Dust cover for and with bernette b68 AIRLOCK maker Special Edition, part 2/2

Dear Overlocker enthusiast, let us continue with sewing the dust cover for your bernette 68 AIRLOCK maker Special Edition. As your versatile machine has more than just the overlock stitches we used in part 1, we now use a decorative coverstitch, a decorative and practical chainstitch and the BERNINA binders.

Wondering about the b68 ARILOCK maker Special Edition, its package of accessories and Julian Collins has to do with it :-), then click here for more.

Back to the dust cover. Here you see a combination of coverstitch and chainstitch on the side panel of the dust cover.

And here the single fold binding, stitched with fabric wrong side up, resulting in having the decorative chainstitch and raw fabric edge show.

If you are looking for design info and the pattern, the material list and cutting instructions, please refer to Part 1 about this dust cover.

But now, let us go ahead and start with the cover- and chainstitching.

Stacked cover stitch (part 1/2)

Select Stitch 22, a 3-thread cover stitch wide

• Madeira Metallic 40 in chain looper
• or Gunold Sulky 12wt  
• or YLI Pearl Crown Rayon

The air threader may not be capable of threading YLI Pearl Crown Rayon automatically. You may use the alternative threading method with a thread craddle. Here again the alternative threading methods video:

• Seracor 120, in LC (colour of your choice)
• Seracor 120, in RC (colour of your choice)
• SL 4
• Sewing speed approx. 900

Test-sew and fine tune the settings so that the stitch matches your fabric and thread.

Side panel 2:

Plan the decorative stitches on the “upper half” of your side panel. It may be helpful to mark some stitching lines on the wrong side of your fabric. Sew wrong side up, and to support the fabric feed at the start of the seam on the fabric edge, place an auxiliary fabric scrap under the presser foot first. You may notice in my picture that I missed to use such a leader cloth, that is why my stitching does not start at the fabric edge.

I recommend sewing two or three seams across the panel.

When done, press so it is prepared for the second step, stacking with chainstitch.

Stacked cover stitch (part 2/2)

Select Stitch 32, a 2-thread chain stitch with CC

• Madeira Metallic 40
• or Gunold Sulky 12wt
• … or other contrasting thread in chain looper, your choice.
• Seracor 120 in CC
• Sewing speed 600, sew slowly!

Sew your test sample and adjust your settings if needed.

Side panel 2

Sewing wrong side up, guiding your fabric so that the chain stitch is in the middle over the cover stitch. Don’t forget the auxiliary scrap at start of the seam on the fabric edge. Optionally, stitch next to the coverstitch, using the edge of the presser foot as a guide.

When done, press your fabric.

Again, it is of course up to you to decorate both side panels in the same way if you did not already decorate your panels with the flatlock stitch.

We continue with the 2-thread chainstitch, but with the left coverstitch needle, i.e. for threading refer to the Quick Start Guide.

Double Fold Binder #C21

Select Stitch 16, a 2-thread chain stitch with LC

• Decorative thread in the chain looper. For this I love Mettler Silk Finish Cotton 50 Multicolor. But on the picture, you can see that Madeira Metallic 40 is also very suitable for my Ann Lauer design fabric.
• Seracor 120 in LC

Attach the Double Fold Binder #C21 to your b68. You need the Accesory Holder for this as well.

The sewing test should not only check the stitch settings, but also if you need to adjust the binder placement to match the needle position.

For the rear pocket of your dust cover, bind one long edge, wrong side up, so that the decorative looper thread shows.

Ready for ironing, then press.

For more details on the binder #C21 you will find a video tutorial on YouTube with practical handling as well as some decorative examples.

Single Fold Binder #C22

Select Stitch 16, a 2-thread chain stitch with LC

• Decorative thread in the looper, thread in what you like. I was sticking to my Madeira Metallic 40.
• Seracor 120 in LC

Attach the Single Fold Binder #C22 to your b68.

Test-sew and adjust the binder to the suitable position.

For the rear pocket, bind the other long edge, wrong side up.

When done, run your fingers along the fabric edge to force fraying of the bias tape raw edge. This look is a great contrast to the nead double binding on the first long edge. Ready for ironing, then press.

For more on the binder #C22 please refer to the following video tutorial. You will find not only how to handle it, but also some decorative ideas.

We continue with the chainstitch, but with the right coverstitch needle:

Hemming the side pockets of the dust cover

Select Stitch 33, a 2-thread chainstitch with RC

Side pocket 1

Fold one edge with the drop stitch over by 3 cm and topstitch 1 cm from the fold, wrong side up, i.e. having the decorative chain looper thread showing when done.

Side pocket 2

Fold one edge with the wrapped overlock over by 3 cm and topstitch 1 cm from the fold, wrong side up, i.e. again having the decorative chain looper tread showing when done.

The other edges of both pockets remain as is, until they will be sewn onto the side panels.

Pockets basting

Your middle panel is 44 cm wide and 86 cm long and the narrow edges are neatened with 4-thread overlock. If you did not reach 86 cm length, don’t worry, we will consider a narrower seam later when assembling the side panels.

Now cut the middle panel to be 42 cm wide.

To sew the rear pocket onto the middle panel, I have placed the edge with double fold binding towards the lower edge, with a distance of 7 cm from the short edge. Pin in place along the three edges. On my picture, the side pocket is not yet cut back to measure.

