it's a machine that sews with 4 threads to make the seam extra durable. apparently, it's a pain in the ass to operate.
check out this hot lil number from our friends at the home shopping network..lol http://catalog.hsn.com/prod-15678/hm/188/hp!sf!188/1572825/1572825.htm they arent a pain in the ass to operate really...they are a pain in the ass to thread...least thats my opinion...and once you get the hang of it..its not so hard...
It basically does a blanket stitch (if im correct) and cuts seams so as you dont need to hem things. Its unfortunate though ive not seen just attatchments to sewing machines for them... you have to buy a whole new machine
I have a serger attachment,that came with a Euro Pro sewing machine I had...but the machine itself wouldn't work properly,so I have no idea if the serger attachment would have worked. Not sure if other companies make serger attachments or not. It would be worth looking into though.
You still have to hem. There are 3, 4, or 5 thread sergers. I have a 4 thread. So 2 needles, an upper looper and a lower looper. It also trims the fabric as it goes through, so the edge fits perfectly into the threads. If you turn your store-bought clothes inside out and look at the wrapped seam, that's what a serger does. They are also quite expensive....mine was $1000.00.......
My serger came with a few attachements but I never played with any of them though... I hate when my serger comes unthreaded... Such a pain
A Serger uses anywhere from 2 to 5 threads at a time to sew. It makes the stitch found on the inside of ready to wear clothes where the thread wraps around the edges of the fabric. This stitch helps with fraying. It can also cut away the excess seam allowance as it sews. It can also be used for a decorative serger edging most often using a Wooly Nylon type thread; but can also be used with regular thread. Some can also do a decorative stitch called a flat (or flatlock) seam that can be used to create a sort of patchwork effect because you can serge two pieces of fabric together and then pull the fabric completely flat with thread showing on both the wrong and right sides of your material. Most also have a special face plate to allow for a rolled hem. Sergers are most often used for finishing seams to prevent fraying in material. They cannot replace a sewing machine (bc/s they cannot do things like button holes), but they do make a nice accompaniment to a sewing machine. A new serger runs anywhere from $200-2,000 depending on whether the machine is made of plastic or metal gears and how many stitches and maximum threads the machine allows you to sew with. There are also other auxillary "sewing" machines that specialize in a certain stitch like a buttonhole machine, a blind hem machine,a long arm sewing machine used for quilting whole quilts and probably many more that I cannot think of at the moment or are not aware of.
i really really need an overlocker!im studying contour fashion and it makes sewing stretch fabrics so simple but alas im still a poor student
