My First Quilted Sewing Machine Cover

I have been sewing and quilting for years, so it surprises even me to say this is the first time I have made a sewing machine cover.

In the past I have used the hard cover that comes with many machines.  I have also generally found the sewn covers to be a fad of the moment in style or fabrics.  I also always wondered - is this really necessary?

After having my backup sewing machine finally go patoot, and my bernina in the shop with timing issues I went ahead and got a new backup.  A brother I found on sale at Costco - it does all I want without breaking the bank.  However it came without cover.  Even my serger came with a cover!  With the amount of dust I have in a home on a dirt road and using a wood stove I do think that the cover is a practical necessity at this time.  I am doing a lot of hand sewing right now so the machine will do a lot of sitting and looking pretty.

So, now what?  I went and looked on craftsy.com for patterns and found none I really liked.  But I did like elements of many.  My criteria became - quilted with a binding.  All edges finished, not turned.  Rectangular rather than oblong in shape.  Large enough to fit this machine but also others, and not so big its ridiculous.  Fabrics I think will hold up visually over time, and nothing kitschy like applique characters (cute though many are!).  No need for added items like pockets.   An opening in the back for the machine handle.  By now I had a mental idea of a pattern.

After deciding on fabrics by going thru a scrap pile I recently received from a online friend, I then started measuring.  I wanted it to fit over the machine on all sides without too much pulling.  17" wide, 13 " tall, and 7 " deep.

I decided the front and sides would be different but complimentary.  I chose a crosshatch print in black and white (a new favorite blender/neutral!) for the binding and some of the front and back design element.  Then a fun shot cotton in berry and a tula pink fabric in a chartreuse print.  Add in a lovely character fabric I may never otherwise use and I have a set I can work with.  For the sides I went with a charcoal geometry print I am also newly in love with.

I then decided to do an offset checked in the prints with a strip of them in the middle of the black and white character print.  Squared to the size I needed with the black and white crosshatch fabric.  Then I quilted the front and back with the inside of all panels in the charcoal print.  The quilting is just a straight line in random widths.  Then I did the sides and top all in one length and quilted it as well.

The hardest part was the binding.  I decided (because I am not patient) to completely machine sew it.  I took the front and the side piece insides together and sewed 3 edges with a VERY scant 1/4 inch.  I then sewed the binding raw edge down.  Then flipped the finished binding edge over and sewed right along the fold.  It created a tight binding that helps hold the shape of the machine cover and looks like piping.

I did the same for the back with one addition.  Before I sewed the back and side pieces together I sewed about 8" of binding to the top of the back piece.  Then, as I sewed the back and side piece together then added the binding, I did not sew or bind that top of the back.  This made a bound open spot where the back of the machine has an inset handle.  So, I can pick it up with the cover on it and transport it securely if needed.  I felt it finished really well!

After binding the bottom edge as the final finish - there we go.  As one of my friends said, I 'indigoed' the design.  Unlike some experiments this one worked out very well!  I enjoy using it and looking at it.  I hope it is useful for years to come, even if my aesthetic changes.

Part of my Q2 finishes along with On the Windy Side.