Since March is National Quilting Month, I thought it fitting to share the latest serger quilting technique that I have been experimenting with – one seam flying geese with a serger.
While I was surfing the internet I came across an interesting YouTube video of Jenny Doan from Missouri Star Quilt Company. She was showing how to create a one seam flying geese block using a sewing machine. I immediately decided that the serger would be a great tool to use for this technique. I couldn’t find any internet resources about using a serger to make a one seam flying geese block. So maybe I am the first person to try it with a serger? Probably not, but it appears I am the first person to blog about it…..
One Seam Flying Geese with a Serger
The one seam flying geese block is a three dimensional block. The block is made from a rectangle and two squares and has just one seam. Each geese block/unit is twice as wide as it is tall. The angled sides (or wings) of the geese are folds in the fabric. This method has no lines to mark, no subcutting, and makes perfect points. How easy is that?!
Pros and Cons of the One Seam Flying Geese Block
Pros
Accurate
Fast
No markings or paper to remove
No bias edges
3D adds texture
Very little waste
Cons
May need or want to stitch down the wings of the three dimensional geese
Some seams are a little thicker due to the folded fabric
Jen’s Experiment with Serged Flying Geese
I pulled a charm pack from my stash. The charm pack was from Boundless Fabrics and called Dutch Garden III. The blues and yellows were so fresh and cheerful compared to our dreary February weather! With a few simple cuts and a little serging, I quickly transformed the 42 squares in my charm pack into 42 flying geese units. Chain piecing the blocks on my serger was quick and easy. I found making them kind of addictive – I just wanted to keep making them!
With a little fabric manipulation, pressing and trimming, I transformed all of the blocks into one seam flying geese.
I Have a Bunch of Flying Geese – Now What?
Most people begin with a pattern when they create a quilt. Sometimes I do too. But not this time. I serged all these geese without a plan for what to do with them. I simply laid out all the blocks and moved them around until I liked the arrangement. These geese decided to become a table runner.
Sashing and Borders
I serged the geese blocks together in groups of two and added sashings and borders.
The Results of my Experiment
From the front side you might think the table runner was sewn with a sewing machine. But from the back side you can see all the neat and tidy serged seams.
My one seam flying geese blocks became my cheerful Spring Migration Table Runner!
Learn how to create applique with your embroidery machine. Hmmm. What does that have to do with serging? Nothing really, but my serger is busy working on another project that is not quite ready to share. So with Valentine’s day right around the corner, I thought I could spread a little holiday cheer with my colorful and cheerful conversation heart appliques.
My Inspiration
Are you familiar with those cute little heart candies with the words? Some people call them candy hearts and some call them conversation hearts. I’ve always known them as conversation hearts. Well, my daughter recently made these adorable conversation heart earrings for Valentine’s Day. Inspired by her earrings, I set out to make a conversation heart creation of my own.
February is National Embroidery Month
In the sewing machine world February is National Embroidery Month. Every year at the store we try to do something creative to celebrate this month. Since February also includes Valentines day, I thought a machine embroidery project that focused on hearts or love of sewing would be good. I recently learned how to “create” appliques using the built in frames in my embroidery machine. So I created my own machine embroidered applique conversation hearts.
I had so much fun making them that I put them on everything. Well maybe not everything, but a lot of things! I made several samples for inspiration and created free handouts to give out at the store. I thought that I would share them with you too.
Create Applique with your Embroidery Machine
Some embroidery machines are capable of creating new designs, but most can simply modify existing designs. I own a Baby Lock Unity sewing and embroidery machine. It’s a wonderful machine with good sized hoops, but it can not create designs, only modify them.
To “create” an applique on my machine I need to begin with a design or shape that already exists. There are many different built-in frame shapes in my machine. One of those shapes is a heart. And the heart frame is available with several different types of borders which can be used to create an applique.
There are several different steps to creating an applique on an embroidery machine. First there needs to be a placement line so you know where to place the applique fabric. Then there needs to be a tack down line that stitches the applique fabric to the background. The fabric needs to be trimmed. And then a line of satin stitches needs to be placed on top to cover up the raw edges of the fabric. And if you want you can add words or other designs on top of the applique. Even though there are several steps you need to do to create appliques this way, it’s really pretty easy once you understand the process.
