Achieving a neat, professional finish on garments using our Janome Coverpro machines

We have just completed another virtual course of 3 classes on our Janome Coverhem machines through our Janome Canada dealers. Erin and I team-taught these classes and we had a lot of fun showing all the stitch programs available on our Janome  Coverpro’s….and a whole lot more.

The pic above is the reverse side of a two thread wide hem. The fabric used to make this knit top is quite stretchy and so the hem stitching needs to be able to stretch with the fabric. A straight stitch on a sewing machine just won’t do what I need…..a proper coverhem is required to give that flexible, professional finish. I bought my Janome Coverpro many years ago and I honestly do not regret a single day I have had the pleasure of using it. It has elevated my garment sewing to a professional level and is so quick and easy to get the results I desire.

There is my knit top: drape neck, bound armholes and coverhemmed hem line (reverse side shown in pic above).

TIP: it is well worth spending that little bit extra money for good quality fabric. I have been “burnt” several times with buying cheap, poor quality fabric which did not wash and wear well. This is regrettable as you spend more or less the same amount of effort and time making the garment to be disappointed when your garment does not hold up well. Some poor quality fabrics do not have good “recovery” so they tend to stretch out. I also do not like it when a fabric pills and fades – signs of inferior quality. I have learned my lesson and I’m happy to say that this remnant above was not inexpensive but was well worth the extra $$ as the quality is there and I have so enjoyed wearing this top often.

This is one of the first items I made with a medium weight ribbed cotton knit using this boxy shaped T which is quite loose fitting  – nice for hot weather. I used my Janome 1000CPX for the hem, sleeve edges as well as over the binding for the neck opening. I serged the binding in place and then pressed the seam to one side. Lastly, I used the coverhem from the front/right side so that the seam inside was “flattened” and held in very nicely in place.  The 2 thread wide stitching on the outside was an effective top stitching.  Again, the good quality cotton knit has stood up to wash & wear….yay!

This was a lovely piece of striped scuba I bought in London, UK when I last went to visit my son and his family. As it is a quite stable knit, I did not need to use any stay tape. The neckline was just turned to the inside and coverhemmed down with a two thread narrow stitch. The hem line was also coverhemmed with navy thread so it is almost invisible.

A close up of the neck line: raw edge turned to the wrong side, press (with a press cloth), ride edge of the foot alongside the folded edge while stitching a two thread narrow coverhem…..SO quick and easy. The decision of whether to use a navy or white thread needed to be made. I went with navy as that is what I used on the hemline and sleeve hems.

Here is a link to more information about our Janome Coverpro machines. 

Have I convinced you yet that a Janome Coverhem machine is what you need to elevate your garment sewing to an easy, professional finish?  Contact your Janome Canada dealer to find out pricing on our various Coverpro models and when the next shipment may be arriving. 

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12 Responses to Achieving a neat, professional finish on garments using our Janome Coverpro machines

  1. Marlene Harper says:

    hello, can you please clarify for me about needles for the coverpro 2000 cpx. I am using Organ elx 705 ses for knits. Someone told me that I need to use elx 705 suk and if I use ses then it is against the warranty policy. My understanding is that suk is a medium ball point and ses is a light ballpoint. Are both ok and meet the warranty? thanks for you help. .

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    • janomeman says:

      Hi Marlene,
      Yes, SES needles are light ball point, and so long as they’re EL 705 needles, they are fine to use in your CoverPro machine and won’t affect the warranty. The EL705 is the most important part of the equation as they have an extra groove at the back and a longer scarf than regular sewing machine needles, so you’ll get better stitch quality and prevent skipped stitches. Thank you for sharing the Janome love!

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  2. Terry Carter says:

    Hello all. I have had a CoverPro 1000 for several years and have used it mostly for hemming and sometimes 2 needle topstitching. I have to say that I had never changed a dial. I took the on-line class and became more adventuresome. I tried to sew the side seams on a T-shirt with the chain stitch and that did not go as planned so I just serged them. I had previously sewn the neck using 2 needle narrow. No problem But now I want to hem it and the fabric is gathering under the foot.I have re threaded, changed needles and adjusted my settings numerous times. At present they are 4 for both needles,3 for the looper, differential feed 2 and stitch length 4. Do you think that I should increase or lessen the foot pressure? I have played with that but not helping so far. Thanks.

