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Rated 5 out of 5 by Soccerfan from Great instructor with clear examples Amy Alan makes this course easy to follow, providing numerous explanations throughout each lesson. Especially liked the examples such as the bag, scarf, and skirt. I’ve made the bag and it turned out nicely. Will be a nice gift! I like the easy-going style Amy uses when teaching.

Date published: 2025-01-12

Rated 5 out of 5 by gems12 from Great camera shots I bought this course before getting the Serger machine. Great Serger machines were recommended to choose from. The course video is priceless.

Date published: 2024-10-24

Rated 4 out of 5 by Artist Seamstress from Good Course. Although it is a procured course, I am enjoying it, but I CANNOT get any of course materials for any of my (6) six CRAFTSY classes. I would recommend this product but it would help to have course materials.

Date published: 2022-10-24

Rated 1 out of 5 by Shadoza2 from Disappointed with the accuracy of the machines Disappointed that the program misrepresented the Brother machine. It does have a catch cup. It also comes with some of the items she claimed it did not. Several times the program did not show the feature on the Brother machine. Since Brother is the most popular of the three, I do wonder why the coverage was so vague. After watching the first few sessions, I began to wonder if this host knows anything about the machines themselves or the proper usage. There is a nice guide that comes with the program that has a troubleshooting chart. That's worth something for a beginner.

Date published: 2022-04-08

Rated 1 out of 5 by JBug from Sync Voice to Video It is very disconcerting to watch this be way way way off from the video and the voice. There is no excuse for the sloppiness. I am only on lecture two and I am about ready to give up because the syncing issue is just too distracting.

Date published: 2021-06-29

Rated 5 out of 5 by Crabhappy from Surging I found this course extremely helpful if you are not sure how to start surging. The instructor was well read and versed in the subject. Her personality was excellent for this type of instructing. She never used a patronizing tone. I've had and used a serger for over 30 years. I enjoyed the simple expiations of each technique. Many of the things she discussed I learned by trial and error over the years. (A lot of errors) Others I never tried to do because I didn't understand. I feel anybody that uses a serger should watch this, easy to follow, course. You are never perfect and learning or adding to your knowledge is always a good thing.

Date published: 2020-09-30

Rated 4 out of 5 by BeginnerTJK from Beginner Serging: Machine Basics & Techniques I bought this because I was given a serger and am not an experienced seamster. I have not watched the complete product as yet, however after watching the first few chapters one of the frustrating things I found was that at times it appeared like the video was out of sync with the presenter. Maybe I am being picky but that through me off to some extent. At times I found it very informative and at others not detailed enough. They use 3 different machines, which on the surface would seam like a very good thing because it goes to show just how similar things are from one manufacturer to another. For me that did not necessarily translate as an aide however as my machine is a different one from any of the three. Being male I would have appreciated having an option to sew something masculine in nature. I realize that the value is in learning what some of the capabilities of a serger are but it is like being back in grade school and learning math. The typical woman does not relate to an instructor telling them how to calculate the number of yards of concrete it would take to make a driveway for example. I would be more engaged from the beginning. I think the instructor is very good and knowledgeable.

Date published: 2019-04-17

Rated 5 out of 5 by Robert Donnelly from Excellent course I am new to learning all about sewing and sewing machines and did not know what a serger was so I took this course to find out. Not only do I now know what the machine is and what it can do, I feel that i could sit down and use one effectively and efficiently with practice. I learned all the basics of the machine, how thread it, problems to watch out for and how to troubleshoot them when they appear. The instructor is obviously very knowledgeable and experienced with this machine and excellent at conveying her skills across to her students. She clearly explains each type of stitch this machine can do and exactly how to set up your machine and adjust it to get a perfect result. I really enjoyed this course and recommend it to anyone with the desire to learn.

Date published: 2018-03-17

Beginner Serging: Machine Basics and Techniques

Trailer

01: Introduction

Meet Amy Alan and go over what you'll learn in this class.

7 min

02: Your Serger & How It Works

Explore every component of your serger, getting up close and in depth into its mechanics.

41 min

03: Basic Stitches

Go over basic serger stitches, from the 4-thread overlock to the 2-thread flatlock and everything between.

50 min

04: Decorative Stitches

Learn to use yarn, silk ribbon, rayon and other materials with your serger.

38 min

05: Troubleshooting Your Serger

Learn to fix poor tension, problem stitches and machine issues, as well as how to clean your serger.

24 min

06: Exposed Zipper Bag

Make a zipper bag that's both functional and fashionable.

31 min

07: Ombre Ruffled Apron

Amy guides you through the construction of a multi-colored, ruffled apron.

21 min

08: Striped Knit Scarf

Create a decorative striped scarf from knit fabric.

30 min

09: Bonus - Serger Feet

Learn to use the gathering foot, elasticator, and blind hem foot.

16 min

Overview Course No. 4023

Gain confidence using your serger with sewing instructor Amy Alan. If you know the basics of serging, you'll now discover how versatile your machine is! Begin with an overview of serger threading and maintenance. Then, learn how to create nine different types of basic stitches and create a serger stitch book you can reference again and again. For those tricky serger slip-ups, Amy will show you how to troubleshoot common issues like poor tension, skipped stitches, fabric rippling and more. Now that you've refined your serging skills, put them to the test with three fun skill-building projects. Make an exposed zipper bag, an ombré ruffled apron and a striped knit scarf! To finish class, add versatility to your serger with blind hem, elasticator and gathering feet.

About

Amy Alan

I started crafting as a small child and have always made an effort to turn the everyday into art!

Amy Alan got her start in sewing as a child. Once she graduated college with a degree in fashion design, she then worked on the cutting room floor of a show apparel company as a technical designer. After that, she went into alterations and then finally teaching once we moved to Portland. Amy currently teaches sewing at Modern Domestic in Portland, Ore. and blogs at Really Handmade. Amy Alan teach sewing classes that mainly focus on developing skills, such as using machinery and patternmaking, but she does occasionally hold project classes as well. Ms. Alan says that, “Fit and precision are important skills to me, and I love to show my students the why’s and how’s of garment construction.”