This technique will work with all of the current Baby Lock embroidery machines (may not work with some of the older models). You can even do this on the entry level Baby Lock Verve. I’m not an expert on embroidery with other brand machines but if your machine has built in frame styles then you can probably do this with your machine too. The following link will take you to my instructions for creating applique with your embroidery machine using frames. https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/conversation-heart-mug-rug/
Conversation Heart Mug Rug Free Pattern
After I created my conversation heart applique design on my machine, I tested it out on a plain piece of cotton fabric. The test was a success! So I turned the fabric with the appliqued heart into a mug rug. I added some decorative stitches and quilted it with my sewing machine. WIthout an embroidery machine you can still make this project. The only difference is that you would have to create the applique by sewing it instead.
Isn’t my model a cutie pie?! Adding applique to a bib is another quick and easy project. I made my bib using flannel on the front and thin terry cloth on the back. But you could save some time by adding an applique to a purchased bib. I used a free bib pattern from MadeEveryday as the basis for my conversation heart bib. See the resources section of this blog post for the link to the free bib pattern.
Conversation Heart Table Topper
My conversation heart table topper was created from one piece of fabric which I embellished with appliques. After creating my quilt sandwich, I quilted the topper with a combination of echo quilting and small hearts using my sewing machine. A straight stitch, a standard presser foot and a lot of pivoting were used to quilt this project. The auto pivot function on my Baby Lock Unity is awesome!
Conversation Heart Tote
The final sample project I created was a tote bag. I used a free tutorial from SewCanShe as the basis for my bag, but added a few of my own special twists. The diamond quilted fabric was easy to make. All I had to do was to stitch lines across the polka dots! And I simply added a fabric strip with the appliqued conversation hearts on top of the quilted fabric. But instead of using traditional words on my conversation hearts, I used sewing themed words. Which means I still managed to work serging into my applique – Serge On! See the Resources section at bottom of this post for the link to the free tote tutorial.
Create Applique with your Embroidery Machine
The possibilities are endless. You can add these applique conversation hearts to just about anything! And you could have used your serger to make parts of these projects. My samples were all made with a sewing and embroidery machine because my serger was busy on another project…..
I hope you enjoyed my post about creating appliques using frames built into your embroidery machine.
I finally completed the official pattern for my Serger Charm Table Runner design. It’s hard to believe that six years have passed since I first taught this design in a serger class. It’s time to get charmed by a serger!
My serger charm table runner quilt is made from charm squares that are pieced together with a serger flatlock stitch. It even has overlock embellished binding. I included all three layouts and applique shapes in the pattern: Winter Skies, Hearts a Flutter and Falling Leaves. And of course, the step by step instructions have lots of diagrams and photographs. Keep reading to learn all about the table runners I made as samples for my pattern.
The Flatlock Stitch and Piecing a Quilt
There are many different ways to use a flatlock stitch. Most involve serging with part of the loops hanging off the edge of the fabric. You need a steady hand (or a special presser foot) and a little practice to get it just right. But with flatlock piecing you don’t need a special foot. Your standard presser foot will work just fine. You guide the raw edges of your fabric next to your blade, and just trim off the stray threads. So the entire stitch lays on the fabric with no overhanging loops.
Charm squares are 5” squares that are cut from a collection of cotton quilting fabric and sold in packages. There are typically 40-42 squares per pack, but the number can vary. I used one package of charm squares for each of my table runners.
Winter Skies – I used a Northcott Toscana Evening Shadow Chip Pack
Hearts a Flutter – I used a Moda French General Favorites Charm Pack
Falling Leaves – I used a Moda Hello Fall by Sandy Gervais Charm Pack
Both the background squares and the applique squares in my table runners came from the charm packs. The Northcott Toscana charm pack had 5 colors in it with multiples of each fabric. The Moda Hello Fall charm pack had very few repeats. The Moda French General Favorites charm pack had some repeats. You can always add in some applique fabric from your stash if the charm pack doesn’t have the solids or blenders you need for the appliques. I was lucky because the charm packs I chose had just the right amount of blenders for appliques. Or you could always cut your own collection of 5” squares for this table runner.
