serger project Archives - Page 3 of 4

Tag: serger project

Simply Leafy 2

Posted on May 26, 2020May 26, 2020 by jghuiz

I had so much fun making my Simply Leafy 2 quilt that I thought I would share it with you. Simply Leafy 2 is a project from the book, Serge & Merge Quilts. It’s a small wall hanging and is the perfect size to experiment with creative serging. The serger creates the texture in the background and enhances the dimensional stems and leaves. The project showcases serger flatlock stitching, but uses a sewing machine to complete the quilting and binding. If you enjoy creative quilting and you have a serger, you should give this project a try!

Fabric and Thread Choices

I used quilting weight cotton for all the fabric in my Simply Leafy 2 quilt. I selected a brown leafy floral as my focus fabric and off white for the background. Based off the leafy floral fabric, I chose green fabric for the leaves and brown for the stems. The instructions said to use yarn for embellishing the flatlock stitches so I chose a brown perle cotton. I decided on a variegated Sulky Blendables 30 weight thread for the background flatlocking and a variegated YLI quilting cotton thread 40 weight for flatlocking the leaves and stems. I used Maxilock serger thread in the positions that were not visible in the stitches.

Flatlock Background and Create Rectangle Blocks

I randomly pressed lines in my background fabric to mark my folds for flatlocking. Then I created ladder stitching on the folds of fabric using both a narrow and wide two thread flatlock.

I serged each fold, then pulled it open. I pressed all of the flatlock stitching at once after I was finished serging the lines. After flatlocking I used two strands of perle cotton to create extra texture, making knots as suggested. The only change I made here was to add my yarn knots before I cut out the rectangle blocks. Unsecured flatlock stitching unravels easily near the edges, so I thought this change would create less stress on those stitches. When I ran out of yarn, I just cut 2 new pieces and continued where I left off. I fussy cut around the thread tails as I cut out my rectangles, so each rectangle was unique.

Create Leaves and Stems

For flatlocking my leaves, I put the variegated thread in my needle. I wanted the variegated thread to show on my leaves. After flatlocking the leaf strip on my serger, I traced the leaf pattern onto the fabric. I then completed making the leaves on my sewing machine.

For finishing the stems, I set the serger up for a two thread overlock. The two thread overlock is basically the same stitch as the two thread flatlock, but you don’t open the seam. I put variegated thread in the lower looper because the loops ended up on the right side of my stems.

Piece Together Background

After serging the leaves and background, I converted my serger to a four thread overlock stitch. I used the four thread overlock stitch to serge the background rectangles together. I handled the rectangles carefully to keep the cut flatlock stitches from unraveling before piecing them together.

Quilt with Sewing Machine

I layered my backing, batting and top of my quilt sandwich and quilted the background using a sewing machine. My quilting was simple. I stitched lines between my lines of flatlocking and outlined some of the leaves in the brown rectangles.

Add Stems and Leaves

After the background was quilted, it was time to add the stems and leaves. I auditioned my stems and leaves on the background until I was happy with the layout. Then I stitched them all down with my sewing machine. Since the top leaf hangs off the edge, it was easier to stitch it on after the binding was applied. One of the things I really like about this project are the three dimensional stems and leaves!

Add Binding and Finish

The instructions have you use two different colors of binding. I bound the top, bottom and right side of my quilt with off-white and the left side with brown. I attached my binding to the front of quilt, and then flipped it to the back. To secure the binding, I stitched in the ditch on the front side with my sewing machine. I also added a hanging sleeve on the back

Flatlocking on the Fold

You typically see serger stitching on seam lines and fabric edges. But flatlocking is not limited to seams or fabric edges. You can flatlock on a fold and create decorative stitching within the body of your garment or project.

Flatlocking is a technique you can do with your standard presser foot. However, a foot with a guide, such as a blind hem foot, will make flatlocking easier.

The flatlock stitch is reversible. Which means you can use either side of this stitch in your projects. I like both the “loop” side and the “ladder” side of the flatlock stitch. To see the loops on the right side of your fabric you fold it with the wrong sides together. To see the ladders on the right side of your fabric you fold it with the right sides together.

When you flatlock on the fold, you serge with the loops hanging off of the fabric. You must guide your fabric so that the fold is about halfway between the needle and the blade. (See photo below.) Without the extra thread in those loops, you won’t be able to pull open the stitch to make it flat. If you have too much fabric in the stitch you won’t be able to fully open it. The stitch will look lumpy on one side and like a tunnel on the other. If you get too little fabric in the stitch you will have loose and floppy stitching.

