The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Embroidery and Embellishment => Topic started by: Iminei on July 07, 2020, 09:54:37 AM
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The last couple of days I have been wrestling with making Elvistoo a new cover ...
I find it frankly shocking that such expensive machines, as the Brother Innovis range are, are sold with the cheapest, nastiest, illfittingest plasticky piece of c*** for a cover ... hereafter ever known as Elvistoos bodybag and have long wanted to make a new cover for both my Elvis's ...
My first Elvis had an attached embroidery carriage which made the shape of any cover much more problematic; if I recall correctly @twopence and @Elnnina brashly offered to come up with a design for me ... thankfully it didnt happen and I traded Elvis in for his much bigger brother Elvistoo whose embroidery carriage was detachable making it a much more regular shape to fit.
There was a woman on FB recently who, after selling patterns for a cover for the V3, had decided in her magnanimity to allow those who had previously purchased them from her to redistribute the pattern freely. I got hold of one of these in the form of email pics and filed them away ready for the day .... which suddenly arrived on Saturday!
I printed all the info out and the lovely @Puzzler and I sat down to try and work them out.
Most of the destruction were pics of a booklet which the lady who sent it to me hadn't bothered to unstaple so the writing was on the wonk and quite frankly I was pleased that Puzzler was with me because it was one almighty riddle.
I think it transpired that there were two separate patterns involved as pieces such as G and H weren't shown in any pics and although A and B were pertaining to the main body of the machine in the text the pics showing pieces A and B related to the embroidery carriage.
Long story short we ditched the destructions which proved to be a complete waste or ink, time and paper and worked from that Great British Childhood staple, A cornflakes packet (or two) ...
I drew round both ends of Elvistoo and we set about making a pattern from there. As we worked I realised this was no 5 minute job so my plans to make a practice one (to be donated to a V3 owner at the finish) turned into this was the Real Deal!
What a Faff !!!!! probably, no definitely all of my own making as I really dont understand how to sew 3D ... hence I'm just a lowly Darksider.
Puzzler taught me about clipping into the straight fabric to go round the curves and when I said I thought I would like to wad and quilt it very wisely left me to it.
Sunday was spent quilting, quilting, quilting ... I was only going round the (bloody doors) outline of the pattern, nothing fancy, schmancy but on Monday I was still quilting.
I should have given up ... but around midday there I was sewing curved pieces to straight or straight pieces to curved I misremember which way round I did it, probably a bit of both ... I know I started from the middle and worked out (can I hear lightsiders howling with laughter from here ??) and used a loooong stitch length just in case I had to use Jack.
Anyway it fit! in fact it was too loose ... so I started again, normal stitch length and at least a quarter inch inside my sewn line ... It still fitted so that was good but now the problem was evening up the edge/hem ????
I pinned and swore and bled for hours it seemed until I had something that resembled straightish lines around the edges ... but My God... the mess inside.
I thought and thought on how I could possibly tidy up the inside seams to no avail ... There wasn't enough fabric to turn the seams over/under?? so I decided to leave them as they were. The hem was a similar disaster and the only solution I could come up with was to sew a ribbon around the inside covering the mess underneath.
Still by the end of play on Monday Elvistoo had a proper (although very UnElvislike) well fitting cover (if no one looks too closely) ... but what of a cover for the embroidery carriage??? God, I'm sorry I haven't the strength!
Galloping horses are available on the right peeps, if you want to take a look at The Kings new jumpsuit!
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You did a magnificent job so definitely not a Dog's Dinner. I can't believe you quilted around all those blinking trees!! :faints:
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Yes .... every bleeding one :angry: but I drew a line at the birdies!
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It's lovely @Iminei all that hard work paid off :) :vintage:
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You did a great job :thumbsup:
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Yes Girls, It is lovely .... that is until you look inside! :S
Still Hes much better protected now!
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Looks great!
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well ...Knock me down with a feather ... guess whats just appeared on the V3 group on Faceache (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1186151531484016/permalink/3086860871413063/) (you may not be able to see this as its a closed group)
But a Decently written up and illustrated FREE pattern for the V3's all in one cover ... Truly a worthy jumpsuit for Elvis!
Even I can understand this .... Maybe next time ... as along with my fabric booty the postman brought me a dongle with embroidery patterns for Elvis on ... So who knows, maybe this one will be a prototypo! (as they say in Milan)
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Looks good but why do you make life difficult for yourself?
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why do you make life difficult for yourself?
???????????
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All the layering and quilting is what I meant <3
My new Brother came with a proper hard case, same material as the machine.
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Mnnnnnnn
Well Elvistoo didnt ... so whats a girl to do ... Its the most expensive machine Ive ever bought (and that includes my cars )... and I want to look after him.
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Throw a sheet over it??? :D :D
Case looks nice, are you making anything pink? I'm considering it :thinking:
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That looks good :)
I've seen the free "pattern" this morning, and will be having a go at a cover for my V3. I like the way it's an all in one cover for the main body and the embroidery arm.
Bet I don't have any fabric I like, most of mine is jersey, I may have to go for a browse around t'interwibble... Oh dear, what a shame, never mind 0_0
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@Iminei I think it looks great and if I come for another playday sometime, I promise I won't look inside ;) If, as you claim, you don't do 3D, I'm interested to know how you made 2D waistcoats back in the day :rolleyes:
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Oh I like that and love the fabric.
I know what you mean about the flimsy covers, both my sewing machines only have the carrying bags, the overlocker and coverstitch have the plastic thingies. I made covers for allof them, not padded and quilted but yours looks so much better than the saggy covers on mine.
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@Bodgeitandscarper .. surely Jersey would fit lie a glove ?????
