Sewing with Sergers guest: EmmylouBeedoo's Quick & Simple Bubble Skirt
A super fast and easy bubble skirt, made with just 3 rectangles! Huzzah!
I hope through this tutorial you can get a good understanding of what a serger does, and how you can use it to make quick work of your sewing projects.
I own the same serger Jessica does; the Brother1034D. I think a pretty large number of home sewist who have a serger – have this one. For good reason! It’s relatively affordable (less than $200 on Amazon right now – that’s what a lot of sewing machines cost, people!), and the reviews are undeniable.
Here she is, sitting on her serger seat:
Here is a bigger peak into my sewing room, if you’re into that kinda thing, like I am.
I’ve had this serger for about 2 years now, and I have absolutely no complaints. None! Once you know what you’re doing – which admittedly takes a little time – it’s a breeze to use. At this point I’m still learning its’ capabilities, but I look forward to using it any chance I get. Maaad serger love. :)
Ok, so here is the business end of the serger!
The numbers on the dials that are in black – like the 5 on No. 1, are the common, typically used settings that work for most applications. The ‘R’s are the settings needed to achieve a rolled hem. Here is an example of a top I made with a rolled hem. Delicious. The rolled hem setting can also be used on knits to create a lettuce edge hem, like so! So super awesome.
When serging knits, it’s the differential feed (4.) that you want to check out. When this dial is set to 1.0, your two sets of feed dogs are moving at a 1 to 1 ratio, or, in unison. When the dial is set lower than 1.0, your rear feed dogs are moving faster than the front ones, therefore pulling and stretching your fabric as it goes through the serger. This is not a good thing if you want a nice flat seam on a knit. You will have a hot wavy mess on your hands. If you are serging fine woven fabrics that tend to pucker (think chiffon, silk), this lower-than-1.0 setting is a good thing, and you will have a flat, non-puckered seam. Raising your differential feed above 1.0 causes the rear feed dogs to move slower than the front ones. This takes away any stretching issues with knits. You’ll notice that there are a few different stops on the road from 1.0 to 2.0. This is because there are so SO many different types of knits – some that need the rear dogs to move really slowly, and some where just a little slow-down does the trick. Take a few scrap pieces of your fabric and play with the differential feed settings between 1.0 and 2.0, to find what’s best for your particular fabric.
Stitch length and width are more a preference thing – I generally leave them on the bold numbers. And the knife – I keep it up at all times because it’s rad and impresses my husband.
Ok, so let’s serge a skirt, shall we?!
You will need:
This will depend on what size you make, but not likely more than 1 yard of knit fabric.
A serger, loaded up with matching thread
Your sewing machine – for a basting stitch to make gathers
A few notes:
I want to make sure it’s clear that this project does not, by any means, NEED to be sewn on a serger. Anywhere I am serging seams, you can absolutely use a zig-zag stitch on your sewing machine. Cool? Ok.
About fabric – you will have all sorts of different results (all good!) depending on the type of knit you choose. Mine (c/o Kitschy Coo, it’s amazing!) is pretty stable, not slinky at all, resulting in a good poof effect. If you choose a drapey, slinky knit, your skirt will have a more swooshy, swingy effect. Both awesome. Proceed without caution. :D
Below are the pieces I cut out for Emmy’s skirt:
Snip off your thread tail:
Admire your perfectly flat seam that you knew you would achieve because you figured out your differential feed setting beforehand:
Now pull down the Inner Skirt:
Here’s a peak into the bottom hem you just made:
On your sewing machine, pull out a nice long bit of thread:
So there you have it, Craft Addicts! A super quick and adorable bubble skirt for your little one! What do you think? Will you give it a try?! Are you less wary of sergers now?
Heather and Jessica are both moms that share a love for DIY projects. A few of Heather’s favorite things are pearls, rhinestones, and her glue gun. Jessica loves to find ways to fuel her fabric obsession! Have fun getting to know them through their creations!
Read more at A Couple of Craft Addicts
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