Home Decor Series: "What do I Really Need in my Workroom?" Part 1B

In our last class we covered what to look for in a sewing machine. If you missed that class, click on the link to read it.

"What do I Really Need in My Workroom?"

Part 1 B: What kind of machines do I need based on what I what I want to sew?

Now that you know what to look for in a sewing machine, you need to know what other machines you might possibly need based on the kind of work you want to do.

Ask yourself the following:

- What kind of sewing do I want to do? Clothes mending? Custom bedding? Simple hemmed curtains? Custom made drapery? Small craft projects?

- Will I be satisfied with homemade quality, or do I want professional custom quality for my home? (and there is a difference my friends)

- Do I want to sew for others?

- Do I want to sew for income?

If your desire is to simply make easy things for your own home, then you will be fine with a basic sewing machine. Most sewing machines come with several options for feet that will perform all of the basic functions you will use in your home sewing.

However, if you truly want to learn to sew professionally (which is what I'll be teaching in this series), and perhaps even make things for others, or start a sewing business with your new skills, then there are other machines you will want to add to your collection that will enhance the efficiency of your work.

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First up is the serger. For beginners, a standard serger will suffice. This is one machine that takes a bit of time to learn. I find that so many people are afraid of the serger simply because it uses multiple spools of thread and it has a blade that cuts your fabric. It looks kind of intimidating at first glance, but I promise you, I'll teach you to remove that fear pretty quick.

For those who know what a serger is, but are unaware of it's functions, you'd probably be surprised to know that it does more than just finish off the edges of your fabric. You can make easy ruffles, contstruct a complete garment, and even make all sorts of fun decorative edging. There are so many things you're going to discover in this Sewing Instruction Series. You're sure to be a pro in no time flat.

      

We'll cover this machine in more detail in future posts, but for now, I just wanted to show you what one is. We'll cover all of the functions of the serger, the parts, how they work together, and the maintenance.

Here is the most basic and useful stitch that is performed on a serger. If you're doing homemade sewing, you can simply use a zigzag stitch on the edge of your fabric. But, if you're planning to do more professional constructing, you'll want to purchase a machine that gives you a more polished finish.

The top stitch is a 4 thread overlock. The one on the bottom is a 3 thread overlock. See what I mean? Such a nicer finish!

You can expect to invest between $200 - $800 for a starter serger.

The next machine you might want to consider is a Tabletop Hemmer. Most sewing machines come standard with a blindstitch foot attachment which is designed to make hidden hem stitches. Again, for the home sewer, this is a good option. If your goal is to do professional garment tailoring for others, or drapery making as a business, you will thank your lucky stars you invested in this particular machine. Regardless of your goals with your sewing, if you will be doing a lot of hemming, please think about purchasing one.

Here's what it looks like:

And here's what it does:

   

Unlike the serger, the Tabletop Hemmer has only one function, and this is it.          

We will also go into much more depth about this machine in future posts.
                                                          

You can expect to invest   $500 - 900 for one of these. (Remember, if you're a beginner, go to a dealer to get this so that you have follow up troubleshooting available to you.)

The final class of this installment, "What do I Really Need in my Workroom?", Part 1C, is the next class.

In that segment, I will show you pictures of all of the supplies you will need for your sewing projects.

Coming up this week!