A coverstitch machine is mainly used for sewing a hem which gives a professional look with good stretch which is ideal for knit fabrics.
The finish the coverstitch gives is a very neat and accurate double line of stitching on the right side and a neat chain stitch on the underside, not much in difference to an overlocker lower looper stitch.
The finished stitch gives a very stretchy line of sewing which will fall back to a neat stitch when released.
With stretch knit fabrics becoming more popular now the coverstitch is a wonderful way of getting that professional finish. It also works great on a woven fabric.
The coverstitch does not have a bobbin, it has a looper like an overlocker, but without the cutting blade, as mentioned before it is used mainly for producing great hems, as well as necklines and cuffs.
You can use a single needle which will give you a straight chain stitch and with using the chain stitch you can sew up the seams of your garment.
The most common use is with two needles, there are three needle positions where you can remove the centre needle to give you a wider set of stitches, which is preferred for heavier stretch fabric. You can use the centre or right needles to give you a double stitching line closer to the right side, or use the centre and left needle to give you a stitching line closer to the left side, these are ideal for when stitching around necklines.
A cover stitch has a vast advantage over a sewing machine, it not only gives a professional finished look it also allows the ease of hemming and finishing garments made from very stretchy fabrics in the likes of lycra and stretchy knits. Where generally using a sewing machine the stitch will leave a wavy finish and the durability is not as present as with a coverstitch machine, which as mentioned previously allows for the stretch to fall back when released and the durability is unsurmountable.
The Cover stitch machines we stock are the Brother CV3550 and the Janome CPX2000
The Brother CV3550 is a 5 thread coverstitch machine, the fifth thread is the top looper, this is a great feature where you want to have the looper on the top of the garment as well and underneath. This gives more stability to the garment and you use it to top stitch a seam when you are making activewear and swimwear where the seams have a lot of tension on them, also for the hems of a very stretchy garment.
You can also use it for a decorative stitch on your garment whether you use the two or three needle function.. It also looks great when you are making table runners and place mats with a contrast colour on the top looper. Or anything decorative.
This machine is the larger of the two we stock, and is louder in sound. It sounds a bit like a tractor in comparison to the Janome and we all know tractors are hard working machines.
The Brother CV3550 has a optional extra 8mm double fold binder attachment which will aid in attaching the binding around a neckline of a garment, this is great for necklines on baby bibs or anything that will require binding.
The Janome CPX2000 Cover-Pro is a 4 thread Coverstitch machine. The advantage of the 4 thread is that it is a fast and easy way to sew a hem, whether it be on a skirt, pants or cuffs.
You can use the three or two needles for your hems whichever you prefer. This machine is a slightly smaller model than the Brother and of course lighter to carry. It is a very quiet smooth running machine which glides easily over your seams.
The Janome Coverstitch is a very easy machine to use and extremely easy to thread to give the perfect professional finish to your garments.
The CPX2000 has the optional extra of a 8mm,12mm or 15mm double fold binding attachments, which with practice at application it will give you the perfect bound edge to your garment whether it be a neckline, armhole or in the case of a quilt it gives a nice bound edge.
This machine also has a clear foot you can purchase which gives you ease of sight when stitching the hems or binding.
Another accessory add on is the Elastic Attachment, this comes in a wide and a narrow attachment where the application of elastic is a breeze.