I recommend you practice flatlocking on the fold before you begin this part of your project. Sharon provides some information about flatlocking on page 16 of her book. Your serger manual will instruct you how to set up and perform a flatlock stitch with your machine.

Simply Leafy 2

I hope you enjoyed my post about the creation of my Simply Leafy 2 wall hanging quilt.

Check out another fun project called Down the Pathway that I made from the book, Serge & Merge Quilts. https://overtheedge.blog/serge-and-merge-quilts-down-the-pathway/

Resources

Serge & Merge Quilts by Sharon Rotz. This book was published in 2009. If you can’t find it in your local shop, try the internet. https://www.amazon.com/Serge-Merge-Quilts-Create-Nancy/dp/0896898105

Serger Twists Sleeveless Top

Posted on May 19, 2020May 19, 2020 by jghuiz

Embellishment can turn a plain garment into a WOW garment. Why not use your serger to make your garments special! I love the texture created from twists and tucks. I’ve heard them called wave tucks or twisted tucks, or as I call them serger twists. I’ve used this serger technique in bags, pillows, serger covers and garments. You can make these folded tucks/twists with a sewing machine, but it is more fun with a serger because you have the added element of decorative thread. Keep reading to learn more about how I started with a pattern for a plain top and transformed it into my serger twists sleeveless top.

The Pattern

As a foundation for my serger twists sleeveless top, I chose a simple sleeveless top pattern, New Look 6483 view E, and a linen blend fabric. I basically followed the pattern to construct the top, but with a few changes. I modified the pattern to include a serger twists center panel, and I serged some of the steps instead of using my sewing machine.

Equipment

Serger capable of three thread overlock and 4 thread overlock
Sewing machine
Sewing and serging supplies
Pattern, such as New Look 6483
Marking pen/pencil
Fabric and thread

How to Create Serger Twists

I began by preparing the center panel. I cut a rectangle piece of fabric about 4” longer than the center front pattern piece of the top and about twice as wide as my desired finished center panel plus 4” extra. You need the extra fabric because the width is drawn in as you create the twist. For my top I decided on 7 twists. I marked 7 vertical lines 1¼” apart with a Frixion pen in the center of my rectangle. I folded each line, wrong sides together and pressed to create creases. The creases make it easier to serge on the folds in the next step.

Serge

I set up my serger for 3 thread overlock wide with a stitch width of ¼” and disengaged the blade. Maxi Lock thread was used for all positions because I wanted my thread to blend in with the fabric to emphasize the texture and not the thread color. You could use a more decorative thread if you wanted. I used a stitch length 2-2.5, but it could be longer or shorter depending on the thread and look you are trying to achieve.

Serge on each fold, lining up the fold with where the blade would normally cut. I used a standard foot and guided my fabric along the disengaged blade. But you could also use a blind hem foot for your serger and set up the guide to help you position the fold in the proper place. Serge the same direction each time, so that the upper looper thread is on the same side of all the folds. Press folds well to set the stitches. You may need to use a press cloth so you don’t damage your thread.

Mark and Stitch

I drew horizontal lines 1” apart on the panel perpendicular to my serged folds using my Frixion pen. Using my sewing machine I stitched across the folds on the lines in alternating directions. You can hold the twists down with your fingers as you stitch to make sure they lay the proper direction. See photo below. Don’t press the twists after making them or you will distort them. You can hover over them and steam them if needed.

How to Modify Pattern Front for Center Panel

I measured my center panel as it would be finished in my top to be 4.5”. So I added my seam allowances (⅝” + ⅝” = 1¼”) before trimming the center panel to 5¾” wide. The extra fabric on the top and bottom was cut off after combining the center panel with the rest of the front pieces.

Since I added in a center panel, I needed to remove an equivalent amount from the front pattern piece, so the new top front was the same size as the original pattern piece. I determined that the amount to be removed was 3¼” (4½” for the center less seam allowances of ⅝” + ⅝” = 1¼”). The original pattern piece was a single piece cut on the fold. So I cut off 1⅝” from the center of the folded front and ended up with a right and left front piece.

I changed my serger over to a standard 4 thread overlock stitch for serging my garment seams. To create my new top front I serged together the left, center and right front pieces. I pinned the center panel right sides together with the right front and left front. Then I double checked that my new front piece would end up the same size as my original pattern piece front. I serged the seams and trimmed center panel using the original front pattern piece as guide.

