Features:

  • METAL FRAME: The Brother Designio DZ1234 is a durable 3-4 thread serger made with a metal frame and interior components
  • HIGH PERFORMANCE: A high performance 3-4 thread serger with an adjustable stitch width between 3.0mm to 7.0mm allowing you to select the right stitch width for your project
  • 1,300 STITCHES PER MINUTE: Create more in less time with the DZ1234's fast stitching speed of up to 1,300 stitches per minute
  • EASY TO THREAD: Easy-to-use with color-coded thread guides, numbered upper and lower thread loopers, included instructional video and printed manual
  • INCLUDED ACCESSORY FEET: The DZ1234 comes with 3 accessory feet including blind hem stitch, gathering and piping in addition to 2 sets of starter thread
Takes the fear out of serging

This was my Christmas present this year. I have wanted a serger for awhile but was afraid of them. The horror stories about threading and how hard they are to use. The bad and good news is that while it's the easiest to thread, there is a dvd that comes with it, and there are much better you tube videos that show how to thread. Once the fear of threading is overcome it's a lot about practice, using scrap material to set the tension before sewing. The machine has a great stitch, and it's wonderful to use. I had never sewn knits before, and this makes great shirts and skirts. The stitches are even and the end product looks professional When I was trying to decide what machine I could afford and still have a great machine I asked a friend, who sews, teaches sewing, and she recommended the brother. I agree, this is a great little serger, very first time serger friendly

LOVE this easy threader!

I LOVE LOVE my new serger! I have heard so many horror stories about threading them and was apprehensive in getting one but it was very easy to thread all 4 threading areas! The great instructions also showed how to do stiches I never knew a serger did.... YEA BROTHER!!! YOU GET 5+++ STARS for this machine!

Finally able to professionally finish clothing

This is the first serger I've ever owned and, so far, I've found it surprisingly easy to use. I am fairly experienced at clothing construction but have struggled to finish seams and get a really professional look on my sewing machine. This serger is exactly what I needed to quickly and easily take my clothes from looking homemade on close inspection to looking like really nice, custom garments. I've even found myself constructing things like yoga pants, interestingly shaped tees, and several fleece pieces by using just the serger. These fabric types would've been a pain to work with on my machine but were so easy to put together using only clothing I have purchased as a pattern. I didn't anticipate how much I would use a serger until I started playing around with this. I have used the serger on heavy fleece, cottons, and thinner, stretchy blends. I have been able to easily adjust the settings to get really nice stitching on all these fabric types. I have never used a serger before, but the adjustments are straighforward and easy to understand for beginners. The serger comes with instructional DVDs. These are pretty old and feature a different model serger, which was disappointing. Still, the information is helpful and was an easy way to get started. The sections played out of sequence in my DVD player which was a little frustrating. The included cover is a throwaway. It is the same kind of material as a cheap shower curtain. I will only use it as a pattern to serge a nice cover. The other accessories, especially the included feet (which are $$$ when purchased separately) really increase the value of this model when compared to other Brother machines. I also like that this machine just has blue nobs and decorations, which makes it look nicer than sergers that haven't changed color palettes since the 90s. I know that is a pretty small point in the grand scheme of things, but I just get so sick of sewing supplies that still look just like my mom's craft room did 20 years ago. Overall, I'm really happy with this purchase. I haven't really found any negatives yet.

Its sew good !!!

bought this for my wife's birthday about a month ago, she is totally absorbed with it and won't stop sewing now. Its easy to use and comes prethreaded to boot. She was a little concerned about the threading issue but a slight jam when she was serging very thin material resulted in our learning that its really not that bad. Just catch a utube video on how to thread a serger and look at the color coded info on the machine, no problems in restarting the machine. She is amazed how fast and easy it is to do what used to be impossible or very time consuming for her to do. So far its all good and its a great buy at this price.

