Fast and easy blankets using your serger!
We are late!!
Thank you all for your patience we have had staff at home sick
with that awful flu going around.
Sergers are AMAZING creations to help speed up the sewing process.
There are blades to cut the edges of the material, loopers to loop the thread around the edge for a finished look, and 1 or 2 needles to help keep it all secure with a strong seam.
I like using sergers if I am making a blanket or quilt that I know is going to be well-loved and washed a lot. Another pro to a serger is that it creates stretchy seams for sewing with stretchy materials.
A fun decorative way to use a serger is by assembling squares with a flatlock.
Most sergers can do a flatlock stitch by manipulating the tensions. Every serger will have different settings, but usually, you want a very loose needle tension of around 0.5 - 2, upper looper tension of around 3 - 4, and lower looper tension of around 7 - 9. These settings will vary depending on your machine, the thread you are using, and the material you are using. Make sure to set aside some scrap material for testing, that way, you can be sure you are getting your desired stitch.
I used a Brother 3534DT serger while making this cute t-shirt sampler blanket. It is extremely easy to thread and perfect for beginners. If you want to take a more detailed look at this serger, click the link below! It is currently on a great sale!
I cut some t-shirt material into squares and set them aside. Play with the arrangement to plan which squares are attached to what side.
It is very important when working with stretch material to pay attention to the grain of the fabric.
For those who are new to sewing, grain follows the weave of the material. I have an image below that I found from threads magazine.
You want to make sure your squares are all going the same way if you have some with grain. and some cross grain, the stretch will not match along the seam, and you will end up with a warped, curvy seam line. Cross-grain on most fabrics will have more stretch than lengthwise grain.
I set up my serger, do a test seam, make any adjustments needed, sew my squares together in rows, then assemble those rows.
Some tips for assembling patches with a flatlock
Always have LONG tails, the seam can bunch a bit, so when you smooth it out, you will want those long tails to keep the seams together at the ends.
Do not cut those long tails off. When you go to serger another row and cut off those tails, the old seams will split when you open the new seam. Instead, grab a hand-sewing needle with a large eye and weave the tails into the back of the stitch
Consider thread without much friction to it. Something strong with polyester fiber but smooth to help easily pull through the fabric when opening the seam.
Here is my flatlock sample blanket; it's easy to make and can be made any size. You can add a towel or some fleece to the back easily and use a regular serger around the edge to secure it in place.
Our next blog coming up is showing the different ways you can finish your blankets.
Stay tuned for more and happy sewing!!