Finish Garment Construction

The rest of the garment was constructed using the pattern instructions, but I used my serger for some of the steps. The stay stitching, darts, neckline, armhole edges and hem top stitching was done with my sewing machine. I also used my sewing machine to under-stitch the neckline front facing to keep it from flipping outward. The side seams and raw edges of hems and facings were serged with a standard 4 thread overlock. I used ⅝” seam allowances to be consistent with the pattern and trimmed off the extra as I serged.

Once you cut off that extra seam allowance you cannot put it back on, so I suggest you make certain the garment fits before seaming it with a serger. Making a muslin mock-up takes more effort, but it leads to much less frustration in the long run. It’s a real bummer to spend hours making a beautiful looking garment only to have it not fit when you are all done.

Inside Look

I turned my top inside out so you could get a detailed look at the construction. If you look closely you will see darts, seams, hem and facing edges, and the wrong side of the serger twists. This top has been worn and washed so the stitching you are looking at is not as crisp and clean as when new.

My Serger Twists Sleeveless Top

Serger twists are a fun way to add embellishment to your projects and garments. As with any garments with exposed stitches, handle and launder with care. Any large loops on garments always have the potential to snag or get pulled. Think of those light, airy, lacy sweaters that we buy at the store that are so beautiful. We love to wear them, even though they snag easily. Serger stitches don’t snag as easily as those sweaters, but because of the loops, it’s best to handle them with care. I recommend hand washing garments with exposed stitching. After I spent all that time making the garment I want to be able to wear it more than once!

I hope you enjoyed this post about my serger twists sleeveless top. Try spicing up your garments with serger stitching!

Happy Serging! – Jen

Resources

For another example of exposed serged stitches check out my post, Decorative Serged Seams: https://overtheedge.blog/decorative-serged-seams/

Babylock Wave Tucked Pillow Project: https://www.babylock.com/learn-and-create/projects/serger-pillows-pintuck-wave

Serger twists with Nancy Zieman in her book, Serge with Confidence: https://www.amazon.com/Serge-Confidence-Nancy-Zieman/dp/0873498550

My Serged Satchel

Posted on May 12, 2020May 12, 2020 by jghuiz

I received many compliments while out and about carrying my serged satchel. Everyone always asked me where I bought my bag. With a smile, I said thank you and told them that I made it. I kept using the bag until it was very, very worn. What a sad day it was when I finally retired my serged satchel!

The Pattern

I made the purse using a pattern from Indygo Junction, called the Serged Satchel. The bag is flirty and feminine and is loaded with ruffles that highlight exposed serged edges.

My Serged Satchel

The bag I made looked very similar to the light colored purse on the pattern envelope. I used osnaburg fabric for the outside of my bag and a cotton print for the inside. Osnaburg is a rustic looking fabric like muslin, only more coarse. I edged the ruffles with a variegated YLI machine quilting thread. Thin fusible fleece gave the bag some soft stability.

I serged the edges of the ruffle strips using a basic 4 thread serger with a standard 4 thread overlock stitch. I also used my serger to gather the strips. The rest of the bag was constructed using a sewing machine per Amy Barickman’s instructions.

I used the leftover ruffle strips to make 2 pockets for the inside of the bag.

Thoughts on the Serged Satchel

If you’ve ever sewn a purse, you know that they are more effort to put together than you may think. And this purse was no exception, but it was worth it. I could always count on my serged satchel and its fun ruffles to brighten my day!

Resources

If you would like more information about the pattern, click on this link to go to the Indygo Junction website at: https://indygojunction.com

If you would like more information about gathering and adjusting ruffles using a serger, please see my tutorial: https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/his-hers-serger-pillowcases-tutorial/

Decorative Serged Seams

Posted on May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 by jghuiz

Adding decorative serged seams to your garments is as easy as serging a seam. Just use pretty thread and serge your pattern pieces wrong sides together so the serged seams become exposed on the right side of the garment!

In recent years the inside-out look has become popular. Exposed serged seams can be found in many ready to wear garments. It’s fun to duplicate that look in garments you make yourself.

I made this cute little girl’s dress with a basic serger, long before I had my Babylock Evolution. The dress was made with a soft cotton interlock knit, a wide three thread overlock stitch and Maxi Lock serger thread. The flared skirt panels are very twirly, perfect for the little girl who likes to twirl! This project is proof that you can make great garments with a basic serger. (However it does take a little more work and time because you have to do more testing of your stitches and spend more time threading.)

