Deb Canham: Decorative Serging
WonderFil Specialty Threads
Renowned for her expertise in serger techniques, Deb Canham is a notable educator and designer who focuses on helping people to get the most out of their sergers. She travels around the US as a Baby Lock educator, conducting workshops at various stores and events, as well as sharing her amazing patterns. When working on her projects, Deb embraces the use of heavy weight decorative threads, skillfully crafting intricate and artistic designs. Her distinctive style is characterized by her ingenious combination of diverse materials, patterns, and vibrant colors. We got the chance to learn more about Deb, and her work with serging in this weeks Serger Month interview!
Deb began her journey with serging when she decided to get back into teaching following a bit of a hiatus. She purchased a domestic serger, due to their ability to stitch well with the thick, decorative threads she enjoys working with. After purchasing the serger Deb realized there was very few resources for learning how to use it. Working with her serger taught her that there was so much more to it than just stitching seams or finishing garments. She found so much joy in decorative serging, laying down many colours of thread much like an artist working with paint. This, along with the lack of resources for learning to work with sergers, inspired her to travel, teach, and share her knowledge with a wider audience.
Deb explained that now a days she uses her serger more than her sewing machine! “When I’m going to make something, I ask which machine will make it better, and it’s usually the serger”. This is partially due to her love of decorative threads. The serger loopers allow her to work with the thick threads she prefers more easily, “the whole point is the thread”. Although she mentioned that 12wt threads are the easiest for beginners to work with, she favors 8wt! Specifically, Eleganza™ (our 8wt perlé cotton), and Razzle™ (our 8wt rayon). These threads are thick and stand out making her stitches pop more! Eleganza™ is also extremely strong, and easy to work with even when threading it through the serger needle. When choosing threads, it’s important to consider what the project calls for. If you are working on something like a braided handle, you want to use a strong, durable threads like Eleganza™. If you want to add shine, or sparkle to a coat Razzle™ or Dazzle™ may be better suited! Rayon threads are a bit harder to work with, mainly when being used in the needle. But they make for an eye catching and unique look. Deb highlighted how important it is to experiment with different threads in the serger to see which you prefer to work with, and which have the look you want for a project.
Deb’s Serger Tips
The number one tip that Deb highlighted was to “get educated”. When Deb started her journey with serging there were very few resources to look to for help. Which is what inspired her to become an educator and help people concur their fear of serging. Now there are many resources you can look to to learn more about your machine, and how to use it. For instance, Deb is starting a serger club that people can join to get continuous support when using their sergers and trying new techniques. In this club Deb will cover beginner and advanced projects once a month, getting people to commit to using their serger regularly. Another great way to get more comfortable with your machine is by doing small projects that are easy to complete. This will get you more familiar with your machine, while offering a sense of accomplishment once these projects are finished. Below we have linked a few of Deb’s projects that she recommends for beginners!
Another tip Deb shared pertained to how you load your fabric into your serger. “When you put your fabric in don’t just put it under the foot, get it right back to the needle”. This ensures that all of your feed dogs are working for you right away. Deb explained that the feed dogs are one of the best parts of a serger. As they make it so much easier to work quickly, and accurately since there are more of them on a serger than on a sewing machine. This tip helps you to take full advantage of what the serger can do.
Deb's ultimate objective was to inspire individuals to embrace the joy of serging without apprehension towards the machine. “It’s just a machine”! Experiment with different stitches, different projects, different threads. Serging can be so enjoyable when you commit to just playing. Utilize the serger on many projects, incorporating decorative stitches, using threads that excite and inspire you! Dedicate yourself to gaining knowledge about the machine and unleashing your artistic potential.
If you enjoyed this blog and want to learn more from Deb, be sure to visit her website, to browse her available patterns and tutorials! Deb teaches often throughout the US and is always updating her pattern catalogue. Follow her on Facebook or subscribe to her newsletter to stay up to date on her new projects, and upcoming classes.