The Sewing Place

New Elna Easycover

Ploshkin

New Elna Easycover
« on: August 29, 2018, 11:44:16 AM »
I've just had a quick play with my new Elna Easycover (same as the Janome Coverpro 2000).
I bought this machine on the recommendation of my local(ish) sewing machine man.  I have never been disappointed with anything he has recommended.
This is the machine.  It came ready threaded with 4 big reels containing a substantial quantity of thread. 
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I have unthreaded and re threaded it and it's much easier than the overlocker.  There is a knob to pull which brings the looper into a convenient position for threading.
There is a piece you can remove from the machine bed to have a free arm
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This is a sample of a chain stitch, a narrow 2 needle stitch, a wide 2 needle stitch and a 3 needle stitch on a piece of very stretchy cotton jersey.  I didn't have any problem with any of them. 
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I found it easier to remove and insert the needles with the foot off as there is not much clearance.  The foot comes on and off easily.  The only minor thing I found was that I was fishing about for the presser foot lever at the back.  It could do with sticking out a bit more from the back of the machine.  The machine runs smoothly and quietly and I can see me using it a lot (not enough perhaps to justify the cost but a girl is entitled to be a bit extravagant once in a while)
Life's too short for ironing.

Bodgeitandscarper

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2018, 12:25:10 PM »
That looks good! Have fun with it, I love coverstitching.

sewingj

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2018, 13:19:39 PM »
Please please please can someone tell me in words of one syllable what is the difference between an overlocker and a coverstitch machine?  I haven`t got either at the moment and wonder which would be most useful
« Last Edit: August 29, 2018, 13:32:27 PM by sewingj »

SkoutSews

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2018, 14:19:51 PM »
Lovely!  Isn't it nice to have a new toy?  I got the Janome version last year when it was being offered at an unusually low price and I've been very pleased with it.  The chainstitch is useful for tacking things up to test for size, then easily (OK, sometimes more easily than others) pulls out for proper sewing. The two and three needle stitches are great for finishing knits.

Watch out for the freearm piece, though.  I had a worrying moment when I thought that the feed dogs or tension were playing up, as the fabric was bunching up behind the needles.  After several  panicky minutes I realised that the fabric was being caught by the freearm insert, which I hadn't fully pushed home to be completely flush with the machine bed.  It seems I'm not alone in doing this, I read of other people having the same difficulty, so felt less stupid  :S

It's a bit of a luxury for me, but then I have used it lots more than I thought and it should last me out!

SkoutSews

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2018, 14:29:20 PM »
Please please please can someone tell me in words of one syllable what is the difference between an overlocker and a coverstitch machine?  I haven`t got either at the moment and wonder which would be most useful

I'll have a go....

Principally and very generally, an overlocker sews seams on knit fabrics.  It produces a stretchy seam that will not break when the fabric stretches.  It has knife that trims the excess fabric off before the fabric passes through the needle where the seam is 'bound' by the needle and loopers (underneath jiggery-pokery that takes the place of a bobbin).  Look at side seams of T-shirts for example.

A coverstitch machine finishes off hems on knits, and other stuff too I suppose.  Mainly knits.  It produces two or three lines of stitching on the right side and the looper catches them all on the wrong side.  Look at hems and necklines on T-shirts for examples.

Both are much faster than a proper sewing machine and take a bit of getting used to, but are fine thereafter.  An overlocker would be the one to get before a coverstitcher.

sewingj

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2018, 14:44:27 PM »
@SkoutSews  - got it! Thankyou.
So, just to be certain, does that mean you can`t do hems with an over-locker?
« Last Edit: August 29, 2018, 14:49:02 PM by sewingj »

Efemera

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2018, 15:08:45 PM »
@SkoutSews  - got it! Thankyou.
So, just to be certain, does that mean you can`t do hems with an over-locker?
..
No you have to use a zigzag or a twin needle. There are ways of doing a fake flat lock and such but it’s a faff. But an overlocker is more useful than a coverstitch. A coverstitch is a bit of a luxury though it does take your sewing to the next level if you master the binder.