The Dress – Kwik Sew Pattern K3944

I made this cute dress many years ago, and so the pattern is now out of print. But I searched the internet and found it still for sale on various sites like Etsy. What I liked about this Kwik Sew pattern (besides the cute dress) was that the instructions were written for a serger. As you can see from the pattern envelope, I pretty much made view A exactly as pictured – similar yellowish green fabric, and pink and blue thread. I used a 3 thread wide overlock stitch for all the exposed and internal seams. The sewing machine was only used for top-stitching the elastic casing on the sleeves and neckline. And I did design my own flower for the skirt, instead of making the one included with the pattern.

Here are a few closeup photos of the stitching.

decorative serged seam — Neckline Casing

Notes on Construction

I changed the order of construction to minimize changeovers between the pink and blue thread. I used a shorter than normal stitch length on the exposed seams, making the serger thread more visible. At the time I made this dress I didn’t have any thick decorative thread, so I just used standard serger thread. I did some testing on scraps to determine the best combination of fabric, stitch and thread before beginning the project.

My Flower

I took a long strip of knit and serged both long raw edges with a 3 thread overlock. Then I twisted the strip like you would twist streamer decorations for a party. Then I coiled the strip and glued a piece of fabric to the back to hold it together. I safety pinned it to the dress so it could be removed for washing.

Adding Decorative Serged Seams to Your Garments

I hope you enjoyed my post about adding decorative serged seams to your garments. For another example of decorative serged seams check out my Cozy Sweater Shirt post link below.

Cozy Sweater Shirt – 100% Serger Made

Resources

Kwik Sew has several patterns in its current collection called “Kwik Serge.” These patterns were written for use with a serger. Here is the link: https://mccall.com/kwik-sew/collections/kwik-serge/

Triaxial Weaving with a Serger Belt Loop Binder

Posted on April 27, 2020April 27, 2020 by jghuiz

If you have a serger with a cover stitch and a belt loop binder attachment you are going to love this post, Triaxial Weaving with a Serger Belt Loop Binder. A new way to create quick and easy fabric strips for weaving into your own custom fabric! No more making fabric strips on the bias and no more burning your fingers while ironing the folded strips!

Serger Belt Loop Binder Attachment

Baby Lock has a specialty serger attachment called a Belt Loop Binder, which comes in two sizes (1.5” and ¾”). Other manufacturers may have something similar. The belt loop binder is designed to be used with a cover stitch.

I’ve seen it used to make belt loops, handles, straps, and bracelets. Belt loops and straps are very useful. But making your own woven fabric from these strips is way more exciting and is another perfect application for this attachment. And you don’t have to make bias strips for this weaving to work. You can cut strips by the width of the fabric (selvage to selvage), feed them into bias binder attachment on your serger, and quickly make fabric strips ready to weave into cool designs! This method is so much faster than cutting traditional bias fabric strips and standing at the ironing board pressing the edges under. And since it works on the cross grain, you don’t have to spend time creating the bias strips of fabric. I love my serger!!!

Modern Fabric Strip Weaving

Fabric strip weaving is becoming a popular activity. I first saw a bias fabric strip triaxial weaving project in a Sew News magazine (Feb/Mar 2017)

The article/project was titled “Take It or Weave It” was written by Tara Curtis, of Wefty. She invented a tool called the Wefty Needle to help make fabric strip weaving much easier. Bias fabric strips are made and then folded and pressed into bias tape. Then the bias tape is woven into fabric. Of course when I saw the project my first thought was “how can I use my serger to make this easier!”

Tools for Weaving

I purchased a set of Wefty needles from Tara. They work well for weaving ½” folded fabric strips and 1” folded fabric strips made with bias strips the traditional way. However, the Wefty Needles don’t work as well for serger belt loop binder strips. The tool was just a little too wide for the ¾” strips made from the 1.5” belt loop binder. It was hard for me to get through the tight weave of the third row of the triaxial weave. If the Wefty Needle was available in a ¾” or ⅜” it would be perfect for using with fabrics strips made with babylock belt loop binders!

I ended up using a bodkin (for inserting elastic or cord into a casing) to help me weave that 3rd row. The Wefty needle would have worked better than the bodkin if it were the right size for the ¾” strips. Recently, I found a ¾” elastic threader by Dritz that I am going to try on my next project. For other tools needed for fabric strip weaving see the Resources section at the bottom of the post.