Quilt Top
The table runners were pieced together using flatlock stitch. I love the look of the flatlock stitches in decorative quilts where the thread can be a focal point. And I love the way it looks with variegated thread. It really adds interest to a quilt. I’ve used both 30 wt and 40 wt variegated cotton threads by Sulky and YLI. The squares with the flatlocked seams look great as a background for applique.
Applique
I had fun designing the applique shapes for this pattern. Real tree leaves were the inspiration for my Falling Leaves table runner. It’s amazing what you can do with real leaves and a copy machine! I learned how to make my own six sided paper snowflakes and picked my favorites to add to my Winter Skies table runner. For the Hearts a Flutter table runner I cut out several different paper hearts from folded paper and tested them on the runner before choosing my favorite.
I used the raw edge applique technique to apply my shapes using a sewing machine. But other forms of applique would also work. If you have a serger with a large throat space you could applique with the chain stitch. You could even machine embroider some of your favorite applique designs on your table runner.
Batting
Choose your favorite. I’ve made mine with thin fusible fleece, cotton quilt batting, and flannel. I like them all, but each is a little different. Flannel is the thinnest. Fusible fleece was a little more “stiff” and cotton quilt batting was the fluffiest. I think the fusible fleece fused to the back side of the quilt top fabric helps to hold the fabric and flatlock stitches in place, but I’ve had good success with all of these battings.
Quilting
You can quilt this table runner with as little or as much quilting as you like, based on your selected batting. Some battings require quilting stitches every 3-4” or some like flannel can be quilted 8-10” apart. My table runners are decorations and are spot cleaned as needed (rarely), so quilting distances are not that important. I did minimal quilting on my table runners so that my variegated thread and flatlock stitches would stand out and be a focal point of the quilts. I quilted my table runners using both a sewing machine and a hand sewing needle.
Binding
Although any method of binding would work for this table runner, I chose to embellish my binding with a three thread overlock stitch. The serger stitches on the binding really help tie together the quilt with the flatlock stitching around the squares. I attached and top stitched the binding to these table runners using a sewing machine, but a serger using a 4 thread overlock and/or a chain stitch would work as well.
Other Ways to Use a Serger for this Project
You can serge a table runner just like mine using the instructions in the pattern. A standard serger capable of a three thread flatlock stitch and a sewing machine are all you need.
Would you like to get more creative with your serger? Here are a few additional ways to use your serger that are not included in the pattern:
Use a rolled hem on the binding instead of an overlock
Attach the binding with a four thread overlock stitch or a chain stitch
If you’d like to try making the Serger Charm Table Runner be sure to visit my etsy shop and get your own copy of my pattern. Use the coupon code SERGERCHARMNOV2021, which will give you a 20% discount on this pattern through November 30, 2021. Click on this link to take you directly to the pattern section of my shop. https://www.etsy.com/shop/studiojsewing?coupon=SERGERCHARMNOV2021
I hope you enjoyed learning about the making of my serger charm table runners.
Spring is in the air! The sun is shining and the snow has melted. It’s once again time to dress the table with my colorful and reversible serger table runner. It’s full of texture with exposed seams, prairie points, bunny tails and fabric flowers.
Reversible Serger Table Runner Inspiration
I designed this table runner a few years ago using a bunch of leftover jelly roll strips from another project. And of course I challenged myself to use my serger to make it. My vision began with a “stripey” table runner with texture, and evolved as I serged.
Creation of Table Runner
I pieced the strips together with the 3 thread rolled hem stitch. I serged the strips wrong sides together so the rolled hem would show on the right side of the table runner. Then I cut the strip sets into two sections and serged the sections together to end up with a rectangle about 16” wide by 48” long.
A Second Runner
I still had a few more jelly roll strips left so I decided to make a second but different runner. I serged these strips together with a three thread rolled hem stitch, adding in a wider strip of white fabric. Then I cut the strips into squares, alternated the layout and added sashing strips in between the squares.
The Reversible Serger Table Runner
Instead of two separate table runners, I decided to make one reversible table runner. I added a wide ric rac trim to the long sides and prairie points to the short sides.
I then layered the two table runner tops right sides together, along with a layer of batting and serged around the outside edges, using a 4 thread overlock stitch.
