Sewing Machine Cover

For those rare moments when our sewing machines are not in use, it’s nice to protect them from dust with  attractive covers. Before I made this one for my mother’s birthday, she used a bath towel to protect her beloved Ellageo from Florida’s relentless sunshine.  This looks so much nicer and does a better job of keeping off the dust and rays.

I could have made up the pattern myself.  But why spend a lot of time drafting and fussing over getting the fit over the embroidery unit just right. Phooey! I have grandchildren to sew for and haven’t got a minute to waste.

At Monica’s Miscellany, a site which seems to have been “under construction” now for several months, I discovered a great bargain.  For a very reasonable price you can purchase the basic cover pattern for most Brother, Babylock and Viking Designer embroidery machines and  get a set of designs specifically for the project.   Sounded good to me!

I had such a good time selecting sewing sayings and embellishing the cover.  Decorative stitches covered the seams and buttons, bows, measuring tape ribbon, and charms added further pizzazz.   The colors in the embroidery matched the colors in Mom’s  sewing room. She was  so proud of her birthday present that she  took it with her to classes and embroidery club at The Sewing Garrett in South Daytona Beach—like she needed to cover it in class.  Humphhhh.

A sewing machine cover is not a new idea.  The sewing machine was invented in 1846 and it’s likely  that women have been covering their prized possessions since then.  I found patterns for these cabinet protectors in two of my vintage needlework catalogues.

The text is charming:  “If you keep me going, I’ll do your sewing,”  “Sew a while and be in style,”  “ Sewing hours are happy hours,”  and the corny but sweet “With all my heart I sew the seams that part.”  I can’t imagine that all those parted seam sewing hours were happy, but then again, I don’t know what else she had to do that day.  It’s hard to imagine how women of the 1920’s, without our modern conveniences, managed to squeeze out time to hand embroider these tender covers.  Women’s love affair with the sewing machine goes waaaaaay back.