From: vusl@athena.cas.vanderbilt.edu (VU Science Library)
Subject: Sewing machine vs Serger (summary)
Organization: Vanderbilt University
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 23:51:43 GMT

  A few weeks ago I posted the following message:
>My incredibly wonderful husband has just offered to buy me 
>a serger for my birthday. I have been reading everyone's advice on new
>machines, but I have a question.  Given a limit of $400-$500, should
>I ask for a serger or a new sewing machine?
  I also said I have an old Singer Featherweight (circa 1935)
that goes forward and back and nothing else.  I said I was primarily 
interested in clothes construction but that I also wanted to get into 
machine embroidery.  I got some very good, thoughtful responses (which 
follow).  I ended up deciding to buy a sewing machine instead of a serger.
The lady at the sewing store said, "If you have a wood stove and are given
a choice between a modern gas range and a microwave, you ought to start
with the new stove!"
  I bought a Bernette 740E, which was just barely in our price range.  It
seemed to have the most good features for the money (several stretch 
stitches, about 4 or 5 decorative stitches,  feed dogs which drop, 
three needle positions, and when it stops sewing it always completes a 
stitch and stops with the needle in the uppermost position.)  Also, the 
shop where I bought it gives unlimited free lessons and has a sewing club
which meets once a month.  The warrenty was good and the location is terrific
(only 2 miles from my house.)  The only problem is that AFTER we wrote the
check, she said that the demo was the only one left in the store.  I debated
and decided to wait for a new one--just because it would make me feel a 
little better.  So now I have to wait a week before I can start sewing!!
ARGH!  Oh, well.  I am very excited and am sure I will start posting soon
about my adventures with my new machine.  

Many thanks to the following people who responded to my call for advice.

sg@tredysvr.Tredydev.Unisys.COM (Susanne Gilliam)
MAHE@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu (Marie-Christine)
tigger@satyr.Sylvan.COM (Grace Sylvan)
rha@ralph.lafayette.la.us (Ruth H. Alleman)
KGAEDE@MAINE.maine.edu (Kathleen Gaede)
harmet@bambi.cecer.army.mil
carolyn@bucket.rain.com (Carolyn Peterson) 
M.Dugan" <maryd@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu>
belinda@searchtech.com (Belinda Hoshstrasser)
walz@unet.umn.edu 

1)  I have a sewing machine and a serger.  
With a sewing machine that jt goes forward and backward, I would
definitely buy a new sewing machine that has a variety of stitches,
does buttonholes, has feed dogs that drop (you mentioned embroidery),
and some nice features along that line.  You will end up with more
seam finishing possibilities, too.  Two sewing speeds are also nice to
have, as well as 3 needle positions.

2)  If you're taking votes, I'd go with the new sewing machine.
I have a machine that's about 12 years old & it does stretch
stitches, buttonholes, zigzag, and if I had an extra $500 I'd still
get a new machine.  I'll probably be outvoted but I see an overlock
as a very nice accessory.  I finish edges with the stitches available
on the machine I've got now; I'd like one that does a better job with
buttonholes, very thick fabrics, and very thin fabrics.

3)  Given your spending limits, I would go for the serger.
I have a medium-level sewing machine and a medium level
serger, both Pfaff.  The reason that I recommend the 
serger is because you seem to want a really nice sewing
machine.  The features you describe will cost big bucks,
I think.  You can get a very nice serger for $400-500,
provided you don't want differential feed.  Personally,
I think differential feed is not necessary.  I've had
my serger for 2 years now and have never had the need
for differential feed.  The shop where I bought my 
serger actually talked me out of getting diff feed --
they said that for almost all sewing needs (especially
clothes construction), it was unneccessary.
   I would get a 4 thread serger.  Three thread sergers
cannot be used for constructing seams -- they aren't
strong enough.  Three threads are for finishing edges
only.  And, once you have the serger, you may find
that you don't miss a zigzag stitch so much on your
regular machine.  You'll be able to sew stretchable
seams on the serger.

4)  First of all, you could have trouble finding a sewing machine that
will do all that you want in your price range.  Top of the line
sewing machines that do fantastic embroidery run in the $2,000 -
$3,000 range.  
  I just got a mid-range serger about a year ago and it breathed 
new life into my sewing projects ... I can't imagine doing 
anything without it.  I am the pokiest sewer I know (I call
it `slewing'), but with the serger I get many more projects
finished because they don't take nearly as long to finish.
I estimate that a project that I can finish on the serger in
1 hour, would take 3 hours on the sewing machine.  (EVERY serger 
owner raves about sergers.)
   The question you want to ask yourself is ... do you want to 
create garmets a whole lot faster OR do you want to do machine
embroidery?   
   If I were in your situation, I would go for the serger and
start saving for a really good sewing machine.  But if machine
embroidery really excites you, then go for the sewing machine.

