On A Whim

This morning I decided that I had had it with my former sewing machine cover. I love my sewing machine. Matt bought it for me for Christmas a number of years ago, and it is a perfect fit for me. (It is a Brother XR-65, in case you're wondering). It came with all sorts of great things that I now find myself using. 1/4" quilting foot, walking foot, attachable table, etc. It also came with a cover. Which has been satisfactory, until now. Here it is.



Vega, the cat, has enjoyed the cover more than I have. Which has made me enjoy it even less. So, I decided I was going to figure out how to make a cover for my beloved machine, and it just had to get done today. I had some scrap fabric from the curtains I made after moving into our house. You might have caught a glimpse of them here. And since my sewing is primarily done in the room with those curtains, I thought it would be neat to make the curtains and the cover match. I roughly measured the machine, added seam allowances, and basically made a box. I also had some interfacing in my stash, which was perfect for helping the cover to keep it's form, and added a bit more protection for the machine. Here is a peek at the interfacing and inside of the cover.



I also wanted to make sure I could utilize the machine's handle while it was still covered, so I did this with the top.



I also wanted to be able to tell the front from the back, so I needle-turn appliqued a heart, and then did some stem stitch & lazy daisy embroidery. And it's just fun that it's personalized with my initial, and I felt like it needed just a touch of hand sewing.



(See, it matches the curtains!) Here's the applique and embroidery up close.



Here's the back.



See, it needed a little touch on the front. And here's the handle peeking out.



And here's the reason why I was finally motivated enough to do this.



My former sewing table just wasn't cutting it anymore. Too low, too far from my computer (it gets old sewing without music or movies), too far from my sewing supplies, etc. So I set up my desk to be my new sewing center. And my printer table was cleaned up in order to store my machine nice and neat. I haven't sewn on a whim in quite a long time, and I don't know that I've ever been so pleased with the results.

I hope you are enjoying doing things on a whim.