Serger Series – Three thread sewing and rolled hems.

Due to a very busy weekend there has been some radio silence on the Serger Series! It has been fantastic reading your comments and emails, and especially encouraging to hear that these posts are inspiring some of you to dust off your sergers! Eileen left an especially lovely comment: "I am loving your serger series and have been checking your site daily for entries. I bought a serger about a year ago and have used it very little (I think I have been intimidated). But after I read your article I took it out and rethreaded it (I tried once and was unable to). Not only did I get it right but the stitches were right on (I did the 4 color thread as you had suggested). Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, and for inspiring me!" I am thrilled that these posts encouraged you so Eileen! Can't wait to see what you stitch up!

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Three thread sewing is possible using a serger. This technique uses one needle and two lower threads (remove the left needle when stitching). Three thread seams are perfect for medium to heavy weight fabrics as they are not as bulky. If you have the ability on your machine to change the needle position, this gives additional ability to adjust the stitch width.

 The left needle is removed, and the yellow thread hangs loose.

Tension adjustment principles are the same for three thread sewing as is for four thread sewing. Maintain a balance between the two looper threads and ensure the needle thread is stabilising correctly...

 Do you see the yellow thread is missing?

A rolled hem is another way to finish off seams in a decorative way. Rolled hems look fantastic on light weight fabrics by adding professional details to skirt hems and the edges of sleeves. A rolled hem can also look great on children's clothing, as it gives a lighter result than a heavy double folded hem. As I am not across all serger models, I suggest you refer to your serger manual for specific directions on how to set your machine up to sew a rolled hem. When you do, it will look something like this...

Sam xox

Disclaimer: Always refer to your own serger/overlocker manual for definitive advice on how to set up, thread and sew with your machine. I do not claim to be an expert on every model and thus am only sharing my personal experiences using two ‘lower end’ models (Toyota3400d and Janome1110dx).