Weaving Types

Basic or simple weaving occurs in 2 directions (biaxial at 90 degree angles to each other). Some forms of basic weaving you may be familiar with include plain weave, satin weave, twill weave, basket weave. Triaxial weaving occurs in 3 directions (triaxial 60 degree angles to each other). You can make some really nice weaving projects with basic weaving, but I think there is something special about triaxial weaves. I have included some links to resources about weaving at the end of this post.

Jen’s Triaxial Weaving with a Serger Belt Loop Binder

The Sew News article did inspire me to try fabric strip weaving, even though I didn’t make the basket that was in the article. Following the basic instructions in the article, I created my triaxial weave using fabric strips made on my serger with the 1.5” belt loop binder attachment. I then used the new “fabric” to construct this bucket from Simplicity pattern 8859 (I did make a few minor modifications to the pattern for this fabric basket/bucket). I really enjoyed triaxial weaving so I had to do more of it. After one project I was hooked!

I really like the look of “stars” in triaxial weaving, so I decided that would be my next project. I figured out how to weave the stars after some trial and error and a little research on the internet. It probably would have been faster to purchase a pattern from Wefty to show me how to do it, but I wouldn’t have learned so much about weaving! Like with the fabric bucket project, I used the 1.5” belt loop binder attachment to make my strips. Then I made a pillow from the triaxial weave “stars” fabric that I created. This pillow was constructed on the serger, including using a cording foot to install the zipper. The pillow pattern I created may be included in my blog in the future.

Tutorial – Setting Up and Using a Serger Belt Loop Binder

I created a tutorial and a video to help you be successful using the belt loop binder attachment with your serger. You will find the links below.

How to Use a Serger Belt Loop Binder to Make Folded Fabric Strips for Weaving

Hope you enjoyed learning about triaxial weaving with a serger belt loop binder!

Resources for Fabric Strip Weaving

Here are a few internet sites and youtube videos for you to check out if you would like to learn more about the process of weaving with fabric strips.

Tara Curtis of Wefty

Website: www.weftyneedle.com

https://weftyneedle.com/blog/2016/8/26/tools-for-weaving-updated

Tumbling Blocks Mad Weave Tutorial Video by Wefty – https://youtu.be/6xlUirFs0Kg

https://youtu.be/6xlUirFs0Kg

Mathew Boudreaux of Mister Domestic

Website: www.misterdomestic.net

https://misterdomestic.net/2017/12/29/fundamentals-of-fabric-weaving/

Fundamentals of Fabric Weaving Video by Mister Domestic – https://youtu.be/vlGt5Mxs2M0

If you want to get Tara’s fabric bucket pattern from the Sew News magazine, click on the link below to get more information.

https://www.interweave.com/product/sew-news-february-march-2017-digital-edition/

Serger Trim Catcher & Mat

Posted on April 16, 2020April 16, 2020 by jghuiz

What happens to the fabric and thread you trim off as you serge? Does it end up on your lap, your table, your floor or stuck to your project? Spend less time cleaning up and more time serging with Jen’s Serger Trim Catcher & Mat!

Use a serger trim catcher to keep fabric and thread trimmings out of your lap

The first serger I ever owned had a plastic catch bin that attached to the front cover. It worked well for catching small bits of thread. But if you were cutting off much fabric there was a problem. The catch tray would cause the trimmed fabric to flip up into the loopers and get caught in my stitching. After a few mishaps, I removed the bin and let the trimmings fall to the table or my lap. Eventually I grew tired of all the “hitch hikers” that seemed to travel all over my house as they fell from my clothes. I needed a solution.

My solution was to use my serger to make a simple trim catcher mat that was easy to clean and non-slip, so that my serger didn’t vibrate around on my table. After experimenting with a few ideas, I came up with a working prototype that met all my requirements. And to celebrate National Serger Month, I thought I would share my design with you.

The Design of Jen’s Serger Trim Catcher & Mat

I chose oil cloth for its smooth wipeable surface and its substantial “weight”. The serger trimmings wipe easily into the pocket on the front and are easy to scoop out and throw away.
Grip shelf liner (or rug grip) seemed like a good material to keep my serger from vibrating around the table as I worked.
The design should be simple and easy to construct.
I didn’t want any extra pockets to hold tools on the front of my catcher. Having tools right in front of me is like asking them to get caught in my project while I serge. I prefer to have a tray on the table next to my machine to hold my accessories.
The Evolution was my first serger with Babylock’s exclusive wave stitch and the trim catcher was my first project on that serger. I just had to use the wave stitch to embellish the outer edges of the trim catcher and mat!
This mat works well for 4 thread overlock machines and smaller 8 thread overlock machines like the Babylock Evolution.
Finished size of Jen’s Serger Trim Catcher & Mat – 15” x 18”.

