Since I have been sewing up a storm this month on my serger, I thought it might be a good idea to share a quick tip and trick about those long and crazy thread tails!
The one thing I know for sure is we do not want to just let them hang free -that would be the tell tale sign of a home sewn garment. No, instead you want to thread that tail through the eye of a hand sewing needle and slip it back through your seam before trimming.
Serger Sewing Tips & Tricks
You are essentially tucking in your tail back through your seam. This will provide a clean finished end without unsightly trimmed threads.
Easy!
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Comments & Reviews
Maybe I cheat, but I always just stitch them down then trim. I usually also only do it on seams that aren’t being sewn over again.
That’s a really great tip Emily. Thanks so much for sharing!
Tku vm a great way to endup a
Hi… Thanks for your great tips.
The way I tuck my tails is, I start serging in the opposite direction a couple of inches from the end, sew off the edge a couple of stitches then flip my fabric and serge over the stitching and continue as I would normally… I love less steps and my tail are totally secure.. Tootuloo my sewing friend 🙂
Thank you for this great tip! I shared your link/tip in today’s blog article ~ celebrating National Sewing Month! http://lanettascreations.blogspot.com/2013/09/sewing-tips-and-techniques.html#.UjwTsMasiSo
I am wondering what to do with the other single threads which end up on the front? I heard something about taking them to the back with a needle and going through a loop? I’m VERY new to serging so I hope my question is clear. Can you help with that also?
Hello Gail,
I am not sure what you mean by single thread. I tuck all of my threads or “tails” into the seams. This way, I never have to worry about any slipping out.
Feel free to send me a picture or post it on our FB page. I would love to help if I can.
~Heather
If I’m overlocking/serging 1 straight edge only, I will allow it to sew a few stitches and bring the tail under so it’s stitching over the tail. But at the end if I’m not going over it I’ll do what you do and tuck my tail in.
Great tip for those not in the know though. I used to overlock as a living many years back and have seen many people just chop the tails off then wonder why it comes undone.
Nice tip Lisa. Thanks so much for sharing!
~Heather
Brilliant! Just got a serger. I’ve been using fabric glue without liking the result.
Another way would be to cut the tail at about 3/4 inch, then pull the tail gently pinching between your fingers – one of the threads will stick out because it is longer. Pull that single longest thread and it will make a knot of all 4 threads at the end of the stitching. Then cut the threads a quarter inch away from the knot. Almost invisible and takes 3 seconds.
Awesome tip! Thanks for sharing Loes.
~Heather
Learned to do this when I was working in a sewing factory. We used a special tool to pull the tail back through.
Instead of threading a needle a use a very small steel crochet hook to pull the threads back through the stitching and add a drop of fray-check.
Such a great idea Kathy. Thanks so much for sharing!
~Heather
I got a special semi-flat serge needle threader ( don’t remember what it is called) to pull the threads through the way you did. It didn’t have a needle end so it eliminated having to be careful not to pierce the fabric along the way. I got it from a sewing notions catalog.