New Serger!!!!

 For my birthday and Christmas combined my parents got me a Serger! Be expecting lots more sewing to be going on in this house. My first project was a plaid skirt for Christmas. I got this fun wool at an Estate sale this summer and knew I would be making a skirt to wear on Christmas day. Our whole family wears plaid on Christmas day every year. The skirt was a simple pleated skirt.

First  I cut the waist band: 3" x 32" (waist measurement + 1" for seam allowance + 1" for comfort).

Then I cut the skirt: 27" (knee length) x 46" (waist measurement x 1.5 + 1" for seam allowance).

I gathered the skirt and created pleats to make it the same length as the waist band and SERGED them together.

The Serger is sooooo easy! I LOVE it! All the clothes I make will not fray and be so Finished! I'm so excited to sew even more!

Next I put in the zipper. I have finally found an easy and reliable way to put a zipper in. FINALLY. First I serge down both edges individually. Since the zipper is put on with the regular machine you can't go back and serge the edges later. 

First I put the left side in using an invisible zipper foot. That's normally the easy side. Then I switch to the regular zipper foot and put the right side in. Then I sew from the bottom of the zipper to the bottom of the skirt/dress using the regular zipper foot. Easy peezy lemon squeezy.

 Next I finished the skirt hem. First I serged the edge, then I used the blind hem stitch on the regular machine (supposedly the Serger can do this but I haven't had much time to try yet).

Easy pleated skirt!

After I wore the plaid skirt to work (shown in the picture above), I shortened it a little more. It ended up being a little too long to look modern. But overall an easy skirt that looks cute and is comfortable to eat Christmas cookies and drink wine!