Serging with Oil Cloth and Grip Liner

The only reason I didn’t put “easy” in the title of this project is because of the challenge of working with my chosen fabric. Both the grip liner and the oil cloth are “grippy” and can stick to the bed of your machine or table. I wasn’t sure that I could successfully serge the grip shelf liner and the oil cloth together, but the Babylock Evolution handled it beautifully! As I serged, I made sure the grip layer on the bottom was well supported and not catching on my machine or table. Be certain to test the combination of grip shelf liner and oil cloth layers with your serger. If your serger doesn’t like feeding the grip shelf liner you could always glue it to the underside of the oil cloth after you have completed the serging steps.

Pocket Support

The first catcher I made did not include a dowel or boning for support of the pocket edge. It worked fine, but the pocket edge became a little droopy over time. So in my other versions, I tried a ¼” thick wooden dowel, and a piece of plastic boning (used in clothing for support). Both work well to support the upper edge of the trim catcher pocket. As you can see in the photo below, the pocket with the dowel is more rigid and the pocket with the boning is more flexible.

The Wave Stitch

The wave stitch looks best with thick decorative thread and serged onto the edge of a stable material that will not pucker under the weight and width of the stitching. It’s a stitch with oscillating tensions that creates a “wave” with the upper and lower looper threads. The wave stitch is exclusive to Babylock. If you don’t have the ability to do the wave stitch, you could embellish the edges of your serger trim catcher & mat with a three thread overlock.

close up of babylock wave stitch on serger trim catcher & mat — Wave Stitch

Jen’s Serger Trim Catcher & Mat Tutorial

Are you ready to make a serger trim catcher for yourself? Go for it! Click on the link below for the full tutorial.

Jen’s Serger Trim Catcher & Mat Tutorial

Other Resources

Check out the YouTube video below to learn all about the Babylock Wave Stitch.

Serge a Flag with a Flatlock Stitch

Posted on April 7, 2020April 14, 2020 by jghuiz

It’s April now, and in a typical year I would be celebrating National Serger Month. In the last few weeks I have been sewing face masks almost non-stop, and I miss using my serger creatively. So I took a short break from mask production to create a serger project to share with you. I’ve seen on the news that in some places people are clapping and cheering for healthcare workers from their balconies. Others are making signs to show support. Well, I’m going to show you how to serge a flag with a flatlock stitch. Hang it outside or hang it in your window to show your support!

The flag is garden size, about 12” x 18”. I thought about making it larger but I didn’t have any pieces of batik large enough to make a bigger flag. Normally, I would just run out to the store to buy what I needed, but that is a little difficult right now.

The flag is reversible and since both sides of the fabric show in this flag, batiks work well. Solids would work too, but batiks are so much richer. Using black thread gives the effect of stained glass. Who knew you could make stained glass with your serger!

Supplies Used for this Flag

Red batik remnant at least 6” x 13”
Light colored batik remnant at least 7” x 16”
Blue batik remnant at least 10” x 26”
Black thread – 1 spool of sulky solids 12 wt (or other thick thread) and 2 cones of Maxilock serger thread
Serger, capable of 3 thread flatlock stitch
Rotary cutter, mat and ruler
Hanging rod
Tool for securing thread tails (large eyed needle or other tool)

Serger Set Up and Testing

I set my serger up for a 3 thread narrow flatlock stitch with the widest width. I used a spool of black Sulky Solids 12 weight cotton in my upper looper and black cones of Maxilock serger thread in my needle and lower looper. The Sulky Solid would have been good to try in the needle too. It would have made the ladder side of my flatlock stitches stand out more. But since I only had one spool, I went with the Maxilock thread instead.

Using scraps of fabric, I tested my stitch settings. After trying a few different stitch lengths, I decided on a stitch length of 1.5 to create my stained glass effect. I serged my samples with the wrong sides together, so the more dense loop side would be on the right side.

Flatlock Piecing on your Serger Video

Watch my short video on flatlock piecing if you would like to see the technique in action.

Serger Flatlocked Heart Flag – Link to Tutorial

Click on this link to view my full tutorial for serging this stained glass heart flag using the flatlock stitch. https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/serger-flatlocked-heart-flag/

Serger Flatlocked Heart Flag

Flag Front Side and Back Side

This photo shows the front side and the back side of the reversible flag. The stained glass look is more pronounced on the front side with the loops and the heavier thread.

