by Belinda Gibson, BERNINA of America Educator

My inspiration for this wrap was from an article in the Fall 2009 issue of Stitch magazine, a Quilting Arts publication. I wanted to find an elegant wrap to wear to the closing banquet at BERNINA University in Orlando. You just never know if the room is going to be too hot or cold!

Instead of making the wrap following the instructions in the article (the rebel in me coming out again), I chose to use my serger.

I used a 2-thread rolled hem with YLI's new Designer 7 thread in the looper to finish all the edges.

Then, instead of sewing the elastic by sewing machine, I used a serger chain stitch and changed to a 90/14 Topstitch needle for the chain stitch. I threaded the needle with Designer 7 and put Gutermann elastic thread in the chain stitch looper.

This elastic thread is super! I tried others, but without the same success I had with the Gutermann elastic thread. It comes in four colors: black, white, red, and navy. Check with your local BERNINA store; if they don't have it in stock they can order it for you.

By Belinda Gibson, BERNINA of America Educator

I always change my kitchen and dining area for whatever the holiday is -- they've been dressed in patriotic red, white, and blue since the first of June in honor of Flag Day and for the 4th of July.

Independence Day is this weekend, but it's not too late to make some fast and easy placemats for your 4th of July get-together! Get out your serger and gather together red, white, and blue fabrics and serger threads. Cut fabric strips of various widths. Thread your serger for a wide 2- or 3-thread flatlock; I used Maxi-Lock Swirls in Rocket Pop #53-M62 in the looper to create the multi-colored stitching. Flatlock the strips together as shown, then serge around the outer edges. For more sturdy placemats, sandwich a piece of flannel between the pieced top and a backing before serging around the outside edges.

By Belinda Gibson, BERNINA Educator:

I love wearing long "float-y" skirts in the summer; they keep me cool and are fun to match up with flip flops. When I wear them it reminds me of walking on the beach with the wind blowing, and breathing in the smell of the ocean. But I have a problem with them, as they are always too long for me! So, if you happen to be on the short side, like me, you can use your BERNINA serger to create a cute ensemble in a "short" time.

Supplies

• Knit top
• Long skirt
• Rotary cutter, mat, and ruler
• Embroider scissors
• Marking pencil
• 2-3 cones of serger thread
• 2-thread adapter (optional)
• Dritz Home Curtain Grommets - pack of twelve 3/8" grommets in champagne

Instructions

Set your serger for a two- or three-thread rolled edge and thread accordingly.

Mark the amount of skirt to be cut off. Instead of cutting it off with scissors, let the serger do it for you as you roll hem the edge! How cool is that?! You're all finished with the skirt!

Roll hem both long edges and short ends of the strip you cut off the skirt. (You may need to adjust the width of the strip depending on how much you needed to cut off the skirt.) My strip was about 2" wide.

Roll hem the strip a second time - over the first rolled edge - to create a heavier look.

Find the center front and back of the t-shirt neck band; mark it with a fabric marking pen/pencil.

Measure the width of the neck band, divide in half, and mark it with the fabric marking pen/pencil.

Place the grommet template on top of the neck band.

Transfer the marks from the template to the neck band with the marking pen/pencil.

Using embroidery scissors, cut the circle out of the neck band.

The grommets have two parts: The piece with the prongs goes to the wrong side of the top; the smooth side goes on the right side of the top.

Place the pronged grommet piece into the cut hole, taking care to catch all of the raw edges under the grommet parts. Place the prong side of the grommet underneath the smooth part of the grommet.

Push together; you will feel it snap when the pieces join. Repeat for the rest of the grommets along the neck edge, spacing them evenly around the opening, about 2" apart.

Starting at the center back, weave the roll-hemmed strip in and out of the grommets. Tie ends in a bow. I chose to have the fabric strip bow at the right side front, you can place it in the center or on the left side as desired.

by Belinda Gibson, BERNINA Educator

This is a great way to make a quick and easy sleeve to hang your quilts by! If you're a quilter, this is a great reason to dust off your serger or invest in a new one.

I like to purchase curtain rods to hang my finished quilts on. The decorative ends that you can get for curtain rods are the finishing touch to your quilt, just like jewelry is to your outfits, or buttons to your garments.

