Is this your new cutting machine? Maybe!

Did you know – you can use your serger for perfect cut edges – even if you’re not stitching!

Think… flounces with curved edges… a non raveling fabric that doesn’t need a finished hem… cutting along marked lines on your fabric… cutting long pieces when you don’t have the space to lay out the fabric length or don’t want to use a rotary cutter, mat and ruler. This technique is perfect for circles or wavy lines or any curve that always ends up with “choppy” scissor cut lines!

And it’s so easy!  Remove thread and needles from your serger then run the fabric through aligning the edge you want cut with the blade. You can precut those curves then just barely knick the edges when you “serge” to smooth and perfect the curves.

We’ve used this technique for knit garments with a raw edge look for the neckline, sleeves and hems… cutting circles or trimming curves where we want a perfect cutting line to guide our sewing… or those flounces we see on so many garments – like McCall’s pattern 5853 – those flounces are long curves that are crazy to cut with scissors and have a perfect outcome, but they’re sure to come out smooth and perfect with this technique!

Sergers are great for sew many things. If you don’t have one yet, come on in and try them out! And if you have one you may be underutilizing, sign up for a class! Check our classes here – sign up for a free guide class or one of the many special project classes to get the most from your serger!