Close Up View of Stitching

Serge a Flag with a Flatlock Stitch

I hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to serge a flag with a flatlock stitch. Hang it proudly and show your support of all the workers on the front line of this pandemic!

Serge and Merge Quilts – Down the Pathway

Posted on March 30, 2020April 1, 2020 by jghuiz

Down the Pathway is a project from the book, Serge and Merge Quilts, by Sharon V. Rotz. As she says in her intro to the project “Have fun displaying your serging talents as you construct a tulip garden with dimensional flowers and leaves.” And I sure did! This quilt was fun to make!

I love my Down the Pathway quilt. It makes me happy! Every time I look at my quilt I think of a beautiful spring day. I serged it with a combination of flatlock, rolled hem and overlock stitches and merged it with traditional quilting on a sewing machine.

Fabric Prep

I chose an ombre purple batik fabric for my tulips and an ombre green batik for my stems, leaves and borders. The ombre fabrics gave me the perfect variety of colors for my tulips, greenery, borders and binding. The bottom border (or ground) was a coordinating green batik. I used a light green batik as the background (sky). The photo shows how I fussy cut my leaves, stems, borders and binding from the green ombre batik.

Create Background

The first step I took in creating the background of this quilt was to serge my “stems” using a flatlock stitch on the fold of the fabric. I serged some stems with the ladder side up and some with the loop side up. I used a variegated Madeira Polyneon thread for my flatlock stitches.

Flatlocking on the fold is a little different than flatlock piecing. By folding the fabric you can place the flatlock stitch in the center of the fabric rather than only on the edge. When you flatlock on the fold, you serge with the loops hanging half off of the fabric, which allows your fabric to lay flat when the stitch is pulled open. I recommend you practice flatlocking on the fold before you begin this part of your project. It takes a little more skill to get a nice even stitch than does flatlock piecing. Flatlock piecing is used to join two pieces of fabric and it is placed on the edge of the fabric. Sharon provides some information about flatlocking on page 16 of her book.

After finishing the flatlock “stems” I added the top and side borders. I did not miter my borders as is instructed in the book. Using a sewing machine, I quilted this piece to the batting/backing along each of the flatlock stems.

Create Tulips

I serged the edges of the tulips using a 3 thread rolled hem stitch with Madeira Polyneon embroidery thread in the upper looper. To create the three dimensional tulips, I gathered the bottoms by hand with a running stitch and a strong thread .

Layout, Fuse and Quilt Greenery and Attach Tulips

After laying out my stems and leaves in a pleasing arrangement, I fused them down with an iron and pressing sheet. The pressing sheet both protected my iron from the fusible web and my thread from the heat of the iron. After fusing, I stitched down the raw edges of the stems and leaves using a sewing machine. I left some leaves 3 dimensional, as it says in book. After finishing the leaves and stems, I hand stitched a tulip at the top of each stem.

Add Bottom Border

I added the bottom border after the tulips and greenery were attached to the batting and backing.

Machine Quilt Borders

I used a swirly leaf pattern for the free motion machine quilting of my borders, as you can see from the back side of my quilt in the photo below.

Add Binding and Finish

I used my rotary cutter and a ruler to trim and square my quilt sandwich before adding binding.

I chose to use two different parts of the green ombre batik fabric for my binding. The light colored green was the perfect choice for the top and right edge binding. And I used the darker green for left and bottom binding.

To finish the quilt, I added a hanging sleeve, which you can see pinned on the right side of the photo.

All done!

Down the Pathway Details

I included a few close up photos of the tulips, leaves and background flatlock stitching so you can better see the details.

Down the Pathway Class

I taught this as a class at my local fabric store. The class covered only the serger portion of the project (flatlocking, overlocking and rolled hem). Students did the rest on their own at home. A few of the students allowed me to share photos of their Down the Pathway quilts. Aren’t they beautiful. Spring is in the air!

A Few Final Words

It’s never too late to change something. After I finished the quilt, I stepped back to admire it from a distance. Everything looked great except one area of the background. My eyes kept being drawn to an area of the background that was a too dense with flatlock stems. I ended up removing one stem of flatlock stitches, and now I think it’s perfect! Can you spot the change?

Serge and Merge Quilts – Down the Pathway

The book, Serge & Merge Quilts was published back in 2009. After eleven years, it may be unavailable from your local store. If you can’t find a copy at the store, try the internet.