Much easier to use than I thought, seems like a good value for money

Finally found the time to unbox and sit down to figure this thing out. I am a beginner sewer and have never serged before. I took up sewing 2 months ago and was comfortable using this guy. I have to admit the reviews scared me a little, I almost didn't buy it because this thing seemed so intimidating. I am relieved to report that it took me about 30 minutes from unboxing to serging my first sample, and that was me distracted with the TV going. The manual is not nearly as comprehensive as the one for my Brother SE425, but it does the job. It helps if you flip through the entire threading section (just a few pages) before attempting to thread. For those who are too lazy: 1) The upper looper (3rd position/ green) thread goes first. 2) The lower looper (4th position/ blue) thread goes second. You have to pull out a metal tab to finish threading, the directions are on the machine and there is an arrow to indicate where the tab is. 3) The right needle (2nd position/ red) goes next, followed by 4) The left needle (1st position/ yellow) Once everything is threaded, make sure the threads are to the right of the needle gizmo and start threading a chain. Once you have your chain, you are ready to stitch your first sample (see pictures attached for the 4 thread overlock stitch sample)! If you are looking for fun projects to do, Craftsy has a few serging classes that will guide you through making fun things with your serger (like a scarf and a bag). I am currently taking a fun with knits class- the whole purpose of this class is to be able to sew knits without a serger, but I'm totally going to use my serger to sew my fleece hoodie! I will update with results. A few things that annoyed me about this: The machine came pre-threaded with 4 white threads. The 4 threads were all knotted up when I opened the box, and it took a few minutes to untangle everything. I also don't like the fact that it has an old fashioned light bulb in there....the light is not very bright and it gets hot a few minutes after turning the machine on. I still gave this 5 stars because I can easily change to an LED bulb when this light goes out....and the knotty thread problem was fixed in a few minutes. Edit (1/18/2016): I had a lot of fun making pillowcases for Christmas presents with this baby. It made the process so much faster and the finished product looked really good. I still used my sewing machine to hem the edge to give it a nicer look, but 90% of the work was done on the serger. Ironing the fabric after pre-shrinking it took longer than serging the 3 sides, so it's a great way to make a lot of presents really fast. All you need is 1 yard of fabric, fold it in half on the fat side (rather than the long side), and serge two sides of it together (don't forget you have 1 fold and 1 opening). This is really great for straight lines, but I found it pretty tough to work with for L-shaped edges...almost impossible to have a completely closed seam with this kind of edges. I tried to make a knit dress the easy way but the arms got really tricky. I'm fairly new to sewing and serging, so there's probably ways to get around this. Also, I made a stitch binder- this helps A TON. Every time I try a new type of stitch, I will make a sample and stick it on a piece of paper. I will write what type of stitch it is, what my thread tensions are, stitch length, etc. It REALLY helped me get to know the serger quite a bit more, I'm now much more comfortable with this tool. Update (9/2/2016): This is awesome for serging straight edges (e.g. pillowcases, napkins, table linens). I still consider myself a beginner sewer/serger and I am able to troubleshoot most of the problems by myself on this. I've not really had any issues with the settings, mostly when my stitches look bad it's because I'm using the wrong needle and/or thread. I am having a lot of difficulty moving on to other kinds of edges- there is no proper way to control/ vary the speed other than via the presser foot. Right now, it is either too fast or too slow, and I find it pretty much impossible for knit clothes because of tricky angles. If you go too slow, things start to go wrong. Hemming is OK, but only for larger hems (ie not cuffs/sleeves). I think it is something that comes with practice, as there are tons of videos out there of people making shirts with just a serger.

Must get this!

I wanted to have my own serger instead of always borrowing from a fellow seamstress, and this one caught my eye. Brother has increasingly upgraded their products with not only attractive appearances but with performance. I love my Brother CS6000i and decided to go with the Designio serger and I cannot express how happy and excited I am. Everything is clearly marked and illustrated in the books as well as on the machine, and to me this is the most user friendly serger in my experience. I haven't had a chance to watch the DVDs yet but the included books are very easy to understand. It comes with everything listed, which is awesome because you don't have to spend extra money for nearly all the accessory feet offered for the Designio. The machine runs very smooth, is surprisingly quiet for a serger and is SOOOOO fast! The cover it comes with is flimsy and has a funky smell but it is just a dust jacket. You could sew your own if you want something more attractive or buy a case if you need something more sturdy. Overall, for the value and quality, this is a decent machine for the price and the perfect investment for new users as well the experienced. (I've been sewing for 15 years, and yes it's nice if you can afford the pricey high end machines but why spend the money if you don't have to.) If you need a good serger but affordable and functional, then you must get the Brother Designio Series Serger!

The Best Yet!

