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!
Beautifully Wrapped Gifts Made Simple with a Serger
I’ve been using fabric gift wrap for many, many years. Fabric gift wrap is beautiful, and it can be used over and over again. I use it for all occasions – birthdays, showers, holidays, etc. Fabric gift wrap is quick and easy to make using your serger. Read on below to learn all about beautifully wrapped gifts made simple with a serger.
Benefits to using Fabric to Wrap your Gifts
Benefits to using fabric to wrap your gifts:
Save some trees – fabric gift wrap is reusable
Make it from almost any fabric
Great scrap buster – think of all those leftover odd sized pieces you can turn into gift wrap
Make it in any size
Make the fabric gift wrap part of the gift
Perfect reason to use your serger!
Simple Serger Made Fabric Gift Wrap
Let me introduce you to six quick and easy fabric gift wrap projects I have created using a serger. Click on the link near the end of the post to get the instructions to serge your own fabric gift wrap.
1. Wrapping Scarf
The wrapping scarf has been around for a long time. It was my first experiment with fabric gift wrap. Inspired by a book I saw at the store, I bought the book and started making fabric wrapping scarves from my leftover costume satins. Making fabric gift wrap was a double benefit for me. The first benefit was that I was able to make use of leftover fabrics from other projects taking up room in my stash. The second benefit was that the gift wrap was reusable and I no longer filled my trash with piles of paper gift wrap.
With it’s exposed serger stitching, the the wrapping scarf is the perfect project for highlighting decorative threads. You can make it from one reversible fabric which is more economical, or two fabrics, which is more colorful. My favorite wrapping scarves are made from flowy satins and shimmery organzas and chiffons. To secure a wrapping scarf around the gift, tie the ends of the fabric in loose knots, or get creative with added accessories like ribbons, buttons, and more.
2. Simple Serged Gift Bag
A simple gift bag serged from a beautiful fabric will make a gift more special. I made the gift bag in the photo below from sparkle organza, which I thought looked great with the metallic silver box I put inside. This gift bag features exposed serger stitches and ribbon ties that are serged right into the seams so they can’t be misplaced. Although this gift bag is flat, it would be easy to give it more shape by boxing out the corners.
3. Gift Card Envelope
Gift cards have become pretty popular as gifts. Wrap them up in a fabric envelope to make the gift card more special. You could even decorate your tree with these cute little presents. Expose your serger seams and have fun with decorative threads with this gift wrap. And serge the ribbon tie right into the seam to make wrapping the gift card quick and easy.
4. DVD/Book Gift Bag
This flat fabric bag works great for wrapping a book or DVD. This project is quick and easy and features exposed seams and an attached ribbon tie.
5. Petal Pouch
This cute little fabric pouch is great for wrapping small gifts or jewelry. Show off a pretty decorative thread in the exposed serger stitches on the edges of the petals. Sew the casings for the ribbon closure with a sewing machine or chain stitch on a serger.
6. Drawstring Bag with Ruffle
This is a dressed up version of the standard fabric gift bag. It showcases three different fabrics and has a drawstring closure with a ruffle. The serged seams are on the inside of the bag and not exposed.
How to Make Fabric Gift Wrap with a Serger
Are you ready to try serging your own fabric gift wrap? If the answer is yes, then be sure to click on the link below to visit my tutorial, How to Make Fabric Gift Wrap with a Serger.
Several years ago I purchased this fun kitty spandex so I could make my daughter a swimsuit or maybe a pair of leggings. For my daughter’s birthday this year, I finally made her the “purr”fect swimsuit. Summer is here, and the perfect time to serge a swimsuit!
Swimsuits by Serger or Sewing Machine
Although you could use a sewing machine to make a swimsuit, it’s so much more professional looking if you use a serger. The four thread overlock stitch is great for serging seams and applying elastic. The narrow cover stitch is perfect for top-stitching. If you don’t have a cover stitch machine you could use a sewing machine and a zig zag stitch to top-stitch. This is the way I used to do swimsuits and figure skating costumes before I had the cover stitch.
Three Thread or Four Thread Overlock
Technically a three thread overlock is the stretchiest stitch, and is sometimes recommended for stretchy knits. The four thread overlock is almost as stretchy. I typically use the four thread overlock for serging all of my knit garments because I like the added security of the second row of straight stitches. If one row of straight stitching pops, I still have one row to hold the seam together.
Thread
I used Maxilock serger thread in the needles and Guterman Bulky Nylon in the loopers. The texturized nylon is soft next to the skin and really stretchy. Some other brands of texturized nylon thread I use are Maxilock Stretch, YLI Wooly Nylon and Madeira AeroFlock.
Pattern Used for The “Purr”fect Swimsuit – Jalie 3350
For my daughter’s “purr”fect swimsuit I used Jalie pattern 3350. I combined the twist front from view B with the open back of view A. The pattern didn’t call for lining on the back side, but I added it. The kitty spandex had a white background, and I was afraid it would be too see-through when wet. I also changed the order of construction to minimize changeovers on my serger between overlock and coverstitch.
This swimsuit pattern was a little more complicated because of the twist at the bust. But the twist was worth the time and fuss because of the extra flair it added to the suit.
The pattern also included an extra pocket in the bust lining so you could insert a swim cup for more bust coverage. I bought my swim cups from Sew Sassy. A link to their website is included in the Resources section at the bottom of this post.
I haven’t seen Jalie patterns in the stores locally, but they are easy to find online. Jalie is a Canadian company. You can also find their patterns in shops on etsy and ebay. I’ve used Jalie patterns many times for swimsuits and figure skating dresses. Their patterns include a ton of sizes, so it’s possible to get a great fit without a lot of pattern modifications. The pattern also gives tips for sewing a swimsuit with a sewing machine.
