Machine Cover
YOU WILL NEED
Fabric A: WOF x 80cm – Outer Fabric B: WOF x 80cm – Lining Fabric C: WOF x 10cm – Binding Vlieseline Thermolam wadding: 1m Matching thread
Erasable fabric marker
Basic sewing kit
FABRIC USED
Fabrics are Flight Path by Jessica Swift for Art Gallery Fabrics. Stockists visit: hantex.co.uk/agf. Vlieseline products supplied by vlieseline.com.
NOTES
Use a 1cm seam allowance.
CUTTING OUT
Step one Take your machine measurements:
Height: From the bottom to top, including the spool holder/bobbin winder.
Side width: The bottom with the extension table should be the widest point, check by measuring the area across the side over the handwheel.
Machine width: From side to side.
The cover has two End Panels, one Large Pocket across its width and one Main Body.
Step two From Fabric B, cut:
End Panels Lining: Two. Height (plus 2cm) x side width (plus 3cm). Use a mug to curve the top two edges, cut away the excess. Hold up one of the Lining End Panels against the machine to check the size. Remember it includes seam allowance and give, so it will be longer and wider than the machine. Measure 1cm in from the outer edges along the two sides and around the top. This will be the length of the Main Body.
Main Body Lining: Work out the length of the main body from the end panels x the machine width (adding 3cm to the machine width for seam allowance ease). Pin the Lining End Panels to the Main Body Lining and place the pinned cover over the machine to check fit, adjust if needed.
Pocket Outer: Ours is 18cm tall x machine width with seam allowance and ease (ours is 44cm).
Step three From Fabric C, cut:
Pocket Binding: 44x4.5cm
Cover Bottom Binding: Two strips Wofx4.5cm Step four From Fabric A, cut (using the same measurements as for the lining pieces):
Outer End Panels: Two
Outer Main Body: One
Pocket Lining: One
Step five From the Thermolam, cut:
End Panels: Two
Main Body: One
Pocket: One. Stay stitch the Thermolam pieces to the wrong side (WS) of Fabric A Outer End Panels and Outer Main Body; and Fabric B Pocket Outer.
Step six Mark the centre at the top of the Lining and Outer End Panels and the centre along the length of the Lining and Outer Main Body.
MAKING THE MAIN BODY
Step one Our cover had a handle hole at the top. Work out where you want the handle hole to be by marking where it should be on the WS of the Main Body Lining and draw a rectangle for it. Step two Place the Main Body Lining right sides (RS) facing the Outer Main Body. Pin together around the handle hole.
Step three Sew all around the handle hole.
Step four Cut away the fabric from inside the rectangle first by cutting across the width and up to the four corners.
Step five Trim excess fabric/thermolam leaving 2mm or so inside of the sewn rectangle, then pull the lining through the hole to the back. Smooth out the lining so that it lies WS facing the Main Body Thermolam fabric and all edges align. Press the hole, then topstitch all the way around it.
MAKING THE POCKET
Step one Stay stitch the Pocket Lining to the WS of the Pocket Outer. Place the Pocket Binding RS facing the top edge of the Pocket Outer. Sew the strip to the pocket top. Fold the binding to the WS and press. Tuck under the edge by 1cm and pin in place. Topstitch to finish the binding.
Step two Place the pocket on top of the Outer Main body along the bottom edge. Pin in place, making sure you push the Main Body Lining out of the way (as the lining is now joined to the Outer Main Body). Stay stitch the pocket to the Outer Main Body. Divide the pocket into sections with sewn vertical lines.
ADDING THE END PANELS
Step one Pin the End Panel Lining RS facing the Main Body Lining. You may need to clip within the seam allowance where the Main Body Lining meets the curved top edges. Sew together.
Step two Repeat, this time for the Outer Main Body and Outer End Panels. Trim off excess fabric/ Thermolam and turn the cover RS out.
ADDING THE BINDING
Step one Pin Main Body Lining base to the Outer Main Body base. Stay stitch all around.
Step two Sew the two Cover Bottom Binding strips together along the short ends. Press one short end to the WS by 1cm, then sew the binding to the outside of the cover all the way around to where the binding starts. Overlap the binding by 2cm or so then cut off the excess binding.
Step three Fold the binding over to the back and finish off as for the pocket to finish the cover.
We used our old cover as a template to make our new cover. If you prefer, you could create a template to use instead. You would need to remove the old cover and place the ironing board flat onto a large piece of paper, draw around it, and add 10cm around the outside edge for a seam allowance. Then use this to cut out the fabric. Pick whichever method works best for you to create the template and use this to work out how much fabric you need.
Step two Press the fabric. Place it right sides (RS) down, then place the Thermolam on top. Place the template on top and pin in place.
Step three Cut out both the fabric and
Thermolam. Remove the template and re-pin the fabric and Thermolam together.
Step four Stay stitch all the way around the fabric/ Thermolam to hold them together.
ADDING THE BINDING
Step one Look at the old cover to see where the cord drawstring starts and finishes – ours is at the front of the board. Sew the binding to the RS of the cover all the way around, fold over the short edge of the bias to the wrong side (WS) at the start and end of the sewing.
Step two Fold the binding over to the WS of the cover (on top of the Thermolam) and sew down all the way around, you should have a large enough gap to add the cord.
FINISHING OFF
Step one Thread the pull cord through the channel. Use a safety pin to help. Smooth out the cover as you go so the cord is evenly distributed. Step two Once the cord is through, smooth over the drawstring channel so the cover is flat again and the cord lengths outside of the board are even, tie both cord ends into knots.
Step three Place the cover on top of the ironing board and pull the drawstring cord tightly, tie the cords together to finish.