I am a self taught sewer and I love my sewing machine. Recently I saw a very good price for a serger and I have seen them used on TV shows and in magazines but I have never seen how they work and not really sure what they are for? I heard they were great at finished edges, but is that all the do? I am really curious as to what they are used for, how well do they work and if they are worth investing in one.
The popularity of a serger is the finished edges on fabric that ravels. T shirt material is an example of the type of materials you would use a serger for. Using a serger makes finishing the garment faster because the seams are serged together.
They're most commonly used for edges, but I have used them in small projects like when I used to do my ACU purses.
I'm not sure you can say "Should I get a serger OR a sewing machine," as they are ultimately completely different machines with completely different purposes. If you were only going to have one, you need a sewing machine. It does far more than a serger can do. If you've ever watched Project Runway, you can see in the Brother Sewing room the sergers at the front. They are the square machines with 4 large spools of (usually white) thread sticking up like smoke stacks. Sergers actually cut the fabric while they finish the edge, so they create that commercial finished look and eliminate the step (especially in hemming) of cutting a perfectly straight edge with scissors. I know plenty of experienced seamstresses who have figured out how to use their serger for several small sewing projects, but generally speaking, you cannot get into the middle of a piece of fabric with a serger (it would cut a hole in it). Does that make sense? My MIL worked through a year long rebate process to finally afford herself a nice serger. The company folded and no one got their rebates at the end, but I think she now believes the $800 serger was still worth it. Keep your eyes on Craigslist or even to someone at JoAnn or Hancock (or a local vacuum/sewing machine repair shop). They often re-sell used machines for reasonable prices.