All you need to do is cut a strip of fabric for your quilt sleeve (you can piece the strip if you need to):

• Measure the width of the finished quilt and add 1"; this will give you the length of the strip with a 1/2" turn-under at each end. If you want to turn under more than 1/2", add more to the length.
• Determine the width of the strip, allowing adequate room for the curtain rod (or whatever you are going to use to hold the quilt up). I cut mine 2 1/2" wide.

Set your serger for a rolled hem stitch. It can be either a 2-thread or 3-thread rolled edge; the choice is up to you. Don't you just love having the opportunity to make choices?

I like to use the same thread that I used to quilt my quilt. I place this in the upper looper for a 3-thread rolled hem, or in the lower looper for a 2-thread rolled hem. For this quilt I used Oliver Twist variegated thread.

Turn under 1/2" (or more, if you added length) at each short end of the strip. Roll hem both long edges, lining up the edge of the strip with the edge of the serger stitch plate. This makes a nice hemmed edge.

Using the same thread and a hand-sewing needle, slip stitch the long top edge of the strip to the quilt.

Place the quilt face down, with the strip flat. Slide the lower edge of the strip toward the top of the quilt, creating a "tunnel" for the curtain rod to go through. Whip stitch this edge in place.

About 25 years ago I was surprised to discover that my sewing machine could do a rolled hem. I must admit that I totally happened on this technique by accident - some people would call it a "happy accident" - but in reality it ws a "happy mistake." What I was attempting to do was use the zigzag stitch to finish the seams of a garment I was making. As I stitched, the intention was to have the left swing of the needle pentrate the fabric while the right swing would just stitch off the edge of the fabric. I was a novice sewer and had many thoughts and ideas about how I wanted my sewing machine to react, but I quickly learned that things do not always go as planned. My finished edge did not lay flat, as I wished, but instead rolled under as I stitched.

A few years later, while taking a guide class for my new BERNINA sewing machine, the teacher instructed the class on how to do a rolled hem with our machines. I chuckled to myself as I began to understand that what I thought was an error on my part was actually the way it was supposed to be - a rolled hem! I later learned that there is a special foot to finish off seams that would prevent my fabric from rolling as I zigzag stitched off the edge - Overlock Foot #2.

That brings me to Part 2 of my 3-part series on the many uses of Buttonhole Foot #3/3C. Achieving a nice narrow hem is difficult when done the traditional way of turning up the fabric, pressing, then stitching. It is very easy to burn your fingers while ironing, and it is sometimes tricky to get an evenly pressed edge, which results in a crooked hem - not so pretty. You can attain the result of a narrow rolled hem by using Buttonhole Foot #3/3C - not by "mistake," but rather as a "happy accident" because of the way the fabric reacts as it is zigzag stitched off the edge.

To begin - I use a rotary cutter to make sure that my fabric edge has a clean cut and is free of any threads poking out. This technique is facilitated best on lightweight fabrics like quilting cottons or batiste. You will also want to practice this, as the machine settings may vary according to the fabric, thread, and tension settings on your machine. The following is a good starting point for you to work from to achieve the best results for your project.

Attach Foot #3/3C to your machine. Select the zigzag stitch. Make the stitch wider - for the cotton fabric in the sample I set my stitch width between 4.0 and 4.5mm. Set the stitch length at 1.5mm.

Move the needle to the mid-left position. I also tighten my bobbin tension as if I were doing embroidery.

Align the fabric so that the right edge of the fabric is in the center of the middle toe of the foot. Begin with the needle penetrating the fabric on the left; as the needle swings off the fabric it will pull/roll the fabric under as it stitches. I found that a consistent moderate speed worked best.

I hvae used this technique for many different applications: to ruffle hems, to make ties for my daughter's dresses, to make fabric ribbon, and to sew the hem on a nightgown. I did use it as a seam finish - by mistake - once, but I have since purchased a serger to finish my seams. Yes, I can use my serger for a rolled hem, but there are still some times when a machine rolled hem is a better choice - and it is purely an esthetic choice. I really have fun with this technique and it always brings a smile to my face as I recall the day I learned it the hard way!