I am thinking of purchasing a serger sewing machine and would appreciate suggestions of brands to consider as well as features to look for as a beginner.
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A serger and a sewing machine are two different things. If you are a beginner sewer, you would want a sewing machine, not a serger.
First go online and look at http://www.husqvarna/viking.com, http://www.bernina.com , pfaff, brother, etc so you can learn a little bit about the machines and the capabilities. There are mechanical or computer machines. Go to some dealers listed in the phone books, test drive some machines, ask about service locally or do you have to send it somewhere, guarantees, free learn your machine classes, classes with nominal fees, etc. When you have some ideas, go to http://www.patternreview.com and http://www.sewforum.com where several folks have sewing machine and serger reviews of different brands.
There are machines that are more oriented to a specific task such as garment, quilting, home dec, heirloom, craft and there are machines that are multifaceted or multifunction. Know what you are wanting to do with it before you buy. Some machines do crummy buttonholes, some have multiple beautiful buttonholes, for instance. some can't handle heavy or delicate fabrics.
Sergers cannot do buttonholes and you would have a hard time inserting a zipper unless you are experience with sergers. They are wonderful, but again, you need to know what you are looking for, just finishing seam edges, actual construction, coverstitching knits, etc.
I suggest you try to watch some sewing programs on PBS in your area. Here there is a different one on each day, they all use different brands of machines and do a huge variety of techniques.
Good luck, take your time so you won't have "buyers remorse". Some companies offer trade ins that may have new warranties, some offer trade ups and will give you full price back on your machine if you want a more complex one or upgrade within a year. Some machines will feel "right" to you, others will feel akward. Such as where is the thread spools, front or back of machine? Is it a top loading or front loading bobbin. There are different methods for filling bobbins, I do not recommend filling a bobbin from the needles as it wears down and stretches the thread.
Mary
The serger I currently have is a Babylock evolve, which is a top of the line machine, expensive, and worth every penny, but my first machine was a Brother bought at Wal-Mart for under three hundred dollars. I wasn't sure I needed a serger and didn't want to spend a lot if I wasn't going to use it. After two years, I bought the evolve and gave the Brother to mys daughter in law so she could enjoy one too. They're great. Get something that is easy to thread or it might go into the closet.
Another possibility for evaluating a new sewing machine or serger would be to go to a sewing class. A fabric store in my area has classes that use several different machines. Most of the people in the class are experienced sewists, so their opinions are also helpful. A sewing instructor might be another good source of information. The woman who teaches my class has been teaching for over 30 years. She is a wealth of information.
Hope that helps. Good luck
That is a perfect idea and I have thought of doing that, however I have not been able to locate any sewing classes in my area. I live in Fort Collins, CO which is a large enough city that one would think there would be classes available. Thank you for taking the time to post your suggestion.
I know there are shops somewhere between Greeley, Loveland, and Fort Collins. Check the phone book under Husqvarna/Viking in Loveland at Joannes fabrics. Quality Sewing in Longmont might have classes. Look under Bernina and Pfaff too.
Boulder might be too far for you, but they have several dealers that have classes. Wallace Vacuum and Sewing on Valmont Rd. is a great shop. I go to AAA in Denver metro area.
some of the websites for the machines have a store locater, just put in your zipcode and vwalla! Mary
Awesome...thanks, Mary!!
You are so welcome! We love to encourage sewists to share our joy of machine arts! There are so many places it can take you.
Also consider calling your county extension office and ask about sewing classes and organizations in your area. There may be an ASG (American Sewing Guild) group in your area or possibly several, they let you go to a couple meetings before deciding if you wish to join. That's on my list for this year. There are sewing clubs, embroidery clubs, serger clubs, quilting, doll, garment...some are offered at the shops where machines are sold.
Happy New Year! Mary
I didn't even think about calling the County Extension Agent...what a great idea!
Happy New Year to you, Mary
I have a Bernina 2000D (the D is for differential feed; the top and bottom feeds can be changed). This was purchased secondhand. It has a four-thread. I think this is the most important feature to stress. Your capabilities are very limited with a three-thread. Yes, sergers can be hard to thread; however, I have found that by taking some quality time from the start and threading it several times over, it is now a "no-brainer" and doesn't stress me out at all. I don't think the brand is as terribly important; in my experience many do the job more than adequately, especially for a beginner. Buying a mid-priced model should be great. Also, there were not "classes" available to me when mine was purchased, since I bought used. However, the teacher gave me individual classes that I paid for, which was well worth the money.
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