Why I like my Brother 1034D Serger

Cath Virginia is the senior designer right here at The Verge, who creates illustrations and collages for our articles. Nevertheless, she additionally has “dabbled” (as she places it) in function designs for articles similar to 2004 was the primary yr of the longer term (which received the 2025 ASME Award for Greatest Information and Leisure Design), How the Stream Deck rose from the ashes of a legendary keyboard, and The Lurker. “I additionally designed the branding for Notepad by Tom Warren and lately refreshed the look of Verge Offers,” she explains.

When not doing this spectacular work, Cath sews. Quite a bit. And so, once I requested her what certainly one of her favourite devices was, she mentioned it was her Brother 1034D Serger. Should you’re not fairly certain what a serger is (I definitely wasn’t), learn on.

What precisely is a thread serger?

A serger, often known as an overlocker, is a sort of stitching machine usually utilized in attire making. It has two needles and makes use of as much as 4 strands of thread at a time to create the loops and completed edge you see on the within of most knitwear, like T-shirts and leggings. It additionally has a knife that cuts the sting of your cloth on the identical time, so the completed product appears clear {and professional}.

When did you purchase this one, and what went into the choice?

I purchased this one this previous March as a birthday and tax return current. I’ve been wanting one for some time, as a result of I sew quite a lot of garments. I’m choosy about model and, being fats, have a tough time discovering garments I like that really match me. I additionally love sporting knits as a result of they’re comfy, and conventional stitching machines aren’t supposed primarily to stitch knit clothes, which must have stretchy seams. You should utilize a zigzag sew to realize a stretch in your seam, however the serger sews and cuts unexpectedly, in addition to finishes the within edges, so it saves quite a lot of time.

In selecting a serger, I wished one which was straightforward to string, had an adjustable free arm for stitching cuffs and sleeves, and will sew a number of layers of material at a time. I watched a bunch of YouTube evaluations of sergers and located this one to be fairly reasonably priced — and it checked my packing containers. It additionally obtained higher evaluations than its cheaper sibling, the DX. I used to be intimidated by it at first as a result of 4 spools of thread is form of scary. Nevertheless it has clearly labeled and color-coded directions for threading and comes with a guide, so I discovered it and had it down in below half an hour.

What do you normally create with it?

Up to now, I’ve hemmed a pair shirts and made a maxi skirt (with pockets!) and a crop high. That was after an extended and irritating interval making an attempt to discover ways to use it. I additionally dulled two completely different knives, studying that you may’t sew over pins with a serger as a result of there’s a large metallic knife chopping your seam off.

What do you want about it?

Generally while you’re stitching knits on a conventional (lockstitch) machine, the perimeters turn into unintentionally ruffle-y (resulting from its one measly feed canine, which is the moveable plate that pulls the fabric by from sew to sew). This may make your piece look fairly bizarre and dangerous. One other beauty of this serger is that it has one thing referred to as differential feed, which makes use of two feed canine to stitch your cloth collectively. It may be adjusted to feed one piece of material sooner or slower, so it’s going to flatten out your wobbly knitted seams or can be utilized to create a lettuce hem. It additionally comes with a gathering foot, which can be utilized to assemble and stitch (intentional) ruffles!

Is there something about it that you simply dislike or that you simply assume may very well be improved?

That is really on me for not doing fairly sufficient analysis, however once I purchased it, I used to be excited to lastly be capable of do the coveted two-thread coverstitch you see on the hems of T-shirts and different knit stuff, solely to search out out you really want an entire different machine that actually solely does that one factor. That was disappointing to search out out, however to compensate, the serger does really include a blind hem foot that you should use to do an okay impression of 1. It’s form of a finicky sew to get proper, although, since you’re stitching from the unsuitable aspect of the material, and I needed to do fairly a number of samples to check it out earlier than I used it on any clothes.

Who would you suggest it to?

Should you sew quite a lot of knitwear clothes, it may be a extremely great tool for leveling up your clothes and being a bit extra environment friendly! It’s not a complete substitute for a lockstitch stitching machine however I’m actually liking it up to now. Don’t be too intimidated by the 4 threads: they’re your pals. And don’t attempt to sew over any of your pins.