Jalie wants you to be successful using their patterns. You will find photo tutorials for different patterns and lots of tips on Jalie’s website. I have included a link to their website in the Resources section at the bottom of this post.
Applying Elastic to a Swimsuit with a Serger
For this swimsuit, I used ⅜” cotton elastic meant for swimwear. I pre-treated it by soaking in hot water and then drying it in my dryer on low heat.
Presser Foot
I use a standard presser foot to apply my elastic on my swimsuits. There is such a thing as an elastic foot for a serger, which is great for some applications. But I find it easier to use a standard presser foot for serging the elastic on swimsuits, or for a pattern that calls for applying elastic in the round.
Quarter Pinning
The most common technique I use for applying elastic by serger is called quarter pinning. I divide both the elastic and the spandex edge into fourths and mark them with pins. Then I pin the elastic to the project aligning the marks.
Usually the elastic is smaller than the spandex, so you have to stretch the elastic as you serge. Quarter pinning helps you spread out the extra spandex so everything looks nice and even. If the edges are fairly long, I will pin in eighths to be sure I am evenly stretching the elastic to fit my spandex.
Serge with Elastic on Top or on Bottom?
The most common way I see instructions written for applying elastic by serger is to serge with the elastic on top and your fabric on bottom (against the feed dogs). A tiny little bit of fabric should peek out to the right of the elastic so you are sure you are catching it in the stitches. Sometimes I do it this way.
And sometimes I serge with the elastic on bottom against the feed dogs. A little bit of elastic should peek out to the right of the fabric, so you are certain you are catching the elastic in the stitching.
Sometimes I find it easier to line up the raw edges of the spandex and the elastic as I am stretching it to fit, when the elastic is on bottom. I am less likely to have the spandex migrate away from the elastic and end up with spots not caught in the stitching.
When I made the “purr”fect swimsuit, I applied elastic using both methods.
Engage or Disengage Blades?
I disengage my serger blades when I am using a standard presser foot to apply my elastic, so I don’t cut through my elastic. I am very careful to align the elastic and spandex along the edge where the blade normally cuts. If the fabric and elastic move too far to the right of the blade, they could get caught in the loopers and create a mess. The photo below shows my fabric (on top) and elastic (on bottom next to the feed dogs) lined up just to the left of my cutting blade. The stiletto is pointing to the location of the blades.
With the blades disengaged, you will need to manually trim the threads from any seam allowances you cross as you serge.
I also increase my stitch length to 4 so I don’t put too much thread bulk into my seams. You could use a three thread overlock stitch to attach elastic. But I usually use a four thread overlock to attach the elastic because I don’t want to spend the extra time changing between stitches. Since I am usually stretching the elastic to fit the spandex, all the stitching seems closer together when everything relaxes back to its unstretched state.
Serging and Sewing the “Purr”fect Swimsuit
I used my sewing machine to:
baste the lining pieces to the main pieces
gather a small amount in bust area
attach the back closure hook
attach the straps at the back edge
stitch a few areas of the bust twist
attach the elastic to the short front V neckline using a zig zag (The bulk of the twist at the neckline was easier to maneuver through the sewing machine.)
I used my serger to:
attach the elastic
serge the seams
finish any exposed edges
top stitch the elastic with a narrow coverstitch
Basting is Helpful for Serging
I baste all of my lining pieces to my main pieces using the longest straight stitch my sewing machine will do (which is 6 mm I think). The basting keeps the layers from shifting when I am serging. Because the fabric stretches a little as I baste, the stitches look a little loose, but that’s ok. These stitches are not seen from the right side of the finished swimsuit.
When I am done serging the seams, I stretch each seam until I hear the basting stitches pop. After the basting stitches break the seam regains its full stretch-ability. Don’t forget to break the basting stitches or the person putting it on for the first time will pop them and think they ripped the swimsuit. If the basting stitches hang out of the seam too much after popping I will pull some of them out, but mostly I leave them in. No one but me really notices the seams anyway. Most people just notice how good they look in the garment!
Narrow Cover Stitch
I used a narrow cover stitch to top-stitch all of the elastic in the swimsuit. The narrow cover stitch works well for top-stitching ⅜” elastic, and I like the way it looks.
I used my cover stitch foot to apply the elastic with the needles in the C1/C2 position. The cover stitch foot is narrower and makes it easier to see the right edge of your project. By aligning the right edge of the elastic just past the right edge of the cover stitch foot I get the perfect placement for my narrow cover stitch on 3/8″ elastic. You want to stitch close to the left inner edge of the elastic. If you stitch too close to the outer edge, the wrong side of your elastic will tend to curl out and not lay flat against your body when worn.
I used a stitch length of 4, which is the longest stitch length on my serger. The stitches end up looking shorter because of the thickness of the elastic and multiple layers of spandex.
A Great Technique for Finishing off a Cover Stitch
This technique has worked with every serger I have tried. It will pull your needle threads to the back at the end of the seam so they are ready to finish off with a knot. It saves time and frustration. See the Resources section at the bottom of the post for a link to my tutorial on Finishing off a Cover Stitch in the Round.
The “Purr”fect Swimsuit
I hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to serge a little spandex!
https://jalie.com/blog/cat/photos Link to Jalie’s photo tutorials – There are six tutorials on how to make the 3350 swimsuit. I didn’t discover these until after I had made my swimsuit. It would have been helpful for everything but making the twist! Unfortunately the tutorial for the front was only for view A.