In case you would like to learn more about the author and Serge and Merge Quilts – Down the Pathway, here is a link to Sharon’s blog post. http://sharonrotz.blogspot.com/2013/04/tulips-springing-up.html

The Down the Pathway quilt is just one of several projects I have completed from Sharon’s book, which I will share with you in the future. I hope you enjoyed this post!

Quilt with a Serger

Posted on March 17, 2020April 5, 2020 by jghuiz

Since March is National Quilting Month and I love my serger, I thought I would show you how simple it can be to quilt with a serger. To inspire you to try it, I designed my own pattern. My challenge was to design a quilt that was quick and easy to piece using a serger and used only one layer cake of fabric. I named my design, “Forty Two Ten by Jen”. Simple and catchy don’t you think?

Layer Cakes and Other Precuts

I frequently use precuts for my quilts because I don’t have to stress over choosing coordinating fabrics. Precuts come in many different shapes and sizes such as layer cakes, charm packs and jelly rolls. I believe Moda was the first to create the “layer cake” which is basically a package of 42 ten inch squares that all coordinate. Using the word “layer cake” to describe a package of 42 ten inch squares is like calling all brands of facial tissue “Kleenex”. These packages of ten inch squares go by names such as Moda Layer Cakes, Riley Blake Ten Inch Stackers, and Bali Crackers.

A Little Information About my Quilt

For my quilt I used Riley Blake’s, Azure Skies Ten Inch Stacker, designed by Simple Simon and Company.

I am happy to say that my Forty Two Ten by Jen serger quilt is a zero waste quilt, which means it uses every single piece of fabric with no scraps. Those little scraps that are leftover from projects always create a small amount of anxiety for me. Should I throw them away or keep them for another project? If I throw them away I feel guilty. If I keep them I usually can’t find them when I need them. Does anyone else ever feel this way? No need to worry because this quilt has no leftover scraps – yay!

Equipment Required

This project does not require a fancy serger. As long as your serger can do a 4 thread overlock stitch, you can use it to make this quilt. However, not everyone is lucky enough to own a serger, so I also included instructions for how to piece this quilt on a sewing machine. I hope you enjoy quilting with your serger using my free pattern “Forty Two Ten by Jen”.

Tutorial and Printable Instruction Sheet

Click the link to go to my tutorial and printable instruction sheet. https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/forty-two-ten-by-jen-serger-quilt-tutorial/

National Quilting Month: Texture Quilting with your Serger

Posted on March 3, 2020March 3, 2020 by jghuiz

March is National Quilting Month and is the perfect month for me to blog about quilting with your serger. Texture Quilting with your Serger is about stepping out of your comfort zone and experimenting with all your serger can do.

My Inspiration

My quilt is made up of all 15 different technique blocks from the book Power Serge, by Pam Damour and Betty Mitchell. I love all the texture that the serger adds to the quilt. To make all 15 blocks you must have a few accessory feet and be able to do both overlock and coverstitch. If your serger does overlock only, there are 7 technique blocks that you can serge. The blocks can be used to make a reference book of techniques or make a project. The book has a section called “all squared away” where they give instructions for quilts, table runners and pillows made from the technique blocks.

My Textured Block Quilt

Instead of placing my block on point like the quilt projects in the book, I chose a traditional layout with sashing. The blocks were trimmed to 6.5” square and assembled into 3 columns and 5 rows. I cut 2” wide sashing strips to use between my blocks and as a border. The overall size of my wall hanging quilt is approximately 24” x 39”. I used the four thread overlock stitch on my serger to piece the quilt top together.

Some of my favorite blocks to make were the serger lace, the basket weave, the ric rac rope and the stitch and scrunch.

All Squared Away Class

I taught a class at my local fabric store using the overlock technique blocks from the Power Serge book. Below are photos of some of the blocks made by my students. It’s amazing how different they all look! My student’s favorite blocks to serge were the serger lace and the decorative trim block with the beads.

In Conclusion

Are you looking to expand your horizons and to better utilize your serger? If so, I recommend you get yourself a copy of the book, Power Serge, and get serging! If you can’t find the book at your local sewing or quilting store, you can purchase it directly from the author’s website at https://www.pamdamour.com/product/power-serge-by-pam-damour-and-betty-mitchell-hard-cover-book/

The block techniques are a great place to begin, but this book has much more to offer. Also included in Power Serge is a section of great finishes, clutches and covers, all squared away and just for fun. I will definitely be making more projects from this book.