Blue Serger

I have been very, very slowly working on a project that has left the inside of my serger looking like this:

Fuzzy serger insides

You would not believe the amount of blue fuzz I cleaned out of my machine. And that, ladies, is why you should clean out your serger (and sewing machines) after a big project. Yuck!

And speaking of blue on my serger, I wanted to share a little trick I use. Because I don’t have a lot of experience with my serger, I can have trouble remembering what the settings are for plain serging with quilting cotton-type fabric (my most common task with it.) So, with the help of some blue painters tape and a pen, I’ve labeled everything important.

Labeling standard length and width

Tension is probably the most important thing to label (for me, at least). The machine is set to my current project, but the painters tape shows where to turn the tension wheels for quilting cotton.

Thread tension marked by painters tape

And, since I can’t sew a straight line to save my life, I’ve even marked different measurements down by the foot. (I’ve got a cloth guide too. Suspenders and a belt, you know!)

Cloth guide and measurements on painters tape

Don’t be afraid to write notes right on your machine! (Use removable tape to keep it tidy, if you like.) It is yours and you need to make your life easier!

For those interested, my serger is a Janome Four DLG. It doesn’t do cover stitch, but with a bunch of accessory feet it does do just about everything else you could want. (A cover stitch machine just may be on my wish list…)