Course Description: Sewing with a Serger

Sergers are incredibly useful for sewing but can be frustrating to master. These machines trim raw fabric edges and weave a clean and professional-looking seam finish around them. A serger supplements your regular sewing machine and is indispensable for knit garments, since their stitches stretch. They speed the process of sewing any garment and are great for home decor projects, too. But moving blades, complicated threading diagrams, four separate tension settings, and all those other dials can be intimidating. In this course, each aspect of a serger use will be explained, step-by-step, until the entire process is demystified; leaving sewists able to serge with confidence and bring their sewing projects to the next level. Materials are required for this course. You can view this information in the "Additional Course Information" section of the online course listing or on your email confirmation letter sent after registration. You can also request by email at ceinfo@cocc.edu. Students can bring their own serger with user's manual, four cones of thread (different colors), and needles, OR rent a serger package with those items (limited supplies) for $20 (limit six rentals, first come, first served). If renting, bring $20.00 cash/check to the first class.

Course Details: (seats remaining)

Schedule:

Every week on weekends, starting on 10/26/24 and ending on 11/03/24

Times:

10:00am-01:00pm

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Price:

Class Price : $199.00

Additional Course Information

Materials: Students can bring their own serger with user's manual, four cones of thread (different colors) and needles OR rent a serger package with those items (limited supplies) for $20 (limit six rentals, first come, first served). If renting, bring $20.00 cash/check to the first class. All students bring scissors for cutting fabric, smaller scissors for trimming threads, tweezers, a pen or pencil, a piece of fabric, roughly "fat quarter" size (about 18" x 22") to make a simple drawstring bag, extension cord. Optional: Students may bring fabric scraps to practice on, if desired. Instructor will provide post-it notes, fabric scraps for practice and materials and tools needed to complete the small bag project, as well as oil and cleaning brushes for machine maintenance practice.

Instructors

Name

Additional Resources

Danielle Thalman

Biography: Danielle Thalman was taught how to embroider flowers on handkerchiefs as a young girl, but pivoted to making "custom" garments with her hand-sewing needle and fabric scraps at age 6. She began using her mother's old black Singer sewing machine--without permission or supervision--at age nine, and shortly afterwards produced her first (somewhat) wearable garment. Junior High brought formal instruction from a beloved Home Economics teacher and then her first own machine, a Kenmore that she still has. After studying Journalism in college, Danielle worked as a reporter at a community newspaper in Northern California. There she met her husband Mark, a photographer and avid outdoorsman. They moved to Southern Oregon with their young daughter in 1996, and Danielle embarked on a career in public school teaching. While she has climbed and flyfished extensively in the West, her love of the outdoors has always been balanced with quiet time inside learning more about sewing and other textile pursuits, like hand dyeing and screen printing.Danielle sews custom bags for the Central Oregon based business, "Rhino Skin Solutions," as well as making artsy chalk bags sold in climbing gyms. She also quilts. But she remains primarily a garment sewist, making everything from her own jeans, t-shirts and swimwear to jackets, flannel shirts, leotards, leggings, socks, hats, long underwear and even leather shoes. After retiring in 2020, Danielle and her husband moved to country property north of Redmond and spent the pandemic fixing up a home with plenty of hobby space. Sewing has always been about connection for Thalman, who delights in sewing sessions with her daughter, niece and friends. So it was only natural that after the isolation of the pandemic, Danielle met up with a local group, Central Oregon Serger and Sewing Machine Rescue-Rehab-Rehome. There she found her niche fixing sergers, learning as she went along and gaining a rich sense of purpose and camaraderie working with the other volunteers in the group and members of the community."The project not only keeps machines out of the landfill, it gives people the opportunity to reuse and recycle textiles and minimize the purchase of wasteful garments with short life spans. On top of that, the creativity of sewing is, for many, a way to replenish our personal reserves," said Thalman.While she has owned and used sergers for more than 40 years, repairing them has inspired an understanding and appreciation for the machines that Thalman is excited to share.

Facility Detail

COCC Chandler Lab

CHLAB 301

1027 NW Trenton Ave

Bend, OR 97703

Cancellation Policy

Students must cancel by contacting our office via phone: (541) 383-7270 or email: ceinfo@cocc.edu. Cancellations received 5 days prior to the start of the class will receive a full refund. Full refunds are also issued for classes cancelled by COCC. Refunds will be issued back to your card or in the form of a check and mailed within two weeks of the cancellation date if paid by check or cash. Failure to participate in a course or program does not result in a refund. Exceptions to the general refund policy are noted in the course descriptions on our website and in the printed schedule. If you have any questions, please call us at (541) 383-7270.