Seems like time to introduce the real stars of the whole Ureshii operation. (Someone should cover all kitty ears for a minute or two!) True, I do all the sewing, but these babies stop me from spending all day swearing and gnashing my teeth.
There are four sewing machines in the house – our Juki overlock, Singer serger, basic Singer sewing machine, and a Juki home serger. Our Juki overlock is the real star of our household. It is super important to our designs to have a good joining stitch that is consistent, strong, and has stretch. We went through two home sergers before we looked into buying an overlock, and we were shocked to find that it cost us the same as we’d paid for one of those busted home sergers. The Juki runs more quietly and more consistently than a home machine. It is more work to lug around, though!
My Singer Finishing Touch home serger was an emergency purchase that miraculously worked. This is one of those times when all my preconceptions had to go out the window because I needed a new serger THAT DAY. This machine gives a consistent roll edge that jumps seams well and corners reasonably well. It cost less than $300, and has done its job for almost three years. It is a tad noisy, but if I manage to do most of my roll hemming before bed time, it’s all good.
Last, and possibly not least, a basic Singer sewing machine that I’ve had forever – well, longer than I’ve had kids or cats, anyways! I’ve tried replacing it, but none of the others have lasted very long. For Ureshii garments I use a long, narrow zig-zag stitch for gathering. I also use it with a double needle to hem some of the french terry and merino garments.
We have a Juki home serger that serves as backup for both the Juki overlock and the Singer serger. It produces a beautiful, consistent stitch, but doesn’t jump seams or corner well. Thankfully, we haven’t had to use it since either of the other machines were purchased! *knock on wood*
xoxo Emily