Solving Faulty Serger Stitches

Serger stitch quality is vital. While sergers sew faster and use more threads than a ordinary sewing machine, they still should produce professional quality stitches.

The serger runs at between 1300 and 1500 stitches per minute with up to eight threads seaming, overcasting, and trims all at once.

Sergers are well known for their professional edge finishes. There are many serger applications, but sergers cannot replace a regular sewing machine.

What makes a stitch of good quality or poor quality? A good quality stitch has threads that lie in their proper place with balanced tension. There is an absence of loops, puckers, skips, irregularities, and broken threads. Stitches should look like their intended design.

When stitch flaws occur, it is very frustrating. There are many types of flaws including tension balance, irregularity, faulty set up, and thread breakage. To fix these problems, requires some trial and error, application, and some basic serger care.

A common source of stitch problems relates to problems with tensions. When you suspect difficulties here, rethread and make sure thread is right. Seat the threads carefully in their tension devices. Finally, adjust one thread at a time until all tensions are balances. Use a different color for each thread to make it easier to track.

Hiccups happen. Sometimes stitches just mess up. When they do, check threading, tensions, needles, and snags.

The quickest way to fix threading issues is to properly rethread the serger. Replace the needles if you see irregularities in the seam line. Pre-trim the edge on certain problem fabrics. Adjust stitch width or length as needed. Smooth Check for rough spots and burrs that might snag the thread.

Often when you change the stitch set up, you will get faulty stitch formation. Go back and make sure you to properly complete the set up including associated tension balancing.

Thread breakage can be very frustrating in part because it requires rethreading the serger far too often. When threads are breaking, check the obvious issues: needles, threads, tensions, burrs, and presser feet. Replace needles and make sure threads are flowing properly.

Often thread break because it is bad thread. Rethread the machine with special attention to detail. Make sure stitch fingers are clear and threads are drawn under the presser foot behind the needles. Double check tensions.

Generally, when the stitch quality is less than acceptable there are some basic things to check every time. These include needles, thread and threading, tensions, loopers, snag causes, settings, and balance. Replacing needles properly, rethreading properly, and adjusting tension balance are the three basic approaches to solve stitch problems.