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Sergers and Dress Forms

Thursday, 02 June 2011 13:05 Christa Martin Blogs - Obsessive Beauty
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blog_beauty_dressInquiring Minds Want to Know

I’m a beginning sewer, making totebags, pillowcases, and the occasional button up shirt (under enormous supervision from the lovely teachers at Judy’s Sewing Center in Capitola), and yet I’m already thinking down the road—what about sergers? What about dress forms? What will I be capable of making after taking a year’s worth of classes at my beloved local sewing store? (I’m four-and-a-half months in so far.) I’d love to get feedback from the seamstresses out there.

Here’s a list of questions, and if you’re so inclined to offer some advice, I’d be most grateful:
•    What kind of serger do you use?

•    What are your favorite projects to use a serger on?

•    How much did you spend on your serger?

•    How hard is it to learn how to use a serger?

•    How did you choose which serger to buy?

•    What functions are most important in a serger?

•    How about dress forms?

•    What brand dress form did you buy?

•    How did you choose which dress form to purchase?

•    What are the best features to look for when buying a dress form?

•    What are some good resources to use for learning how to use a dress form?

•    How in the world do you use a dress form?

•    How do you use a dress form for making clothes for other people?
Obsessive Beauty thanks readers in advance for any feedback they might provide.

Comments (2)Add Comment
...
written by Christa, July 08, 2011
Thanks for your fantastic feedback! We really appreciate it.
...
written by Thanaeh, July 07, 2011
I have a singer 14J334 serger. I like to use a serger for anything with seam. It adds durability and makes it look tidier. I spent $125 for mine, but it was second-hand. If you can use a sewing machine and follow threading instructions, it's pretty simple. You just have 4 threads instead of 1.

I forget which brand my dress form is, but I chose it because it was on sale, in my size range, and adjustable. Dress forms are either adjustable or foam. an adjustable one has several dials that change the various dimensions. a foam dress form requires that you create a short, tight dress to the dimensions you want and then zip it up over the foam to squish it into place. If you're sewing mostly for yourself, foam may be the way to go, but if you sew for other people often, dials are easier to adjust than making a new dress. The main benefit of a dress form is that you have a stationary model to try on your piece who won't mind if you accidentally stick a pin in them. You can see how it will look from a third-person view without having to bother a person with putting it on, taking it off, waiting, etc.

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