Serging In The Round

Yay! It's Friday! I'm so excited for our first Ask Palak Anything post.

Lisa (of Neurotic Needles) asked about serging in the round:

...Can you give a few hints as to how to hide the end of a serge? (i.e. serged edges that show)? I make a lot of children's clothing and like using the serged edge as decoration but you can always see where I start and stop. :(

Here is the method I use. Today I'm serging a circle, but the same technique applies to when you are serging the hem of a child's skirt (or an adult's, for that matter).

 Click to learn how to Serge In The Round

How To Serge In The Round

 Messy stitches sometimes happen when we try to feed the fabric into the serger while its running. That works on straight serging because there is an end to the fabric.

When you are serging in the round, lift the presser foot and slide your fabric underneath just as you would with a sewing machine. Basically, start in the middle of the circle.  Line up the edge of the fabric with the edge of the presser foot.

Work your way all around your circle (or hem). Refer to the serging curves tutorial if you are serging a circle like i am. Go very slowly when you approch the edge where you started.

Go one or two stitches over where you started, and lift the presser foot. Wiggle the fabric free of the stitch fingers.

To get your peice out of the machine, serge a little bit while gently pulling on your fabric to keep it away from the serger's blade and needles.

And there you have it! No messy stitches on the edge of your fabric! Here's close up of the join.

I know this seems like quite a few steps for serging in the round. Once you do it a few times, it's second nature.

Tips & Tricks:

• If you don't like the way the stitching looks, simply serge along side your old stitching. You don't need to rip out the seam or trim with scissors. If you do this on a hem, your hem will be just a fraction of an inch shorter. 
• Keep the join towards the back of the dress when you are working on a hem. Even if you can see the join on close inspection, chances are no one will notice in a finished garment. 

Lisa, I hope this was useful to you!

If you have a question that you'd like answered as part of the 'Ask Palak Anything' series, just drop me a line using the contact page.