Monday, November 26, 2012

Improv Sewing Machine Cover

I've had a sewing machine cover in the works for a long time. As in nearly three years.

I started this project, intending to make it into my sewing machine cover, but it ended up wanting to be a mini quilt and who am I to argue?
Confetti Quilt Full Frontal

Fast forward a year and a half, and I still hadn't done anything about my poor nekkid machine. Enter Krista's scrap destash. I bought a large ziplock stuffed to the gills with fabulous grey fabrics including linen, Kona, denim and chambray. Truly delightful.

I also bought a scrap pack of Wonderland because I have an inexplicable addiction to that fabric line even though it apparently causes me to lose all reading comprehension skills. Lovely Krista listed and accurately described the Wonderland scrap pack but somehow I read that it included some Echino scraps. As I was paying for my purchase on Etsy, I nerded out about the Echino scraps in the comments box, gushing about my luck in finding a scrap pack that included both.

Being the excellent Etsy shop owner that she is, Krista gently and kindly managed the idiot customer's (me) expectations and clarified that the scrap pack didn't, in fact, include Echino.

However, being the excellent person that she is, Krista included a few bits of Echino in the package, including a fantabulous selvage piece that formed the basis of the whole project. Thank you, Krista!!!

Are you still there? Not bored to death yet? Great! Photos ahoy!

machine cover front

This project is entirely improvisationally pieced, and I had a blast making it. So relaxing and low-pressure. The back was constructed the same way.

machine cover back

The whole thing was quilted with 50wt Aurifil in a variegated purple thread (colour 3840). The binding was courtesy of another Krista, who just happened to have it with her at the Loon Lake retreat. The shot cottons matched the Echino scraps perfectly - I couldn't imagine a more perfect finish for this quilt! It measures about 19" x 30" and I added some purple cotton twill for ties on either side.

I drape the cover over Bernie and it makes me happy every time I see it. I'm linking this project up with Sew Modern Monday, Manic Monday and Fabric Tuesday (buttons all on my sidebar).

16 comments:

  1. I've got so many scraps I didn't know what to do with them ~ this is a great idea! Thanks so much for the inspiration ~ my sewing machine (Ruby) has needed a cover for a while now and this one will do very well.

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  2. I love the improv (naturally), especially with the linen, chambray, and denim. The Echino birds are delightful :)

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  3. I love grey! Lovely cover, and the mini is awesome too. Is that the confetti block?

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  4. such a great machine cover, even better in person! I know all about the not getting it made part - I've got three nekkid machines around here, but I do have a ton of scraps.

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  5. I never knew another krista in my life, but since entering the quilty/bloggy world we seem to be everywhere! I'm glad these two kristas are giving us a good reputation :D

    and your machine cover is awesome! i need to make one too.

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  6. This is beautiful, Felicity! Very you!

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  7. Your sewing machine cover is beautiful - love all of the different textures!

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  8. I love that little mini quilt! There is something about little scraps surrounded by white that gets me every time!

    Beautiful cover too!

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  9. Those colours are awesome Felicity! I have a sewing machine cover on my list of to dos too. :)

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  10. I love the cover, also the mini and the story is fun too.

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  11. Lovely and making me think my macine deserves better than the cover it came with!

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  12. Very nice. My Lucy needs a cover too and I actually have the fabric but not the time lately to make it. Hopefully soon.

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  13. Your sewing machine is just wonderful and love the story.

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  14. This post totally cracked me up! I'm glad you could use the fabrics, and your machine cover is awesome!

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  15. So lovity lovely, and even more so in person!

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