Learn how to easily unpick serger stitches. Whether you are sewing your favorite shirt or whipping up a bunch of fabric face masks, this is one of my favorite sewing hacks!
Sergers are great until you realize that you’ve sewn the wrong pieces together or four some other reason need to take out all the serged stitches.
With four different threads knit together to form that stitch it can prove to be a nuisance!
You might attack it with the dreaded seam ripper, try and carefully trim the stitches with embroidery stitches or if you have a generous seam just hack the whole thing off.
But today I’m going to share a way that you can easily make the stitches unravel with some careful attention.
How to Easily Unpick Serger Threads
All you need to do is identify the needle threads. They are the ones that are making two rows of straight stitches.
Separate them out and then gently pull on them. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to pull the length of the stitches once those are out the looper threads will simply unravel.
If the stitches are particularly tight you might want to go through and snip them in intervals.
That will take longer but it’s still LOADS faster than trying to do it with a seam ripper and it doesn’t leave the gazillians of loose tiny threads that snipping all along the stitches does.
Hope that helps!
Want to know more about sergers or think you might want to buy one? Here’s my tips on buying a serger and which I use!
And don’t miss my super easy trick to for how to gather on a serger without using a special foot or even changing any settings.
How to professionally finish seams on a regular sewing machine.
This is our very favorite face mask pattern. It’s so easy and fits everyone great.
This corned beef recipe turns out perfect every single time!
Know a new mom? Send them this list of awesome tips that people forget to tell new moms!
JaneEllen says
I am ashamed to admit I have a small serger I’ve never used once, afraid to try it. Have no idea how to thread it either, why did I buy the darned thing, has been lugged all over country with us moving. Kept telling myself I’d use it. Well, I haven’t, lol. When is good time to learn how to use it? Any good tips? I’ll bet my hubs could figure out how to use it. When there’s a problem with regular machine I go to him for help. Will pin the how to gather with serger tips. Happy week
marissa says
I know just what to do! Call up your local quilt shop that sells sergers and ask if they do a serger class or if they know any place that does one. Take the class. It’ll help you get started, teach you trouble shooting and more. Totally worth paying for a class. Hope that helps.
Jan says
You are not alone! So many people have told me the same thing. I went on youtube and watched some videos and realized it was actually easy to thread the one I have. Try watching a couple videos and perhaps there will be one on using your machine. Between my book and the video there was no problem figuring it out.
Anne says
THANK YOU!!! Ripping out serged seams makes me cuss. I’ve got a Craft Gossip post scheduled for later today that links to your tutorial: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-easy-way-to-unpick-a-serged-seam/2015/04/21/ Looking forward to seeing you at Snap! –Anne