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A Sewing Machine Cover

Currently I am knee deep in organize-the-house projects with one of those projects being my sewing area.  (What a disaster!)  As I sat there looking at it’s sorry condition the other night I thought to myself, “Well, at least I’m using my sewing machine cover.”

I like my sewing machine cover—it saves my machine from tiny hands and the piles of fabric and notions that surround the poor thing.  I shared the tutorial for how I made the cover a few months ago over at Somewhat Simple but never posted it here on our blog.  So today as I’m plowing through fabric and partially finished projects I’ll share the only organized part of my sewing corner with you.  The sewing machine cover.

Here’s how I made it:

#1. Trace your sewing machine. I just laid mine down right on the floor and traced around it using a marker and some wrapping paper. (*Note: You can see that when I traced I left a generous 1 inch allowance on all sides just to make sure it would be big enough even after the seams were sewn.)

#2. Measure the depth of your machine and add half an inch.. Then measure your machine from the base/bottom of the left side, up over and across the top, and down to the base/bottom of the right side and add a good 2 to 3 inches (just to be sure your piece will be long enough). My measurements ended up being 7″ deep and 34 and 1/2″ from the base to base (going up over the top).

#3. Using a heavy canvas I cut 2 flat pieces from the pattern I traced and 1 piece matching the width and depth measurement I had taken. Next I cut the same number of pieces out of felt. (I chose a soft fluffy felt to line the cover with.)
#4. ***OPTIONAL****I added a strip of my favorite sewing fabric along with some ribbon onto the front panel of my cover. I just wanted it to have a little decoration but it’s totally unnecessary.

#5. Pin each canvas piece to it’s matching flannel/lining piece.

#6. Begin sewing. ( I sewed my pieces wrong sides together because I wanted a work in progress kind of look with the raw edges but you can easily sew it with right sides together for a more finished, clean looking machine cover.) I started by sewing the bottom right hand corner of the cover to the long strip….sewing a long seam up and over the top and finishing at the left hand corner. When I was finished I repeated the same process this time with the back panel of the cover.

#7. Now your cover is completely assembled. To finish it off I ran a stitch around the entire bottom of my cover about 1/2 in from the raw edge bottom. (Note: Before you stitch around the bottom edge try your cover on your machine just to make sure you don’t have to trim anything off of the bottom. Since you hand drew the pattern this may be the case AND you may have had a little extra of the long strip hanging over on one side—if so trim that up nicely as well.)

#8. ***OPTIONAL***Since I’m fussy and can’t leave anything well enough alone I hot glued a ribbon on the front of the cover when I was done. I liked the idea of mixing different fibers with the canvas, felt, cotton and ribbon along with the raw and polished edges.

Done and done. Really, what a simple project. (And I like it so much better than the cheesy plasticy cover my machine came with.) So go and cover those naked machines of yours…they will thank you for it…and even if your sewing area is a disaster zone (like mine) at least you’ll be able to look at the pile of “creativity” and say, “Hey, at least I’m using my sewing machine cover.”

Ok…so I’m going in….it’s me versus the pile…wish me luck!

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Comments

  1. Bratling says

    I know the feeling. I shoveled out my sewing closet… or what used to be known as the black hole, this past weekend. It went from piled to my shoulders and neck in cardboard boxes, shopping bags, and loose fabric to this. It’s still a mess, but it’s an organized mess! And while it’s not done, yet (I have two huge boxes of donated fabric to go through and a garbage bag of donated patterns, plus the supplies that hadn’t made it to the closet and my entire pattern collection) I’m working on it. It’s a goal for this year–to get organized!

    And I have a feeling that the next bit of sewing downtime I get will end up being two sewing machine covers and one serger cover!

  2. Laura Lowe says

    Thanks to you, I have a new sewing machine and am learning what to do with it! Literally, yesterday I said, “I need to figure out how to make a cover for this thing.” Are you reading my mind?

  3. Ruby Jean says

    I am so VERY bad… I make machine covers and then NEVER use them… It could have something to do with it being in CONSTANT use.. and then covering seems like to much work… LOL!!!! Your cover is adorable.. 🙂

  4. Lindsey M. says

    I love your cover 🙂 This is just the project to motivate me to clean up my own sewing desk! Adding a little pretty always puts some pep in my step. Thank you for the tutorial.

  5. Rose says

    This is so cute! I really should make one, but I should make it in scraps that coordinate with the kitchen. Our sewing/homework center in the kitchen already looks like an explosion, so I probably shouldn’t add anything too distracting (like random colors). I still like dark green, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Thanks for this tutorial!

  6. Pam says

    Thanks for the tutorial. I can totally relate to the disaster zone. I’ve pinned this and it’s a pin I will get around to do. The inside out seams will match my table and floor with threads everywhere… LOL!!! Love your cover.

  7. Attilio says

    oh thanku for this..i have wanted to make one to change the nasty one my machine came with that has ‘changed’ colour! you make it so easy. also want to say thanks as used your Audrey Hepburn cape to make one for my little girl. it came out wow! then i saw a similar one in Marks & Spencer for Euro50 on sale!!! mine was free as a neighbour gave me the fabric and my aunt gave me the lining! i also made her a pleated skirt to match! thanks
    becky
    bpbajona (at) maltanet.net

  8. Jules says

    Lovely colour choices! Your machine will be very happy in it’s new home. Mine however, really DOES need a cover…hmmm