Do I need a serger? I have a few questions for those of you who do apron tops and skirts etc. I just sew my patchwork together like I would do when I'm quilting. I straight stitch along and then a bit of topstitching when it's all done. Do you ladies serge your patchwork as you put it together or just the seems where it is put together. I have looked at a lot of websites that say they serge all their work, so I was thinking do they serge all of it like piecing or just the actual construction part has serge seams. Also on the note of a serger I really really want to get one. Under $300, now sears has only 2 models for $350 (I know they have a killer warranty and servicing). What brand do you ladies use? And any pros and cons? Thanks a lot, Amanda
You don't have to, but sergers are a great tool to have. You can do different things with a serger. Go to amazon and get the brother serger for 200 bucks, you get a cd rom tutorial, its great! Also~ they have the free shipping that you should take advantage of. Great for beginners and intermediate serger folks
I serge all my seams. However, I don't straight stitch the seams. I just serge them. Having said that, I also don't sew for profit. I usually just sew for family and friends. If I were to sew for profit I would probably straight stitch and serge all the seams. I have a Simplicity Pro that I got from EBay for less than $200.00. I love it. Works great. I've had it for a year and a half without a bit of trouble. Kathi
When seam allowances are not going to be exposed, I don't bother. When I am just making something for myself I don't bother. BUT, it's nice to have when working with flimsy fabrics that fray easily. I just used a sarong to make a skirt and serging kept the seams stable and not all wonky and fraying.