    Terry

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    • janomeman says:

      HI Terry,
      If the fabric is gathering under the foot, try decreasing the differential feed. For fabrics that are a little tricky to handle, I often use a leader of a scrap of fabric to start the stitching, then feed my good fabric immediately afterwards. I’ve also fused a lightweight tricot knit interfacing to the hem allowance, which helps beef up the fabric slightly to feed better, yet still allows for the stretch. Another option is to treat the fabric hem with Terial Magic, which helps stiffen the fabric in order to feed better, yet it washes away completely afterward. It’s great to hear you’re loving your CoverPro 1000; it is a fabulous machine!

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  3. Connie says:

    I wonder if you recall the pattern used for the first top with the animal print? I love the neckline. Thanks.

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    • janomeman says:

      HI Connie,
      Liz is away, so I’m looking after comments until her return. I’m afraid I don’t know the specific pattern, but you might try looking at the Jalie.com website, as I know Liz (and the rest of us educators) use a lot of Jalie patterns. I’m proud to say Jalie is also Janome Canada Artisans and also write for Janome Life, so they’re a great resource for inspiration and information!

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  4. sewjudi says:

    Thank you for your great tips on using the CoverPro mahines. I just purchased one about a month ago. Had to order it from a dealer out of state since I don’t have one close to me who had what I wanted. So, I don’t have anyone to teach me how to use the machine. Is there any way someone in the US can have access to your classes on the machine? I’m not on Instagram. I am on Facebook. Thank you for your reply. Judi Prestridge, Arkansas, USA

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    • janomeman says:

      Thank you for your feedback, Judi, and congratulations on your new machine! There’s many previous posts on the CoverPro machines on Janome Life (use the search box on the right to find all CoverPro related posts) and videos on the Janome and Janome Life You Tube channels. On Facebook there’s several Janome CoverPro, or CoverHem user groups, as well, which are a terrific resource to help learn your machine. Perhaps your dealer could offer a virtual owners lesson through Skype, Zoom, etc. as well. Thank you for sharing the Janome love!

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  5. Carol Lynn Kennedy says:

    I see a great project for sewers to do. I see that you used cloth covered clothes hangers for the T-Shirts. I make them for my nightgowns and other clothing I make, they help the garment to stay in place and add a nice touch and look to your prize sewing garments. This could be a project for you to put on the website to sew. Thank you, Carol Kennedy

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    • janomeman says:

      Thank you for your feedback Carol! Great eye for detail, and yes, a great project for the Inspire tab of our Janome Canada website! Thank you for sharing the Janome love!

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  6. CherylAnn says:

    Good Morning Liz,
    You are so inspiring. Those 3 garments are amazing. I need to get out of “quilting” and back into making some t-shirts again – it’s been a while since the last piece of fabric hit my sergers to make a garment. Both AT2000 and CPX2000 need to have the dust taken out of them by using them. However, my 15000 and Continental M7 haven’t had any time to collect dust. Sadly the S9 has taken a back seat except to test the update and the HP2 system.

    Thank you for all the inspiration and the classes that Janome Education Team are offering. I watch as many as I can and have purchased a few as well from my dealer – Haus of Stitches. They all looked interesting but I couldn’t possibly take them all so I picked what I thought would be the most beneficial this winter. Hopefully some of them will be available again or at least for purchase a a look at in the future.

    Cheryl – Saskatoon

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    • janomeman says:

      HI Cheryl! Thank you for your fabulous feedback! I’m temporarily stepping in to look after things while Liz is away, but she’ll be so pleased you found the classes so inspiring and beneficial. As a garment sewer who caught the quilting bug myself many years ago, I totally understand that certain machines take a time out in favour of others. The wonderful thing about Janome machines is that they’ll always be there when you need them – just dust them off and they’re good to go! Thank you for sharing the Janome love!

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