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...or flop like a baggy t-shirt... :S
I have found some interesting fabric with poodles on...
linky (https://www.hobkirk.co.uk/lewis-and-irene-poodle-2)
Just need it to be payday now...
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Very nicely done! I agree about the Brother covers. The one that came with my embroidery machine was cheap plastic. I sewed a drape with ribbon ties and a slit at the top for the handle.
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@Sara-S
I like that idea. Practical, pretty and not too tricky!
I might do that for two of my machines as I think I would struggle to make something fitted like Iminei’s, as much as I really admire it.
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@Sara-S
I like that idea. Practical, pretty and not too tricky!
I might do that for two of my machines as I think I would struggle to make something fitted like Iminei’s, as much as I really admire it.
Thanks @WildAtlanticWay ! I love what @Iminei made, but it exceeds my skills. Mine was made from 4 coordinating fat quarters. I used some fusible interfacing between layers. So I sewed 2 pieces RST and then turned them right-side out. I pinned 2 pieces of ribbon into the seam allowance. Repeat for the second side. I sewed the 2 panels together at the top, stopping about 2/3 of the way. Then I left some room for the handle and resumed sewing for a little less than a quarter of the way to the end. Measurements will, of course vary with your machine, but it's pretty easy.
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Hahaha I've been meaning to make a cover for my V3 ever since i bought it second hand and it came without a cover at all. But the brain melting how to fit it over the carriage means it just sits on the table and i wipe the dust off occasionally :scream:
If there's a pattern now though - I may get on it!
Oh and Imi I will be buying some stuff from spoonflower I think - do you still want the elvis fabric ;)
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Yes please!!! I think its just yardage, not a panel and a yard/metre would do ...
I can send you Elvistoos placky cover as a stopgap if you want or point you in the direction of the GOOD destructions for a cover ...
The ones Puzzler and I were working from were C*** and very confused (we think they were two different sets) and in the end we threw them away and winged it.
The day after I had made this cover a girl on fb releases her much more comprehensive destruction ... are you on FB @Syrinx ??
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I am! I am also on that group haha but I'd missed her post so your link was super handy!
I'll probably put the order in this week, just trying to corral other people who want a bit of fabric from them but haven't confirmed yet.
Haha, my V3 chills under whatever I chuck on it, or he's nakey. Can you pop a link to the exact elvis you want? I'd hate to get the wrong one!
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(https://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=10290.0;attach=23630;image)
Original thread (https://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/topic,10290.0.html)
This is the one I really, really want ... I wanna, I wanna, I wanna zig a zig zig .. (Apologies Spice girls were not my era but you get the gist ....)
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Ok, I'll have a look on spoonflower
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Good morning Imi, oh yes I remember our attempts to sort of copy my cover for the Bernina Artista 200 and make it suitable for the original Elvis – it sort of never materialised. Your attempts are super, well done hope Elvistoo enjoys his new clothes, all beautifully quilted as well.
I have been searching and searching for the photos I took and sent to Imi all afternoon, My Bernina covers are in three parts, and are made of a very sturdy fabric with what looks and feels like wired piping. The main machine part is sort of cut away at the free arm part and has one half of an open end zip sewn on, and this part also has a very shallow strip that again has half a zip attached so when joined on to the body it totally covers the main machine only. The third part of the cover is much smaller, wider and flatter and also has half of an open end zip sewn on. So when the embroidery attachment is actually attached to the main machine you can still use the main cover, but unzip the small strip first, so the cover really only comes down to the free arm part, then join the cover for the embroidery unit and just zip them together.
So back to the photos, I know the first ones I took of this cover are somewhere on my laptop but finding them was a problem, so I charged up the camera and found them on there. Having typed out my reply I then tried to attach the photos and something went horribly wrong, and I lost my message and got a fatal warning page instead.
So with Imi’s help I am hoping that today I can actually attach these.
I know that Twopence has gone to a lot of trouble to sort out on a Windows 10 laptop how I can download my photos, but due to the lockdown we haven’t been able to see one another, and when we do it won’t be 2mtrs. apart as I need to be closer to be able to see and understand what to do. Oh it was so much easier when I had a lesser windows and also a Photo programme. Whilst I still have the disc with the photo programme on it I have no doubt that it is not sophisticated enough for Windows 10 and that is what causes the problems. Do we really have to go buying everything new again with the very latest versions every time we change to a different Windows system. I know for example I cannot use my expensive Bernina Embroidery programme on Windows 10, so I have an old laptop tucked away that still has XP on it, or failing that I will nab my husband’s laptop which is V.7 and has been kept that way as this is the last one that will accept the Bernina Programme.
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Oh ... How very, very posh!!!!
Is it Bernina made or ... Wait for it ... Elnnina made (Im soooo clever :dance: hahahahahahaha)
Very very swish!
If I ever source the Elvis fabric I want I will attempt a second do-over and as Elvistoo is stored apart (on his box in the corner of the dining room .. STILL .. to my shame! :( ) His current jacket suits him fine!
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The answer to who made this super cover is Bernina - I certainly have never ever seen anything like this before. I hope that from the second photo you can see how on the main cover the bottom part unzips completely to allow the embroidery cover to be zipped on. The fabric of this cover is very sturdy indeed, and as I have already mentioned there is piping and this is very hard, whatever is in side the piping I cannot see, but the same fabric as the cover is wrapped around the piping.
I should add that I started writing this reply to Imi days ago, and unexpectedly I had a visit from Twopence who came to lunch and stayed this afternoon to help me with photographs and getting them on to the laptop - yes it took all afternoon as at times Twopence was as puzzled as I have been about my laptop. Still we got there in the end. Twopence also brought me some fat quarters (no don't go getting excited here) for me to make some more masks from, for which I am really grateful.