Here is a closeup of the wrapped corners technique I used at the corners so I didn’t need to trim away any fabric at the corners. For more information about how to wrap a corner with a serger visit my pillowcase tutorial at: https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/his-hers-serger-pillowcases-tutorial/
I left an opening on one side for turning and closed it up using a fusible web and an iron.
Serger Rolled Hem Prairie Points
My prairie points started as rectangles that were 5” long and 2.5” wide. I serged one long edge of the rectangle and then folded two corners to the middle to make the prairie point. The rolled hem edge ends up in the center of the prairie point.
Finishing Touches
The reversible runner turned out nicely, but I thought it needed a little something extra to make it compete. So I added bunnies on one side and flowers on the other. Adorable!
My Felt Bunnies
I cut out two bunny shapes from some white felt and glued the bunnies to the ends of the table runner. The bunny tails were made from fabric trimmings that were cut off to even up the edges of the table runner. I took the strips and twisted them and then rolled them into a circle to form the tails.
My Fabric Flowers
I had a few more leftover jelly roll strips that I transformed into fabric flowers. To make a flower, I serged one edge of a fabric strip using a 3 thread rolled hem. Then I set up my serger to gather and serged the other long edge to gather the fabric. Pulling on the needle threads, I gathered the fabric a bit more before shaping it into a flower. And I added a fabric covered button to create the flower center.
So they could be easily removed when I wanted to display the bunny side, I pinned the flowers to the table runner.
Reversible Serger Table Runner
I hope you enjoyed learning about how I made my bunnies and flowers reversible serger table runner! And in case you didn’t know, April is National Serger Month. Now would be a good time to serge something fun for spring!
Did you know that you can serge a quilt with a chain stitch? I tried it, and I am so excited to share with you my latest quilt by serger. My Happy Place Quilt is an abstract waterscape quilt designed with a layer cake and a ten degree wedge ruler. I’ve made serger quilts using many types of serger stitches and techniques. But this is the first quilt I have pieced and bound exclusively using a serger chain stitch.
I was so happy with the results that I decided to create an official pattern for the quilt. The pattern is full of step by step photographs and diagrams. And the quilt can be made using a serger and/or a sewing machine. If you’d like to make your own My Happy Place Quilt, you can find the pattern for sale in the Shop section of my blog: https://overtheedge.blog/shop/
Story Behind the Quilt
I created the quilt as a personal design challenge for National Quilting Month this year. And of course, I chose to use my serger to make it. So I guess it counts for National Serger Month too!
I wanted to use my ten degree wedge ruler for another project.
You may remember that last year I used my serger and ten degree wedge ruler to create a watermelon quilt. I’ve used the quilt as both a patio table topper and a tree skirt.
I found a few wedge style quilts online that seemed interesting. But when I saw the “It Takes All Sorts” quilt from Christina Cameli’s book, Wedge Quilt Workshop, I was instantly inspired.
I had the idea, but now I needed the perfect fabric. I found it in the sale rack where I work. It was the Ocean Stone batik layer cake from Boundless Fabrics by Craftsy. The blues and browns reminded me of Lake Michigan. And I love layer cakes because they are complete collections of coordinated fabric. The less time I spend choosing fabric is more time I can spend serging! At first I thought I would do something completely abstract, but as I experimented with my wedge layout, the abstract waterscape began to materialize.
How to Serge a Quilt with a Chain Stitch
Not all sergers are capable of making a chain stitch. But if your serger does, you can use a chain stitch to serge a quilt. I have a Baby Lock Evolution serger, which is both an overlock and a cover stitch machine.
Here are some useful tidbits about serging and quilting with a chain stitch.
Seams can be pressed to the side or pressed open
Uses two threads, similar to a sewing machine
Can be quickly and easily removed if you make a mistake
Blades are disengaged so no accidentally cutting into your seams
Stitch length is usually a little longer than when sewing, about 2.75-3
Don’t have to worry about running out of bobbin thread
Can be used for piecing, binding and quilting
Piecing with a Serger Chain Stitch
I pieced together all of My Happy Place Quilt using a chain stitch and the cover stitch presser foot. Several different feet can be used – standard foot, clear foot, open toe foot, cover stitch foot, etc. Check your manual for the best settings and presser foot to use for your serger. Any foot that has good visibility makes it easier to get accurate ¼” seams. For chain stitch quilting I prefer the cover stitch foot or the open toe foot.
