Serger Seam Allowance
Stacy GrissomDescription
For many sewers, working with a serger can be intimidating and challenging at first. Stacy Grissom gives us some tips on getting our seam allowances to be even while using a serger. Watch as Stacy demonstrates these tricks, and learn how to get the best seam allowance possible for your next sewing project.
New to working with a serger? Check out this video to learn the basics!
Working with a serger can be really intimidating. They're finicky, they come un-threaded it takes a long time to re-thread them. And there's really no where to line up for your seam allowance. So it can be really hard to get your seam allowance to be nice and even. This is what you want it to look like. The part that gets cut off, you want it to be pretty nice and even like this. There are a couple tricks that you can use. The first one is if you wanted a quarter inch seam allowance You could come along and every now and then with your ruler and your fabric pen, you can make little marks. And you could draw a solid line all the way down with your big ruler, if you wanted. Or you could just do it this way. So that they're every now and then. And then that's your guide as you sew. That's the part that you want to line up, right with where the blade cuts. So you can see most of my marks are gone. And just like a regular sewing machine you're gonna get off a little bit here and there. But as long as you don't get off too much it's not a big deal. Another thing you can do is with your sewing machine, you can baste a stitch all the way down at whatever you want your seam allowance to be and then that would be your guide when you serge. So that, is the part that you line up and gets cut off. Or, you can try eyeballing it. For most people, your index finger, fingernail, is about a half an inch wide. So you can use that to kind of eyeball how much fabric you're gonna cut off. And then, if it's your serger, and you're okay with it you can do what I've done, which is just use a Sharpie and mark the half inch line. Now the blade will move, but most projects, I keep the blade at the same spot. So this half inch line will work for most of my projects. Hopefully those tips help make using a serger a little less intimidating.
When you either draw in your seam line or baste it, wouldn't you line that up with the left needle rather than the cutting blade? By lining it up with the cutting blade you wouldn't you actually be increasing the seam allowance, making your garment smaller?
That’s true with all of your methods. Your needle one position is when your seam is.
I'm so glad I clicked over to check the Discussion-- this video's math just didn't make any sense to me and I thought it was my fault for misunderstanding! I can't believe it's still up after almost five years since the initial feedback about misleading content.
i agree with all of the posted comments. i kept shaking my head while watching this video. i have found many of their videos to be misleading. when i have sent an email addressing my concerns or asking for clarification i just get boiler plate response as posted below and then never hear back. i am still waiting for a response from a purchased dvd inquiry i sent. they are very quick to tell you the difference between premium and regular membership pricing but not acknowledging any problems or concerns by their readers. it is frustrating and disappointing. you can take my advice with a grain of salt...but always test their tutorials before executing them on your garments or projects.
Aside from the misleading wording, she doesn't seem to mention the large red printing on the body of the serger noting 1/2" guide. Marking a guideline with a pen and a ruler? Maybe the start of the seam, but a guideline with tape on the body after that is so much more efficient. We should pay for this type of video???
Why is this video still being promoted? It was on todays email from The National Sewing Circle - a year after the previous feedback was acknowledged! As previous commentators have stated, it is completely wrong. The seam allowance is from the stitch to the original edge of the fabric. Not from the blade to the edge of the fabric.
This video should either be deleted or be re-done to clarify that you are cutting off 1/4 inch, not making a 1/4 inch seem allowance. This is very misleading for newbies or novice sewists. A 1/4 inch mistake can, on a garment, make a difference of 1" if there are 4 seams!
I use a strip of blue painter's tape (like Washi tape but less expensive) to mark the seam allowance on the front of my serger. It's a very good guide, and the tape is adjustable. The tape doesn't leave a mark. I also agree that the video is misleading. You must measure from the needle to the edge of the fabric, not from the blade, to get the correct seam allowance.
How much is the annual premium as well as the monthly premium?
i don't understand why the instructor keeps saying she is making a 1/4 inch or 1/2 seam allowance. She is not. She is marking the amount she is cutting off. To that amount in order to cut an accurate seam allowance you have to add the width of the serger stitch to the amount you cut off. If a pattern calls for a 1/2 inch seam allowance and you follow her instructions your project will not be the correct size. In order for her instructions to work you have to line up her markings with the needle that is furthest to the left. Also I have found, for me, the best way to serge accurate seam allowances is to measure out from the left most needle and make a card and attach the card with different seam allowances to the bed of the serger in front of the presser foot. Then you can feed the fabric, using a guide just like your sewing machine. Babylock sells a card like this for their top of line serger but I'm not aware of one available for any other serger.