Simple Summer Serging
As you probably know by now, I love my serger because it's fast and gives a professional look to my projects. No more "homemade-looking" projects for me! And serger sewing is perfect for summertime redo projects, as you'll soon understand. So sit back, read and enjoy.

Summertime T-Shirt Redos

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• From a t-shirt with a shelf bra, remove the elastic from the lower edge of the bra. Lightly steam the bra flat. If needed, taper the side seams of the bra so that it will lay flat inside the t-shirt. Measure the width of the front and back of the lower edge of the bra, and the front and back length from the lower edge of the bra to the hem of the t-shirt. Add 1/2 inch to each side for serger seaming.


• Use your serger to piece coordinating quilt fabric together in a design of your choice. I've serged simple squares or stripes, and quilted random (free-form) designs. Just make sure to press your serger seam allowances flat and do it again to the same side prior to adding additional fabric strips. Create two pieces (one front and one back lining) based on the measurements taken above.


• As needed, separate the bra panel at the lower edge, about 1 inch on each side.


• Position one serged panel with right sides together against the lower edge of the bra shelf. Serge, and press the serged seam to the quilted piece. Repeat for the back panel.


• Match the sides of the opened bra panel and quilted fabric design. Serge each side. Trim serged threads and lightly apply seam sealant to prevent the serger threads from unraveling.


• To finish your summer bag, with wrong sides facing, straight-stitch the bottom of the t-shirt, being careful to not catch the pieced lining.

Try these tricks for other serger sewing.

• Fold your fabric for a blind hem and serge through the three layers. This will create a serged hem or a pocket for elastic.


• Adjust the needle tension tighter than normal when edge-finishing a curved area. The tighter needle tension will cause the fabric to slightly gather as you serge. Turn the hem to the wrong side of the fabric and lightly press into place. The slightly gathered edge finish should fit perfectly against the curved hem, eliminating the need for gathering stitches.


• And my favorite technique: use your rolled edge to edge-finish over fish line for sheers. The fish line adds weight to the hem and creates a beautiful edge finish.

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Serger Notions
There are several great notions available for serger sewing. Here are a few of my favorites.

Double-Eye Transfer Tool: A must-have tool, great for weaving thread tails back into serged seams.

Fusible Thread: Use fusible thread in the lower looper when you are finishing facing. Run the fusible thread with regular sewing thread, serge and then position the facing into place and press.

Glue Stick: An alternative to pinning is to use a water-soluble glue stick. The glue is dabbed between the fabric layers, serged and then washed to remove. The advantage to using the glue stick is that you don't have to worry about serging over pins.

Seam Tracer: Holds two pencils exactly 1/4 inch apart. Align one pencil on the seam and use the other pencil to draw the new 1/4 inch seam allowance. Trim the excess seam allowance from the pattern while cutting, and it won't wear and tear your blades.

Seams Great: Work with this narrow tricot edge-finishing product to avoid stubborn threads that poke out as you use the rolled-edge finish on your serger. Position the Seams Great along the raw edge of the fabric, and serge fabric and Seams Great together. You'll want to trim the Seams Great as you serge, so the tricot is covering the fabric with the rolled-edge thread holding it in place.

Wonder Tape: An alternative to pins, Wonder Tape holds the seam together. And you'll never worry about serging a pin and nicking your blades.

Wonder Under: Use this product for quick hemming. First, remove the paper backing for the desired length. Serge over the strip to edge-finish the fabric and secure the strip in the serger. Turn and press into place.

For these and other serger notions, be sure to visit Clotilde.com.

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Garden Party
I love to sew (especially with my serger), putter in my garden and entertain special guests. What better way to combine all of my loves than to serger up this simple pattern trio called Garden Party? This is one of my original designs, and I hope you like it as much as I do. For more simple to serge patterns, please check out my serger book called Serge Smart available at Clotilde.com