Pictured below are a few presser feet I use to quilt with my Baby Lock Evolution serger. From left to right: standard foot, clear standard foot, cover stitch foot, open toe foot.
I used my left needle and guided the fabric along the right needle marking on the toe of my presser foot. Guiding the fabric this way gave me accurate ¼” seams. I used standard serger cone thread in my needle and chain looper.
Attach Binding with a Chain Stitch
Applying binding with a serger chain stitch is just like applying binding with a sewing machine. You stitch the binding onto the front or back of the quilt and then wrap it around the edges and stitch it down by hand or machine.
I used this binding method for my quilt because I wanted two layers of fabric in the binding at the raw edges of the quilt. I used a very light color binding and did not want the dark fabrics in the quilt to show through. After testing the seam allowances I decided that a scant ⅜” seam allowance was best. The binding on the back would be perfectly secured by the “stitch in the ditch” stitches from the front. A scant ⅜” seam allowance from my left chain needle is between the third and 4th red marking from the left on the toe of my open toe presser foot as seen in the photo below.
I even chain pieced my binding strip seams with the chain stitch on my serger.
When I approached the corners, I simply turned the quilt clockwise and serged off the corner on a diagonal. Then I folded the binding at the corner and serged back on to the next side of the quilt, just like I would on a sewing machine.
After the binding was attached to the front of the quilt, I turned the folded edge to the back and clipped in place.
Finish Binding – Stitch in the Ditch Method
The last step of binding a quilt is stitching down the folded edge of the binding on the front or back of the quilt. It can be stitched by hand or by machine. I completed this last step of my quilt binding by serger, using a chain stitch and the “stitch in the ditch” method from the front side of My Happy Place Quilt. For the best visibility of the “ditch” between the binding and the quilt, I used my open toe foot and the center chain needle position.
You do have to turn your corners just a little bit differently with a chain stitch. When you get to the corner, stop with your needle down in the fabric. Then turn the hand wheel until the eye of the needle just peeks out above the fabric.
Next lift the presser foot and carefully rotate your fabric counter clockwise. Once positioned, start serging again. You may need to use a stiletto or other tool to gently pull or push on the fabric to keep the bulky corner from getting stuck after the turn. I used a pin to hold the binding in place near the corner and removed it after I took a few stitches, since wonder clips are too bulky to use close to the corner.
Here’s a view of the chain stitch in the ditch from the right side of the quilt.
Here’s a close up of the chain stitch on the binding on the back side of the quilt.
Tips for Serging with a Chain Stitch
When piecing my quilts with a chain stitch, I like to trim the thread chain tails to about an inch past the edge of the fabric. The extra inch of thread gives me a little wiggle room, just in case the chain starts to unravel as it is handled.
If you need some assistance with the mechanics of serging with a chain stitch, check out my tutorial: Tips for Serging with a Chain Stitch athttps://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/tips-for-serging-with-a-chain-stitch/. In the tutorial I share tips on how to start and end a seam, how to secure the ends of the seam, and how to easily remove a chain stitched seam.
How to Serge a Quilt with a Chain Stitch
I hope you enjoyed learning about My Happy Place Quilt and how to serge a quilt with a serger chain stitch.
Making “stained glass” fabric flags with reversible fabrics is a great way to utilize the flatlock stitch on your serger! But which fabric makes a better flag – cotton batik or flag sport nylon?
Earlier this year I wrote a blog post and tutorial about making a serger flatlocked heart flag. That flag was made from cotton batik fabric because that is what I had access to at the time. After that post, I received several questions asking me if the flag could be made from nylon fabric. I finally got my hands on some flag sport nylon fabric and gave it a try. I experimented with garden flag prototypes until I was happy with the results. Making a flatlocked flag out of flag sport nylon is not that much different than making a flag using cotton batiks. But I do have a few tips to help you be more successful. Read on below to learn more about working with flag sport nylon to make flatlocked flags using your serger.
Since I really love using my serger to make these garden flags, I decided to design a flag for every season! My Pumpkin Garden Flag is both my second flag design and my second official serger pattern. You can find the pattern for my Pumpkin Garden Flag in my Etsy shop (see LINK at bottom of post).
Which Makes a Better Flag – Cotton Batik or Flag Sport Nylon?
