Sunday, July 08, 2007

thank you

Thanks to all of you for my birthday wishes, and for playing along on my give away. I used the random number generator to pick my winner, which is #36....Carolyn.

I had a great birthday. My husband got me this book. I have checked it out from the library several times before and I am excited to have my own copy. I have made a few projects from it already, and I am planning on many more.

Also for my birthday, my husband told me to buy a serger. So, please give me all the advice you can. I know very little about them. If you have a serger you love (or hate) please tell me about it so I can go shopping well informed. Thanks for your help.

13 comments:

Mama Urchin said...

I have a babylock and love it. Just make sure you thread them when you test-drive since this is a potentially time consuming and tricky part.

Anina said...

Congrats!!!!
I have a Funlock by Bernina and really like it. The most important thing to look at is the threading. When you try them out, thread them yourself and see if this is doable for you. Some are very complicated to thread and some a little easier, although I think this is almost always the most painful part, which is why I serge EVERYTHING in white so I don't have to change thread colors.

lera said...

Ooh. I've been wanting a serger. I can't wait to see what kind you get.

Anonymous said...

i have a babylock imagine and it is wonderful. i threaded it on the first try. shop around - you can get deals.

Anonymous said...

Ooh, nice birthday presents!! I'm with the other guys on the threading...

Linda said...

I have a Brother serger. I don't mind it, but I know that there are better ones out there. I have heard that babyloc machines are good and pfaff machines seem nice, too. I love my regular sewing machine by pfaff. I used a pfaff serger only once for a small project at a class that I took. I was impressed with how quiet it was, how smoothly it ran and how nice the stitches looked. Small and even. My "brother" machine now needs a tune up because it keeps breaking one of the looper threads. GRRR. I agree with the threading, too. It can be a real pain in the patoot. That is why I use pretty much exclusively white thread in mine, too. I'd recommend white or clear thread so you don't have to re-thread all the time. Once you have it threaded, they are a breeze to work with. Trimming your seams and finishing seams at the same time. They are fabulous for sewing garments, especially stretchy materials. One word of caution, though. If you are ever sewing something that needs to be gathered, like a skirt onto a bodice for instance, sew it on your regular machine first and then go over it again with the serger just to finish the seam. I learned the hard way when my serger as it was trimming cut my gathering thread and everything came unraveled and a big mess. Alexa had a dress that was a bit crooked because of it. Good luck and let us know which one you decide on!

LeeAnn said...

Horray! Such a nice hubby! I don't have a serger, but my overlock stitch on my new Pfaff is working nicely!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Sounds like a terrific gift for you :) I don't sew much so I can't offer you much advice. Enjoy your shopping for a new baby!

Heidijayhawk said...

wish my hubby told me to get a serger! yeah for you! i frequently check that book out from my sis. i have a few quilt books and she has a few. we share custody of denise schmidt though!

Stefanie said...

Get a babylock, a new one, and the best one you can afford. They are the best sergers, especially if you don't want to fool with tensions or threading loopers. I taught serger classes and have sold different brands, and babylock's are the best, made by a great company.

Amy Jo said...

Glad to hear you had a great day!! And a new serger - FUN!! I wish I had advice for you, but don't really think that wait for Target to have one on clearance is the way to go. That is how I got mine, and I love it. It's a Shark - don't know anything about it, except it was a good deal on a Target endcap. Good luck - can't wait to see what you get!

Anonymous said...

everytime i say to mariko "couldn't i use a serger for that." (whatever thing i happen to be thinking of) she says no. so at this point, i can't figure out what they're for. :)

Anonymous said...

I have the Babylock Imagine also and would recommend it absolutely. It has that air-threading for the loopers that makes it soooo easy! - I don't even mind changing threads! And there is no fiddling with tension etc. I can't even imagine my husband saying "go ahead and buy ___"- you have a wonderful husband!