I have used many different Sergers over a period of years and I was skeptical about having one that didn't have an open front. However, I thought I'd try this one and I'm glad I did. Easy to thread and use. The smoothest operation I've seen and I've had 5 sergers over a long period. I would recommend it for the advanced user or the novice. Follow directions, read the instruction book first and you won't have a problem.

Absolutely No Regrets

Allow me to preface this review with: I've never, ever used nor owned a Serger - I've never even watched someone else use a Serger... so if I can do it, anyone can. I primarily sew clothing, and finally, after 30 years, have decided it's time to take my sewing up a notch. I'm thrilled with the results! I absolutely love this Brother Serger. I spent much time reading reviews and searching Craig's List for an amazing deal on a high dollar Bernina or Juki, which could not be found. So I opted for this Brother within my price range, and could not possibly be happier with my choice. I selected this 1234 over the 1034 because I prefer the more sophisticated look of the Navy Blue dials over the 1034's colored dials - and because this model came with 3 additional feet, well worth the added expense to me. Threading is simple and each step clearly marked and color coded; Inside the looper area, they have little numbered pictures - making threading essentially foolproof - the only thing you need the manual for is to tell you the proper order to follow. As long as you thread in order, you will have no trouble at all. My final comment on threading is to immediately take the thread spools provided with the Brother machine and THROW THEM IN THE TRASH - and thread the machine with quality thread purchased elsewhere. The "complimentary" threads kept breaking and made my first 2 hours on the machine more frustrating than needed. Save yourself the headache! Once I put some decent thread on the Serger, it was smooth sailing from then on. Another advantage to this machine is that it uses standard sewing machine needles, so you don't have to buy special needles for it; you can interchange with your regular sewing machine, which is a cost savings. Overlocking is a breeze. I've tested out denim, super-light stretch fabric, and swim suit fabric; and I've also stitched through 4 layers of Polar Fleece without any trouble (made my son a fleece bathrobe/PJ pants for Christmas). Love the differential feed which prevents stretching!! With only minor adjustments to stitch widths, lengths and tension dials, I have successfully serged flat seams on every fabric I've tried so far. I cannot gush and rave about this Serger enough. I haven't yet tried to do a rolled hem. But a flatlock seam was easy enough. Simply keep the manual open when trying new things and everything seems to work exactly as described. The fabric cutting knives can be disengaged with the flip of a switch, and the upper knife can be easily moved out of the way by simply pressing it down inside the machine. Move it back into position when needed again. No danger of cutting yourself the way it's set up. This machine has helped me make quick work of some pretty big projects that would have taken 3 times longer on my sewing machine. I couldn't be happier with it!! I love this Serger so much, I just had a second one shipped to my Mother... she's pretty excited to start sewing knits again. I highly suggest you save yourself the money and give this Brother a try... my experience has been high dollar results and amazing finished looks at an incredible price.

... industrial surger when a domestic one is just as good and inexpensive

Why buy an industrial surger when a domestic one is just as good and inexpensive? Is what my fashion design teacher told me.. took his advice and bought it... and I loveeeeeee it... came with accessories and it's way easier to thread than the industrial ones... comes with a how to book as well as a CD... and two sets of 4 thread one set white (which I used)and one set colorful... love the careful packaging and it came in time... unfortunately I had to move to another country and carrying it would have cost me to much... sooo what I did was gave it to my seamstress grandmother who was asking me to help her buy one just like mine (she never had one) she's an active 84year old woman and I know for a fact she won't have problems threading or using it... I didn't leave myself out however.. as soon as I got settled my husband repurchase the same exact model as I was determined to get it back.... loved it then and love it now

A truly good value!

OK works great! This machine is a workhorse. I have had it for about 6 months now and I have put 100s of hours on it and literally 60 miles of thread. Here was my only PROBLEM: I needed to tighten the lift screw several times as it will fall out and the lift lever. A little drop of nail polish on the screw and then re-installed it, worked great so it doesn't vibrate loose. Also, note: Carry the machine only by the handle so the belt won't loosen...did not happen to me, but only because I watched a youtube video, also, you have to get some triflow or other high quality lube for this. See info booklet or youtube to show you how easy this is. It litarlly takes 20 seconds to do and eliminates the squeaks. It's quieter than my other machine and for the money, one of the best investments I have ever purchased. -David Shaffer, Holly Springs, NC

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