Saturday 7 January 2017

Learning to use my New Cover Stitch Machine


Christmas gifts I received recently included a Janome CoverPro 2000CPX cover stitch machine... something I had been dropping lots of hints about in the lead up to Christmas. I also received the clear view foot, as everyone on IG had suggested it was a necessary accessory. I did hubby's Christmas shopping for him and ordered it online from sewingmachines.com.au for the sale price of $849.00 with free delivery. This sale price is still current and goes up to $999.00 on 16th January, so if you are after one you had better get in quick. My daughter sent me this adorable Liberty pin cushion shaped like an apple along with a gift card for Spotlight. My son has ordered The Tunic Bible by Sarah Gunn and Julie Starr, which was out of stock, so I am looking forward to receiving it mid February. These were all very welcome additions to my sewing room.


I squeezed the CoverPro in between my overlocker and my sewing machine on my sewing desk. I think this set up works ok, even if it is a little crowded. I just have to be careful to use the right foot pedal with the right machine.


I'm so glad I got the clear view foot too. It makes it so much easier to line up the stitches when sewing in the round. I really knew very little about cover stitching so I searched for info on the internet and I discovered that Craftsy had a new course for beginners on sale, at the time, so I bought it straight away. I'm so glad I did, as it was very informative, explaining the basics as well as showing the more decorative ways of using the cover stitch.


I decided to sew a nice simple project for my first go at using the CoverPro. So a Maria Denmark Kirsten Kimono Tee fit the bill nicely. I have made this tee before and I have tweaked the pattern to improve the fit on me, by lengthening it and scooping out the neckline.


The fabric is a lovely 100% cotton jersey purchased from Spotlight. As it had no lycra or spandex component I used a scrap of white cotton/lycra for the neckline binding.


I used Bondaweb T10, an iron-on adhesive to secure the hems before cover stitching. I buy this from Knitwit. This resulted in nice even stitching with no tunnelling.


I did find it difficult to keep the stitching straight and wrap over the raw edge consistently. I found that it's better to sew slower rather than faster for the best result. I used a piece of tape as a hem guide which worked just fine. I'm not sure it would be worth the cost of purchasing the accessory specifically for this purpose. I did a pretty rough job of cover stitching the seam allowance of the neckline binding down, completely missing the raw edge in places. It looks ok from the outside so I left it as it is, vowing to improve that on the next one.


I was keen to try again, so I dug this red striped cotton jersey out of the stash. This is another Spotlight purchase from a few years ago, but it was printed terribly off grain. I thought I could make it work in this simple tee, so I cut it out, ignoring the grain and focusing on matching the stripes.


This stripe matching business adds so much time to what should have been a very quick sew. I meticulously pinned every stripe and sewed the side seams on my sewing machine, later finishing the seams on the overlocker once the stripes were matched.


Both pairs of shorts worn with these tees are RTW, purchased from Rockmans in the 50% off sales leading up to Christmas. These are the first RTW garments I have bought in ages but I could not have sewn these myself for less than what I paid for them.


The sleeve hems were cover stitched before the side seams were sewn.  


Knowing the difficulty I had with cover stitching the neckline on the first tee, I took particular care with this one, achieving a much better result.


I can see that my skills will improve with practice. I am so glad that I watched the Craftsy course before I started practicing as I didn't have any significant issues at all with that new found knowledge fresh in my mind.


I have had a lovely two and a bit weeks off work for the holidays. I managed to sew two dresses and two tees, participate in Christmas and New Year festivities, enjoy family visiting and do some gardening. Well, all good things come to an end and it's back to work on Monday.

Jean

24 comments:

  1. I recently got the same machine after much heavy hinting too! I'll have to look at that Craftsy course because my stitching is no where as neat as your finishing has turned out- your tees look so RTW. Your granddaughter is so cute by the way (but I can't believe you are a grandma!)

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    1. I do recommend the Craftsy course, Kristy. It gives a good foundation for us beginners. Thanks for your lovely comments, but I did only show the best bits. There is still plenty of room for improvement.

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  2. Oooh I'm so excited for you. I would love a coverstitch machine. You did a lovely job on your first efforts. The Kirsten Kimono Tee is a great little top to practice on and so useful in the summer. Enjoy playing with your new toys :)

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    1. Thanks so much Kathy. I am pleased with my first efforts, and now I want to make a stack of new tees, but I am out of suitable fabric at the moment. These two have been in heavy rotation since completion.

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  3. Wow lucky you. That's also a great price. I promised myself to practise on my 2nd hand brother. I think the Janome is a better machine but I can't justify it at this point. I've only made two things with it and it's nowhere near that neat either. Might invest in that course. I think I've read (a while ago) that the Brother is not so responsive and I do find this, then you press harder and then it flies but hard to control. Your tops look perfect. I also can't believe you are a Grandma!

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    1. Thank you Summer Flies. I am very lucky to have received such an extravagant gift and I hope I can justify it. I do sew a lot of knits so it will be a valuable addition to the sewing room. I have found it to be a bit tricky to sew a nice even straight line. It will take some more practice to perfect.

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  4. It looks like you've got the hang of the machine already.
    Anyway, who cares - at least you've got the machine! Happy experimenting

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    1. Thanks Ruth. There's still plenty of room for improvement.

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  5. Congratulations on your new addition. A coverstitch machine is one of those purchases in the back of my mind - it would be interesting to know how you find coverstitching over time.
    Back to the routine for me too tomorrow :(

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    1. Thanks Paola. I will try to keep you updated as I get more experienced with it. Such a shame holidays have to come to an end.

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  6. You're doing a lovely neat job on the coverstitching. That looks like a great machine. My Bernina funlock is very hit and miss. That last picture is gorgeous!

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    1. Thanks Megan. It is a great machine, so far no problems. I was very lucky to have my eldest son, daughter in law and three grand daughters come and stay in the holidays. This little cutie is the youngest. Can't believe she is almost 12 months old already.

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  7. Congratulations on your new machine - it looks like you are off to a great start already!

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  8. I think you have done a great job, and yes, getting the hem "caught" is the hardest part. But if you look inside RTW you will find that is not perfect either. The Craftsy course sounds good, I'll have to get it next time it is on sale. And tape works well for guiding the edge.

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    1. Thanks Sarah Liz. I have been having a look inside some RTW and have been quite shocked at the sloppy cover stitching. I always wait for the Craftsy sales. They seem to have them qiite often.

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  9. Lucky you getting such lovely sewing related presents. I think what you've done so far on your cover stitch looks great- bit more practice and you will be perfect!

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    1. I have been very fortunate in the sewing department. Thanks for your comment Manju.

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  10. Great post. I am looking forward to more practicing on mine as well.

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    1. Thanks Andrea. Looking forward to seeing your cover stitching too. It's a shame that work is getting in the way of sewing now.

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  11. I have the older Janome CoverPro and love it. Looks like you are mastering it. I'll be sure to check out the Craftsy class to see how to use other features. I use tape as a guide, too.

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    1. Thanks for your comment Dana. Glad to hear you love your machine too.

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  12. Congratulations on the new Coverstitch, I have the original one and love it. You have mastered it so well with the Craftsy course, I wasn't sure if I would learn anything but might have to keep an eye out for the next sale.

    For hems I use the Blue Fabric stick to stick down the hem allowance, it doesn't clog up the needles and washes out in the first wash.

    I look forward to seeing how much fun you have.

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    1. Thanks Sharon. I have been a bit short of time for sewing since returning to work after the Christmas break. Must look into the blue fabric stick.

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