Lachica

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #7 on: August 29, 2018, 15:16:11 PM »
@sewingj an overlocker can be used for hems; at least mine, a brother 1034, can be. It will do a narrow rolled hem with a few simple changes to the settings. I also have a blind hem foot which can be used, with the knife disengaged, to do just that. It can be used for gathering (I have a foot for that) and I used it for shirring on a child's dress. Have a look online at the spec for the brother 1034. This is a pretty basic model, there are many more sophisticated (and costly) ones. Once you have the names of the stitches it will do, I expect YouTube will have videos of the stitches in use. I'd never heard of domestic overlockers until I joined TSF and discovered I NEEDED one!
Mary
2020 stash: not gonna count, not gonna feel guilty.

BrendaP

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2018, 15:44:28 PM »
On some overlockers you can disengage the knife (and thread up a bit differently) so that it makes a coverstitch rather than overlocking.

3 thread overlocking - 1 needle, upper looper and lower looper.  Used mostly to finish seam allowances.

4 thread overlocking - 2 needles, upper looper and lower looper.  Makes a wider stitch with safety thread in the middle of it; used mostly for seams in stretchy fabric.

5 thread overlocking  - 1 needle and chain looper plus 1 needle, upper and lower loopers.  Makes a chain stitch and a separate narrow overlocking beside it.  Used for seams.

4 thread coverstitching - 3 needles and chain looper to make wide coverstitching on reverse and three parallel rows of stitching on top.

3 thread coverstitching - 2 needles and chain looper to make wide or narrow coverstitch and 2 parallel rows of stitching on top.

2 thread cover stitching - 1 needle and chain looper to make chain stitch below but looks like regular machine stitching on top.

Coverstitchers are used primarily for top stitched hems on stretchy fabrics.  A twin or triple needle in a regular machine does a similar job.  Overlockers are used for seaming and finishing in one pass or for finishing raw seam edges or making faux rolled hems on fine fabrics.

Given the amount of stretch fabrics around now an overlocker is almost essential if you are serious about sewing garments.  A coverstitcher is a luxury.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

BrendaP

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #9 on: August 29, 2018, 16:11:03 PM »
I have the Elna 444 which is the same as Janome Coverpro 1000, so very similar.

It took quite a while to get to grips with locking off at the end of the stitching; cheap thread often doesn't pull through nicely.  Make sure you end with the needles at the highest position and the three thread guides underneath lined up together - I have made a small mark on the balance wheel so I know where to stop.   If the threads still don't pull through just open the front flap and pull the knob to flip the looper down and they will pull through easily.  Remember to push the looper back up!

Another little tip which I've done with the overlocker too; the foot has little raised bits in line with each needle.  A teeny-weeny dab of red nail varnish makes them much easier to see, but do leave it long enough for the nail varnish to dry!
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Renegade Sewist

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #10 on: August 29, 2018, 18:54:02 PM »
Given the amount of stretch fabrics around now an overlocker is almost essential if you are serious about sewing garments.  A coverstitcher is a luxury.

That is it in a nutshell. I sew few knits or stretchy anything, so haven't given in to a cover-stitch machine. On some garments, wovens, I sew almost all of it on the serger (US name for overlocker) and only use my sewing machine for the hems. Obviously not adding zippers.

The serger also sews very quickly! I've pieced a simple quilt on mine and it was quite fun as well as very fast.
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.

sewingj

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #11 on: August 29, 2018, 19:07:30 PM »
Perhaps I need to start writing to Father Christmas......

Renegade Sewist

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #12 on: August 29, 2018, 19:15:37 PM »
Perhaps I need to start writing to Father Christmas......

Work on it. My serger came as a 50th birthday present. It was gift wrapped in the trunk of a new to me (used) car. Not typical for him, but all my friends have used it, some to good advantage. One can't be outshined by some other fellow you know.


@Ploshkin  I forgot to say congratulations on your new toy. Looks lovely. I like the little tee shirt emblem by one of the tension wheels. Probably there for an unknown to me reason but I like it. Yes...tee shirts.  :toast:
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.

Ploshkin

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #13 on: August 29, 2018, 21:14:49 PM »
@Renegade Sewist there is a light t shirt emblem and a dark t shirt emblem and a lever that switches between them, it's called the looper thread tension switching lever.  It lets you change between light and heavy fabrics without adjusting the looper tension.
Life's too short for ironing.

Renegade Sewist

Re: New Elna Easycover
« Reply #14 on: August 29, 2018, 22:20:14 PM »
Plosh, one more reason for coverstitch envy. That's very thoughtful of them. Thanks for the info.
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.