Garden Party Designs by Julie Johnson Serging is a great alternative construction method for simple everyday items. A casserole cover, tea cozy and bun warmer are serged from coordinating quilt and home decor fabrics. Casserole Covers Finished Sizes Small Cover: Fits 6 1/2 x 10 x 2-inch baking dish Medium Cover: Fits 8 x 12 x 2-inch baking dish Large Cover: Fits 9 x 13 1/2 x 2-inch baking dish Materials 5/8 yard 44/45-inch-wide striped home decor fabric 44/45-inch-wide cotton fabric: 5/8 yard floral print 5/8 yard coordinating print 5/8 yard quilt batting or Insul-Bright 1/3 yard stiff interfacing 8 inches hook-and-loop tape 1 set purse handles Basic sewing supplies and equipment Project Note: Fabric amounts listed are adequate to make one small, medium or large casserole cover; one tea cozy; and one bun warmer. Cutting From striped home decor fabric: Referring to cutting diagram (Figure 1) for small, medium or large cover, cut one piece for top. Cut two 2 1/4 x 14-inch rectangles for loops. From cotton fabric: Referring to same cutting diagram, cut one piece from either the floral or the coordinating print for liner. From batting: Referring to same cutting diagram, cut one piece. From stiff interfacing: For small cover, cut one 10 x 6-inch rectangle. For medium cover, cut one 12 x 7 1/2-inch rectangle. For large cover, cut one 13 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch rectangle. From hook-and-loop tape: Cut a length 3-4 inches shorter than front flap. Assembly 1. Using temporary spray adhesive, lightly spray wrong side of top. Adhere stiff interfacing in center (Figure 1). Press batting onto wrong side of top over interfacing. With right sides together, layer top and liner. 2. Using a 4-thread overlock, serge all three layers along ends of each of the four flaps (Figure 2). Turn right side out. Press serged seams. 3. Fold corner seams and serge either from corner end to front flap or from front flap to corner so that the front flaps have the top side of serging showing on the home decor fabric side (Figure 3). 4. Position hook-and-loop tape centered along front flap closure. Using a sewing-machine straight stitch, sew in place. 5. Fold loop rectangles wrong sides together. Use a 4-thread overlock to serge the lengths. Press with seam to the middle back. Cut into four equal lengths. 6. Using purse handles as guide for placement, center loops on each side of cover (Figure 4). Fold ends of loops to hide raw edges. Straight-stitch to attach to casserole cover. Insert ends of handles in loops. Bun Warmer Finished Size 13 1/2 inches in diameter Materials 44/45-inch-wide cotton fabric: 1/2 yard large print 1/2 yard small print 1 cone woolly nylon thread for rolled edge 3 snaps Basic sewing supplies and equipment Cutting From large-print cotton fabric: Cut three 13 1/2-inch-diameter circles. From small-print cotton fabric: Cut three 13 1/2-inch-diameter circles. Bun Warmer Assembly 1. With wrong sides together, match a large print fabric circle with a small print fabric circle to make three circle sets. Set serge for rolled-edge finish with woolly nylon in the upper looper. Use a rolled edge to finish outside edges of each set. 2. Fold one circle set in half. Lightly press. Mark circle into thirds using the pressed line as a guide (Figure 5). Straight-stitch two circle sets together across the diameters. 3. Using stitching lines as guides, mark the middle of each triangle in the stitched circle sets (Figure 6). Pin remaining circle set to this line. Straight-stitch down the middle of each triangle for about 3 inches. 4. To the right of every third straight stitch on the top circle, sew one male snap side. To the left of every third straight stitch on the top circle, sew one female snap side (Figure 7). To close, pull snap across to meet adjacent snap. Tea Cozy Finished Size 7 1/2 x 12 inches at base Materials 44/45-inch-wide cotton fabric: 1/2 yard large print 1/2 yard small print 1/2 yard quilt batting or Insul-Bright 2 (5/8-inch) buttons Basic sewing supplies and equipment Cutting From large-print cotton fabric: Use tea cozy template to cut four pieces for top. From small-print cotton fabric: Use tea cozy template to cut four pieces for liner. Cut one 2-inch strip the width of the fabric for edge tape. From batting or Insul-Bright: Use tea cozy template to cut four pieces. Assembly 1. Layer two top pieces, right sides together, and one batting piece on each side, matching side seams. Using a 4-thread overlock and a 1/4-inch seam allowance, serge side seams together (Figure 8). 2. Repeat with remaining top pieces and all four lining pieces. Press fabric open. Serge remaining raw side seam edges (Figure 9). 3. With right sides together, pin top units together along seam from front to back marks (Figure 10). Straight-stitch using 1/2-inch seam allowance. Press. Repeat on lining unit. 4. Place top unit and lining unit with right sides together. Pin front and back openings. Straight-stitch, using 1/2-inch seam allowance (Figure 11). Lightly press. Turn cozy to right side and press. Serge bottom raw edges together. 5. Fold 2-inch-wide strip wrong sides together and press. Fold raw edges to center crease and press. Fold tape in half for centering and mark. 6. Unfold tape to expose one raw edge length. Butt front tea cozy pieces together and match to center mark of tape. With right sides together, pin from center mark along the bottom edge of the tea cozy to back. Straight-stitch tape to tea cozy. 7. Fold tape around lower serged edge of tea cozy. Pin into place and straight-stitch from edge to edge. Tie a knot at each end of tape. 8. Sew buttons inside and outside tea cozy where four points meet at top. Click on the template for a printable PDF version. Copyright © April 2008 Serge Smart. All Rights Reserved. Click here for a printer-friendly version.

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