Regular sewing machine or serger?

Hi everyone,

since I’m just starting out with sewing, I’m being bombarded with a lot of new topics. People here are always raving about overlock machines. I bought a regular sewing machine years ago. It can sew and has 8 stitch types. It has a light and a foot pedal, and you can adjust the sewing speed (which was especially important to me as a beginner).

I’d love to hear from you pros: What can an overlock machine do that a regular sewing machine can’t? And what’s the most significant difference between the two?
Do you even need two sewing machines? Can’t one handle everything?

Thank you so much for your answers. I’m curious to hear your thoughts.

Best regards, Ina

If you’re asking like that, then having both means you’re already in a good position. Unfortunately, one machine can’t do everything. I, at least, have very high standards for my machines; I don’t have 5 of them sitting around for nothing, BUT I also sew quite differently from you.😁 These days, every good sewing machine has a light, and you can’t do without a foot pedal. A good overlocker also has lighting—that’s standard. But you don’t have to spend all that much money on an overlocker; you can find good machines starting at around 250 to 300 euros. My overlocker is a Toyota 3334, and I’ve had it for 14 years now—a top machine. But when buying an overlocker, I recommend getting advice and trying one out, because it needs at least 4 threads, and that takes some learning, since these machines can really go fast.

Best regards, Inge

With an overlock machine, you can sew stretchy fabrics together in one go, which doesn’t work the same way with firm woven fabrics. But you can use it to finish the raw edges so that the inside looks neat too. However, you should then continue sewing with a regular sewing machine.

Best regards, Inge

Dear Inge, thanks for your reply. Why does an overlocker need 4 threads? Does it (always) sew with all the threads at the same time???
I imagine that would be pretty complicated.

And does it only have 1 spool for the lower thread?

Best regards, Ina

No. An overlocker doesn’t have a bobbin thread, but it does have threads on top—sometimes as many as 5—and those should/must be threaded in a specific order; otherwise, the machine either won’t work at all or will produce skipped stitches.
Take a look—this is a photo of my overlocker. You can see those blue and green dots; they indicate which thread goes where. My husband took this picture because my protective cover had broken off, so he could see how to fix it. Next to it, you can also see the diagram showing how each thread should run.
With a cover stitch machine—which can do much more than a regular overlocker—it’s a bit more complicated, but there’s also a guide on the machine showing how to thread it.

Best regards, Inge

I actually took an introductory course on an overlock machine a while back. It was taught by a seamstress.
She changed the thread spools and used four different colors. We then threaded them. ;)
After my first attempts at sewing, you could clearly see which thread was sewing where. That really helped me understand it.

Take a look at the inner seams of a T-shirt or sweatshirt. Those are always overlock seams. The excess fabric is trimmed away right as you sew. So, for jersey projects like your pants, an overlock machine is ideal.

But for a hem, you’ll need a regular sewing machine.

I hope I didn’t say anything wrong. ;)

No Petra, it was fine the way you wrote it—it's all good, as the Franconian says :-)

Best, Inge

Dear Ina,

on the topic of “needing”:
I think it depends.
If sewing is going to become your number one hobby, I’d definitely buy an overlock machine too!

If you just make a pair of pants or a shirt every now and then, I personally wouldn’t get one—it just takes up unnecessary space (in my opinion!).

I also “only” have a regular one because I do a bit of sewing for us at home and occasionally make little things for friends, but for that kind of occasional use, I really don’t need one :) With a little practice, I can get all the seams done in one go without any extra finishing or anything like that :)

  I think it’s like a Thermomix: As long as you don’t have one, you don’t need it. But once you’ve had one, you don’t want to be without it.
So I don’t even want to try it :D 

Oh my. Thank you so much for your answers.

Dear Inge, 4 or even 5 threads, all on top, and then in a specific order. I find that quite a challenge. If the machine doesn’t have the thread path marked inside, it’s really hard for a beginner. But I need to look into the machines more closely and watch a few YouTube videos.

Dear Petra, you’re lucky—because you’ve already taken a beginner’s course on an overlock machine. I live in a very rural area here, so taking a class isn’t an option. So for me, the only way is to thoroughly research online what kinds of machines are available, then buy one (my birthday present), and learn on my own.

Dear Tina , of course I’ve already looked at the insides of T-shirts. The industrial seams are narrow and precise. On my two pairs of pants, the hem is simply wider and not cut exactly to the edge. I can’t quite get that right with scissors. There’s more fabric on the inside for me.

And that’s exactly what my son, who was visiting yesterday, pointed out about the first two pairs of pants. He said the seams could be thinner—they’d be uncomfortable. Well, okay. He doesn’t know that my sewing machine can’t do that at all. Babies spend a lot of time lying down, so it might be uncomfortable for them. But older kids probably aren’t bothered as much by a thicker seam.

Once you know that things could be done better—and how—you’re already doomed. It’s always lurking in the back of my mind. I’ll have to wait and see if that goes away. But given my tendency toward perfectionism, I doubt it will.

I’m not short on space. I have half an attic all to myself and would definitely make room for it. After all, I have more than one camera. One is better at one thing, the other at another. So why shouldn’t I have two sewing machines, too? Don’t men have multiple drills and such as well?

First, I need to do some research on overlock sewing machines. And then see how my interest in sewing develops. But now that I’ve seen all the beautiful fabrics online, I could definitely see myself sticking with sewing.

Best regards, Ina