These pumpkin garden flags are equally awesome in cotton batik or flag sport nylon. But there are pros and cons to using both fabrics for flags.
Cotton Batiks
You can find cotton batiks in all sorts of interesting colors and patterns that really bring the flag to life.
Cotton is easy to sew or serge.
It is not water repellent or quick drying and will soak up water when it rains.
Cottons will fade when exposed to sunlight.
Flag Sport Nylon
Flag sport nylon is available in only solid colors.
Nylon can be stiffer and more slippery than cotton, and a little more difficult to handle than cotton.
It is mold/mildew resistant, water repellent and quick drying.
Nylon will fade when exposed to sunlight, just not as fast as cotton.
Although I think the cotton batik flags are much more interesting, the flag sport nylon flag will probably hold up better outside. So my nylon flags will hang outside. And my batik flags will be for indoor use, or limited outdoor use. But maybe I will hang my batik flags outside anyway and make new ones when they fade. Now that I’ve made a few they are pretty quick to serge. I can make a flag in less than an hour, including cutting out the pieces.
About the Flatlock Stitch
There are different techniques for doing a flatlock stitch, such as flatlock on the raw edges of fabric or flatlock on a fold. But for this blog post I am referring to flatlock piecing, where you use the three thread flatlock stitch to seam two pieces of fabric together with the knife engaged and slightly skimming/trimming the raw edges of the fabric. In the Resources section at the bottom of this post you will find a link to a short video I made about flatlock piecing.
As you serge, the upper looper forms “loops” on the top, and the needle thread forms “Vs” on the bottom and the lower looper forms a straight line right along the raw edges of the fabric.
When pulled open, one side of the seam will form “loops” and one side of the seam will form “ladders”. You will also notice that one of the fabric raw edges will remain flat, and the other will fold under. The raw edge of the fabric that is on top remains flat which you will see on the loop side of the stitch. The raw edge of the fabric that is on the bottom when you serge, will fold under which you will see on the ladder side of the stitch.
How to Get the Fabric Raw Edge to Fold Consistently on the Ladder Side
The way you open the seam can help the raw edge fold well. Of course you can just grab it and yank it open, but you may find the raw edges don’t always fold over the way you want them to. If you work with the fabric and it’s natural tendency to fold you will get better results. Here’s what you can do to get a better fold of the raw edge in your flatlock stitch:
Place the seam with the bottom fabric side (the V side) facing up.
Insert your fingers between the two layers of fabric, placing them next to the seam.
Use those fingers to hold the fabric down, while you use your other hand to pull the other piece of fabric to open the seam. Continue holding the fabric down and pulling the fabric open until you have opened the entire seam.
Differences between Serging with Cotton Batik and Flag Sport Nylon
Cotton batik fabric is a softer and less slippery than nylon, which makes it a little easier to handle. I recommend that you make your first flag from cotton batiks, before moving onto to nylon.
Flatlocking with Cotton Batiks
Cotton batik fabrics are soft and supple enough that the raw edges typically fold under within a flatlock stitch. These folded raw edges lay flat within the seam and therefore the seams are fairly flat, especially if you press them. You don’t need to do anything else. Occasionally the raw edge may flip out and lay flat in a spot or two. You can just manually help it fold back under the stitches by using a stiletto or some other tool.
Flatlocking with Flag Sport Nylon
Nylon is stiffer, which means it prefers not to fold. So the raw edges of the nylon fabric within the flatlock seam will fold in some areas and try to lay flat in others. This flipping back and forth between flat raw edges and folded raw edges creates bumps or twists in the seam at each transition. See example below.
Since the nylon would prefer to lay flat and not fold, you will get a nicer looking seam if you prevent the raw edges from folding as you open the seam. I’ve found that if I run my fingers gently along the back of the seam as I am opening it up, I can prevent the raw edges of that bottom layer from folding under. However, I sometimes still end up with a few areas that have folded under.
So here’s what you do if you still have areas that are folded after you open your seam. Take a stiletto or other tool and insert it carefully between the ladder stitches and under the folded raw edge. Gently “grab” the folded edge with your tool and unfold it. Your seams will lay nice and flat if you do this. (You could do this with cottons too, but there is no need since the folded seams aren’t bulky.) I was very happy with the results of this technique on my nylon flags. The seams on the flags were smooth and flat. It was worth the little bit of extra fiddling with the seams to make them look perfect (see photo below).
