Sewing Machine Question

[Kathy]

I got my latest sale paper from Hancock Fabrics on Saturday.

There's an insert that tomorrow starting at 10am-this Hancocks will be selling School Sewing Machines by Singer and they have the Serger stitch & for an additional charge the cutter to trim the excess material off.

These are metal sewing Machines with 25yr warranties.

My question is-does this sound like a good machine for a person who's just past the beginner stage but by no means skilled?

I'd like to have a Serger some day but I really hate to spend the money on a machine that Only serges.

This sounds, at first glance, to be the best of both worlds. It claims to sew the sheerest of materials all the way through multiple layers of denim and even leather.
The price is $198 & tax and what ever the cost of that trimmer attachment happens to be.
I know it won't be as functional as a stand alone serger but do you think it might be a good step on getting started with serging?

Any opinions, questions I should ask, experience with this kind of machine?? I currently have an inexpensive Brother which is a combination of plastic and metal-a good machine for basic sewing such as curtains and hems but I've found it binds trying to hem jeans or really thick materials such as fleece.

So, I may or may not be investing in the next step on the sewing machine ladder tomorrow.

[momo]

I have never used a serger and my machine is about 20 years old so it is a plain Jane. Angie probably knows alot more. She is a real seamstress.

Did you go to the store today? The ad sounds good and Hancock has a pretty good reputation.

[Kathy]

I went but this store was out by the time I got there.

If I want one of those dual purpose machines; the special school machine sale goes to each Hancock store so I have the schedule for the upcoming week. I just have to drive a little farther.

I'm really torn; I have never used a serger-heck I'm not all that comfortable with a regular sewing machine. I'm not a fan of spending money unless I'm 98% sure i will be happy with my purchase. But I would love to make my own sweat shirts and bottoms & from what everyone tells me, a serger is what you need to do a good looking job.

[Deleted]

You make perfectly wonderful clothes with a plain machine. Serging is just faster...And sometimes cleaner. There is a HUGE learning curve on one though. Expect to be rather frustrated or invest in some classes. Otherwise you'll be screaming ugly words when a thread breaks or the tension does weird things. Those machines are really good machines though... If you bought one brand new, it would cost in the neighborhood of $500 or better. I have a serger now and I wish I gotten more recommendations before I bought it. It drives me up a wall! In fact, I have to take it in and get it fixed. I managed to wind the thread around the plate so I can't get the material out now. It has seriously cut down on my sewing...In fact, I haven't sewn since that happened. I really like the speed for the straight seams. I sew a lot of purses and dog beds, weird stuff really, so it cuts my sewing time in half.