Gail Yellen: Creative Serging

Gail Yellen, a renowned educator in the world of serging, continuously demonstrates her ingenuity and originality through her projects! She skillfully incorporates serging into various aspects of her work, be it for decorative or practical purposes. Her passion, however, truly lies in the art of decorative serging. We dove in to how she uses serging to add decorative touches to bags, home décor, clothing, quilts, and more!

Gail started her journey as a sewing educator after retiring from her career as a dental hygienist. She had been sewing her whole life, recalling that she played with a treadle sewing machine when she was in pre k under her mother’s supervision. Following her retirement, she started taking classes at her local quilting shop! When talking about the first class she took she said, “I learned more in 30 minutes than I had in my whole life”, and she became hooked. After becoming a regular at the shop, she was invited to help out packing orders and taking inventory. While working there she soaked in all the information she could. Listening to customer’s questions, sitting in on classes, and chatting with the other store employees. But what really changed the course of her sewing journey was discovering decorative serging. The first time she laid eyes on a serger she remembers thinking “wow those look very scary”! Although she was a bit apprehensive at first, she got a serger at the recommendation of fellow sewers. Quickly after starting to work with sergers, she fell in love with using them for adding decorative touches to almost anything. This is what launched her into her career, educating people on how to get the most out of their machines.

Why do you serge?

As Gail began to expand her knowledge of serging by learning from other people in the industry she realized how much sergers can do, that sewing machines can’t. Looking at samples from other creators inspired her to experiment more. She even mentioned seeing our samples and finding inspiration in them! “WonderFil® had the most beautiful samples, it was inspiring to see all the threads and all the things you can do”. Experimenting with different threads, stitches, and techniques has taught Gail a lot.

 Her favourite techniques, and stitches change regularly. Right now, her favourite stich is a wide flatlock stitch on her Bernina machine. “It is like 4 stitches in 1! You can do a flatlock with 8wt, you can do a reverse flatlock with different threading and different needles”. The versatility of this stitch makes it a great choice for many projects. Gail also loves doing raindrop stitches and blanket stitches to add accents to projects. She highlighted how much she loves to adjust stitches, often making them wider, to see how that changes the look. The customization of serger stitches is a great feature, which allows for more creativity and personalization. “You can make a stitch the exact way you want it to be”.

 The micro thread control is another function on her machine that allows her to further customize, or tweak stitches. This adjusts the amount of thread that is being fed into the loopers. Gail often increases the amount of thread being fed, which makes her stitches a bit flatter and wider. But you can also lower this depending on what look you prefer!

Gail’s Serger Tips

We asked Gail what her number one serger tip is! She said “test . . . test . . . test! And make samples before going on to the actual project fabric”. Even if you’re doing something simple, it’s important to double check the needle, the thread, and the machine settings. To ensure there isn’t anything that needs to be tweaked before starting your project. And be sure your sample is on the same materials you plan to use, “use the exact fabric, interface it or use batting, whatever you intend to use”. She also mentioned that if you make your samples out of 6” squares, then you can save the sample to use later for different projects. And for future reference, Gail suggests keeping a record of the settings that work best for you as you experiment with different stitches. She takes photos on her phone that show the tension, and any other relevant settings to refer to when doing similar projects later!

Gail pointed out how working with sergers can pose a challenge as they differ greatly from sewing machines.  To gain a better understanding and maintain your machine effectively, she suggests seeking assistance from a nearby dealer. “Find a dealer who is knowledgeable, and has a good service technician, many dealers offer lessons on the machine when you buy it too”! There are also so many groups on social media, especially Facebook, where you can post photos, ask for help, or meet other people learning to serge! These can be a great resource to look too while learning as well. Gail recommends investing in the best machine you can afford, use available resources to learn to use it, then just play! Experimentation is key. Play around with various threads and fabrics, tinker with settings, and explore new projects. Unleash your creativity and don’t be afraid.

What About The Thread

When choosing a thread for her projects Gail likes to get creative! Decorative threads can add a lot to a project and elevate it to a new level. “WonderFil® has wide variety of colours and types of thread to play with which makes it so easy to make things look beautiful”. It is also important to consider the thread quality! Using high quality thread is important when serging as the tension and speed you are working with is higher. So always use a thread you can rely on. Also be sure to consider what project you are working on, and what look you want. One of Gail’s favourite serger threads to work with is Spagetti™, our 12 wt long staple Egyptian cotton. Spagetti™ is perfect for projects where Gail wants a more “country feel”, as it is a cotton with a matte finish. This thread is bold, strong, and low lint making it a great option for serging. Cotton threads are also extremely beginner friendly, and stitch well in most machines!

She also enjoys working with our 8wt rayon threads. One of her favorites is Razzle™, an 8wt rayon that has a stunning sheen, bringing an added level of interest to any stitch. It works wonders for decorative serger stitches when you desire a touch more shine than what a cotton thread can offer. Another great choice is Dazzle™, our 8wt rayon twisted with one strand of metallic, it is an ideal choice for holiday projects that call for a little bit of sparkle. Gail frequently turns to both of these threads when she wants her stitches to truly stand out.

If you enjoy playing with different threads as much as Gail does, check out her Thread Fusion stand. This extra special thread stand allows you to blend together multiple threads, to create your own unique thread. Simply place the threads into the stand, then thread them into the machine together! Add metallic touches to matte cottons, or customize colours to make the perfect threads for your project.

Are you interested in learning more from Gail? Check out her website where she posts upcoming classes she will be teaching, as well as where you can shop her products! Or visit her YouTube channel, where she posts video tutorials and does lives to share her techniques. Her new series, Serger Savvy, is live the 2nd Tuesday of every month. In these lives Gail answers questions sent in by her audience and added in the chat!