Serge and Merge Quilts (Create With Nancy)

I won't use this book immediately as I have other projects to finish first, but this is exactly what I wanted. This book has some good projects in it, especially the tulip table runner/wall hanging.

I bought a serger a few years ago, with the well-intentioned expectation that I'd do more home dec sewing. That idea never came to fruition, so my serger has mostly sat idle -- a silent sentential to Best Laid Plans. As a result, I was pretty pleased when I saw this book, which aims to help you "merge" your serger into quilting. Oh boy! I could actually make use of my poor ignored equipment, and maybe develop a little more confidence using it. I'm glad I got this book, but I do have a few minor quibbles with it.Sharon Rotz has an introductory section on how to use your serger that's meant as a refresher course for folks like me who forgot what they learned in Meet Your Serger classes. (It takes me distressingly long to thread the serger for instance.) The rest of the book is devoted to quilts using the overlock stitch, flatlock stitch, and rolled edges. The quilt designs are mostly straightforward; if you left out the decorative stuff most of them would probably be classified as beginner projects, such as triangles combined with strip sets (and are beginner projects even so, I suppose). Most of the quilts offered are relatively small, such as wall hangings or a child's bed quilt, though a few are bed sized. The author is trying to get us to think about the techniques, though, more than offer a recipe for "what shall I put on this bed?"I really love that the book includes a DVD, which is really a custom "episode" of Nancy Zieman ("Sewing with Nancy") working with the author to show the basic techniques. I can sometimes have a hard time picturing exactly how something goes together, and the video made me nod and say, "Oh, I get it now." A lesser item that I also appreciate (but too commonly is left out) is specific advice about how to quilt each quilt; "Quilt as desired" just doesn't cut it for me.Note that the serging is used primarily as decoration. The quilts are mostly sewn together as usual with your usual sewing machine. You serge decorative edges, or use a flatlock stitch to shadow stems in applique, etc. The "spinning pinwheels" wall hanging (21" square) that I'm just finishing uses two coordinating fabrics to make three-dimensional pinwheels that pop off the surface, with the visible edge serged with two contrasting threads. Mind you, it looks lovely -- and it did get me more comfortable with my serger! However, I had expected the book to tell me where I might use the serger for piecing, too. (And surely I might, still? I did a  Ricky Tims' Convergence Quilt  with the serger, once, and it worked great. I wish Rotz gave me more advice about where the serger does and doesn't work in piecing.)My other quibble is with the fabrics used in these quilts. That's purely a matter of taste. Many of Rotz's choices are... not mine. The aforementioned child's quilt uses 13 bright "retro" fabrics from the 60s and 70s, which make me say "yech." (The 60s fabrics do not make me think "retro;" they make me think, "I'm glad I survived that era.") There's nothing to say that I can't make the quilt using something else (and if any friend is thoughtful enough to get pregnant and thereby encourage me to make a kid's quilt, maybe I will). But I do need to look past some of the fabrics to appreciate the design. This may not be an issue for you.As I said, I really like how my little "sampler" project turned out, and I have my eye on a few more of the projects. They aren't popping to the top of my "Sew this next!" pile but I do like them. This is a fun book that does, indeed, get me to think of my serger as a complement to my sewing machine. I can easily recommend it.

My book arrived today. I'm so please with the quality. It was listed as used, but it looks new.

Some really easy, fun projects to create on my new serger! Very easy to follow & the addition of the DVD is awesome. I had initially seen a segment on serging on Nancy Zieman show & went looking for more when I found this book. It's loaded with some very interesting techniques to utilize your serger. Lots of great serger tips too. If you're new to serging like me, I think you might find this book very useful. Even quilt designs thrown in too - be sure to watch the DVE!

This book is an unusual quilt book. Instead of quilting on your sewing machine you can quilt on your serger! It's actually a lot of fun to do and, depending on which type of quilt you make, you will be quilting as you go! This book also shows how to use your serger for decorative touches. I LOVE the cover quilt.

I like many of the quilts, but the DVD was a turn off - the woman interviewing the author I have seen on other quilt shows, and the DVD seemed to me more like a commercial than any real instruction but, to be fair, I became annoyed an turned it off so perhaps there was more to it than I know. I was already annoyed because I thought the book would be more about quilting with your serger, not just piecing with your serger, and while the quilts look nice pieced that way I was hoping this would teach me how to do the quilting and piecing in one step with a serger. Some people make log cabin quilts that way, and I hoped this book would show how to do that and more. It does not. Still, the quilts are pretty enough to get more than one star.

This is an outstanding book for quilters like me who haven't used their serger in...forever. The 13's a Charm quilt is sooooo much much fun to make and looks great! I did mine in 30's fabrics, beautifull :o)) The book is well written and clear instructions and pics, comes with a Sewing with Nancy DVD too. Took my book to Staples and got it bound for $4 bc I know I will be using it...alot.

As you can imagine that are not a lot of books out there about serging quilts together. This was a very interesting book. Nancy Zieman is one of my favorite quilt and serge experts and I really appreciate that she has included the DVD. I have not gotten through a lot of the book as yet but I am really learning a lot. I would recommend this book by Sharon Rotz.

The quilts feature using your overlocker to produce quilts using the Flatlock stitch on both the inside and outside, this is used on the cover quilt to great effect. A very classy wallhanging features a two colour quilt, rectangles and a slender leaf design (rather oriental in style), and by using the flatlock stitch in a different way produces a ladder stitch which can be embellished.There are 14 designs, mostly smaller quilts, one large bedquilt, and one using the rolled hem which is a comfy throw size, but for anyone with experience this provides inspiration to give it a go, see what you can do with your overlocker. It's easy to incorporate some of the ideas into a large quilt.A CD is included showing how the effects are achieved,the instructions in the book are very good - go for it!

I was bought this for my birthday and I have devoured it!Why had I never thought of using my overlocker for patchwork and quilting?I will definitely be trying some of the ideas very soon.I would definitely recommend this book.

I like patchwork but find some of it a bit boring. This book however raises quilting to a new level. I have made one item from it already (with a few alterations) and fully intend to make more. If you like serging then this is the book for you.

I feel encouraged to do this!! This has some really useful instruction for the beginner like me!!

very informative, iv never tried to make quilt before ,but im sure this book will kick start me into action