5)  I have both, and I would say, given your current sewing machine, get the 
sewing machine.  If you're basically interested in doing applique or
machine
embroidery, you have to have a zig-zag stitch.  I have a top-of-the-line
machine, but 90% of the time when I'm doing fancy work, I'm using the 
zig-zag stitch.  
   Finishing the edges is nice with a serger, but remember-- that's on the
inside.  Make the outside look perfect first, then worry about the inside
of the garment.  Some people use their sergers for everything, except 
buttonholes.  I find that nothing beats it for rolled edges, but it is
possible to do rolled edges with a sewing machine with a little practice.
I think there's no question about it-- you're going to eventually have to
get both (as one techno-nerd sewing enthusiast to another).  It's just
deciding which one is first.

6)   A year ago I treated myself to both because my old
machine which just sewed backward and forward was
just not versatile enough.
The serger was fun in making a see-through jacket,
and the sewing machine was great on the stretchy
fabrics I could never really sew on before.  Realistically,
the serger is a luxury since you seem to need the
versatility of the zig zag machine.
Unfortunatley, I have not spent the time sewing I
thought I would now that I have invested all this
money in equipment!!!
I will be sewing two bridesmaid's dresses within
the next two months, and I am looking forward to
using the serger to have nicely finished seams
for a professional touch.  Yet I know that the
zigzag machine is the real cornerstone of the
project (which will require buttonholes).

7)  Well, if I were you, I'd go with a sewing machine that has a lot
of stiches.  I've been using my mother's feather weight Singer
too (and no, it's not for sale either) but I did have the
advantage of having the buttonhole, zig-zag and other
attachments.  My Mom traded up machines many times and then gave
me one of hers (yes I said one, she had 2 + a serger at the
time).  The one she gave me is a Kenmore, not computerized but it
does have several "built-in" stiches and a full set of cams
(which I haven't even touched yet.  It is helping my sewing quite
a bit.  It is advanced enough to help but not so much that I'm
overwhelmed.  I long for a serger one day but I know it just
wouldn't be right for me now.  Besides, I need a sewing room
before I can have 2 machines!  BTW, I've been really sewing for
the past 2.5 years, clothes for me, my hubby and the kids, also
some craft type things.  So maybe we are on a similar level.

8)  It sounds like you should get a nice sewing
machine, and wait on the serger. A good sewing machine should have
some stretch stitches that will let you do some work with knits - I've
known people to be very successful with knits w/o a serger, but I
wasn't one of them. But the serger basically does one or two things
very very well.
  Then again, it might depend on what you want to do more - applique or
work with lots of knits. Bring some samples of fabrics you want to
work with to test at the shops, so you can see how the sewing machine
handles the kinds of projects you have in mind.
  And a sewing machine with a bunch of built in stitches (mine has
12 or something like that - it cost around $200) will have some
stitches that you can finish the edges of easy fraying fabrics with --
it won't be as fast as the serger, or quite as neat, but you can
finish edges - even a zigzag will keep most fabrics from unraveling
very much.

9)  A serger will sew some things like t-shirts incredibly fast.  It can
also sew other stuff like simple coats, but it can't be used INSTEAD
of a sewing machine.  Check out Palmer and Pletsch's book 'Innovative
Serging' to see if you like the kind of things that are possible to
do with a serger.  The reason I don't have one is that I don't
like the look of these things, and P&P make the best-looking stuff
of the lot :-).
  On the other hand, I have a low-end Bernina (Bernette 200, made by
Pfaff in reality) that I love, and paid $450 for.  I makes buttonholes,
it has a very decent stretch stitch for knits (like swimsuits), it
doesn't have embroidery stitches but it does everything else
I want.  I make all my clothes, and i've recently gotten into quilting
yet, and I haven't been limited by the machine at all.
So guess what my advice would be :-)?


10)  I find a good sewing machine lets you do more things, and a serger lets
you do ordinary things fast.  From the sounds of your post, you are more
interested in expanding your sewing horizons, which would lean towards
getting a new, more sophisticated sewing machine.  If you'd said "I love
to sew, but now the twins have arrived I don't have much time", I'd say
go for the serger.
  I have had a serger since May.  In that time, my "output" has gone up
unbelievably.  Not only am I learning how to use the serger, but it has
encouraged me to explore features on my sewing machine I'd never got around
to (like the blind hemmer).  BUT my major concern is speed -- I work full
time, have two young kids, and my husband is gone a lot, so I don't get
a lot of time to sew.  I sew almost exclusively for them and I have to
sew fast, or it won't fit by the time I get it done!  A typical project
uses the serger 90% of the time, and the conventional machine 10%, and
usually only straight stitches or buttonholes.  I virtually never use
all the "fancy" stitches on my conventional machine but I use nearly
every feature on my serger a LOT.  A turtleneck or sweatpants take
from 1 hour to 1.5 hours; a sundress with ruffles and matching bloomers
takes 4-5 hours using the two machines as needed.

--
	Carlin Sappenfield - vusl@athena.cas.vanderbilt.edu 
			     sappenc@vuctrvax.bitnet	
Newsgroups: alt.sewing