular machine first, then run it through the serger.    

    We sew a lot with stretchy fabrics, and it really takes practice to figure it out.  We have little tricks that we do without thinking about it anymore...it' all becomes second nature after awhile.

    We haven't been working much lately and both of us are a bit rusty, but my business partner uses the serger a lot more often than I do, and always calls me to adjust her machine or troubleshoot for her. 

  • imagemah482:

    imageTheBridesMom:
    There are some things that we make that have curves, that we prefer to cut to size and not use the knife on the machine.  It makes it easier to manipulate without having to worry about accidentally cutting something that shouldn't be cut.

    I was serging 6 layers of fabric (4 layers of t-shirt, 2 layers of sweatshirt) and needed it to trim for me. Darn stretchy materials.

    Something like that, we will usually baste it on the regular machine first, then run it through the serger.    

    We sew a lot with stretchy fabrics, and it really takes practice to figure it out.  We have little tricks that we do without thinking about it anymore...it' all becomes second nature after awhile.

    We haven't been working much lately and both of us are a bit rusty, but my business partner uses the serger a lot more often than I do, and always calls me to adjust her machine or troubleshoot for her. 

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