Types of Thread I used for Serging Flags
I’ve used several different types of thread for serging garden flags. The thicker decorative threads are more visible and create a better “stained glass” effect, but standard serger threads will work if that’s all you have or if that’s what works in your serger. Not all thick decorative threads work in all sergers. My Baby Lock Evolution serger happily handles all threads, but my first serger (a Pfaff) was very finicky. For example, it did not like YLI Wooly Nylon no matter how many adjustments I made, but it was happy with Gutermann Toldi Lock or Maxi Lock Stretch.
12 wt. Cotton or Rayon
I used both a 12 wt. cotton thread by Sulky and a 12 wt. rayon thread by Madeira for my cotton batik flags, and both work well. Even though the label on the spool recommends a size 100 needle, I used a size 90 serger needle, because that is the maximum size needle I can use in my serger. I serged at a slower speed, and didn’t have any problems with these threads in my needle. Of course, the loopers can handle these threads, no problem.
Texturized Nylon
Threads such as YLI Wooly Nylon, Madeira Aeroflock, Gutermann Bulky Nylon and Maxi Lock Stretch are all brands of texturized nylon thread. This type of thread serges well and has good coverage of the seams on the garden flags. I have found that the texturized nylon thread in a flatlock stitch tends to “snag” on rough surfaces more than other threads I have used for flags (such as cotton, rayon). So when the flag is flapping around in the breeze and rubs up against something, the thread may catch and pull the seam, distorting the stitches slightly. I did use texturized nylon thread for the seams on the nylon flags.
Pumpkin Garden Flag Pattern
Follow the link below to take you to the Pattern Section of my Etsy shop – Studio J Sewing. This pattern is available as a PDF file digital download. You can begin serging pumpkin garden flags as soon as you checkout!
Purchase the serger sewing pattern, Pumpkin Garden Flag, before October 31, 2020 and save 30% using Etsy coupon code SAVE30PATTERN during checkout.
I’d love to see the finished pumpkin garden flags you made with your sergers! Please share your photos via email to jennifer@overtheedge.blog. Which fabric makes a better flag? What do you think?
I’m very excited to announce that I have released my first “official” serger sewing pattern, Scrappy Fabric Pumpkins. I originally created this design for a class I taught a few years ago. But now as the leaves begin to change colors, I thought it was the perfect time to update my pattern and make it available to you.
Learn to do More with your Serger
If you’ve taken a serger class with me, you know it is not unusual for me to create my own projects to teach. My goal is to create projects that inspire people to want to use their sergers for more than finishing raw edges or creating samples of techniques for a notebook.
Finishing raw edges cleanly with a serger is a great use of the serger. And technique notebooks are important for understanding the potential uses of your serger. But many people never take the next step when it comes to learning their serger. It would be like making a sample of all the stitches your sewing machine can do, but never using the sewing machine to create a project. Maybe one reason this happens is because patterns written specifically for sergers are not nearly as abundant in the marketplace as patterns written for sewing machines. I’m hoping to change that, one serger pattern at a time!
On my blog I have shared a lot of free content and I will continue to do so. However, there are expenses associated with maintaining a blog, and it is my hope that selling patterns written for sergers will generate enough income to cover those expenses and allow me to continue to inspire others to serge. Thanks for your support!
The Scrappy Fabric Pumpkins Pattern
Serge a scrappy fabric pumpkin for fall and learn to use a serger rolled hem stitch for more than napkins, ruffles and scarves. Not only can you create fun decorations for your home, but you can improve your serging skills. Scrappy serger pumpkins are so cute you won’t be able to make just one! Even the tendrils are made with the serger. An empty skinny thread spool makes a great stem. I’ve included lots of color photographs to help you out every step of the way. Happy Fall!
Follow the link below to take you to the Pattern Section of my Etsy shop – Studio J Sewing. This pattern is available as a PDF file digital download. You can begin serging pumpkins as soon as you checkout!
Purchase the serger sewing pattern, Scrappy Fabric Pumpkins, before October 31, 2020 and save 30% using Etsy coupon code SAVE30PATTERN during checkout.