Select Stitch 33, a 2-thread chainstitch with RC

• Decorative thread in the chain looper, I used my Metallic thread again.
• Seracor in the needle

Pin and baste the pocket onto the middle panel on all three edges. I stitched with 2 mm distance to the double binding. Along the edges, guide the project so that your basting stitch is approx. 6 mm from the edge.

To have the decorative thread showing on the lower pocket seam, I have then turned the panel wrong side up and topstitched the bottom pocket seam exactly over the basting stitch.

Prepare for ironing and press. Cut off the remaining fabric of your pocket.

Side panels with rib knits

To sew the side pockets onto the side panels, I have placed the edges that are not folded and hemmed with 1 cm distance to the cuffs on the side panels.

First, pin and baste the pockets onto the side panels on all three edges, right side up. Guide the edges so that your basting stitch is approx. 6 mm from the edge.

Same as the rear pocket, I have topstitched the bottom seam of the side pockets wrong side up.

Prepare for ironing and press.

Then place the two side panels right side facing on top of one another.

Use the side panel pattern to cut to measure both panels simultaneously. On the pattern, the inner line is the stitching line, the outer line marks 1 cm seam allowance.

Here again the link to the dust cover pattern format A4 in cm.

And here the dust cover pattern in US letter format and in Inches.

Transfer the checkmarks from the pattern to the side panels.

On my prototype I then noticed that I needed to baste the side pockets onto the edges of the side panels again. Please check even with the improved pattern and your stitching, if this is necessary for you too. It will ease the next steps if you can avoid having pins there.

To recap: the mayor difference in the pattern is the height of the side pocket and the side panel shape, so don’t let the picture annoy you if it does not exactly resemble yours.

Newly basted, my side panels look as follows:

Sew the dust cover together

At this moment you may also transfer the checkmarks onto the middle panel, using the sketch with measurements.

For the sake of easy, here is the if you like to download a .pdf for printing: sketch EN for blog

And here the sketch:

If your middle panel is 86 cm long, consider a hem of 3 cm on both narrow edges. If your middle panel is 84 cm long or shorter, consider a hem of 2 cm minimum. Other minus length can be compensated in the curve if needed, i.e. within the 17/16/7 cm measurements.

Pin one side panel together with the middle panel, right sides facing, the checkmarks aligned.

Pin the hem of the middle panel tightly around the cuff, right sides facing.

Pin the other side panel together with the middle panel, right sides facing, the checkmarks aligned. Pin the hem.

Select Stitch 33, a 2-thread chainstitch with RC

• Seracor in chain looper
• Seracor in the needle
• Stitch length 4

For basting I recommend to use the 2-thread chainstitch with right needle. Baste the panels together, guiding the edge of the project at 8 mm distance to the needle. This is exactly the distance of the presser foot to the right coverstitch needle. Optionally, if you want to continue stitching with the LC, the distance to the RN mark on the tip of the presser foot is 8 mm too.  

More importantly, I consider having the stitch length of 4 or more for this basting. In case you need to undo some stitches, this stitch length makes it much easier.

I recommend having the middle panel lying on top, as it is easier to guide the straight edge precisely. Having the side panel lying on the feed dog, it helps feeding around the curves.

Don’t forget to remove all pins in front of the presser foot, even when you are not cutting. Your seam will be much smoother.

Don’t worry if your side panel seam allowance is slightly off. Just make sure you have no pleats sewn incidentally. Should you have sewn in pleats, it would be easy to undo the 2-thread chainstitch for a few centimetres and then baste again correctly. I am quite satisfied with my result.

Select Stitch 1, a 4-thread overlock

• Seracor in all threading paths
• CW 7
• SL 3

Now, both sides can be stitched and neatened with 4-thread overlock. While sewing, guide the chainstitch along the right needle mark on the tip of the presser foot. My tip is to have the side panels on the upper side to make sure no pleats are sewn in when sewing the curve. Of course a wide or narrow 3-thread overlock stitch would also do the job to, but for more stability I selected the 4-thread overlock stitch.

While neatening, I noticed that my b68 had some difficulties to cleanly cut-off less the narrow seam allowance of approx. 3 mm, especially over seams. Therefore, I recommend you sew slowly and watch what happens under the presser foot and right in front of the knife; just in case you need to give a little help manually.

When sewn, it can look like this. Not too bad after all. That is a typical Swiss understatement, can’t I proudly say: it looks good!

Ready to iron, so press these seams.

Now turn the hem of the middle panel right side out.

Pin the hem of the middle panel in place, with your 3 or 2 cm hem allowance.

Finishing the hem of the dust cover

One more stitch before the dust cover is finished:

Select Stitch 33, a 2-thread chain stitch with LC (that is what I recommend, but you use any needle position you prefer).

• Seracor 120 in chain looper
• Seracor 120 in LC

Stitch your hems in place, guiding the project right side down, having the needle stitch within the 4-thread or 3-thread overlock you used for neatening.

Depending on your fabric/thread selection, you have a decorative stitch showing well. My chainstitch hem, white on white, is nearly invisible. Don’t forget to iron the good piece nicely one more time.

There you have it, my dust cover, and hopefully yours too, in action!

You may notice, the rear pocket is just tight enough for the slide-on table, but it should fit as you sticked to the 40 cm width. If it is too tight, store the table standing on its side.

Other accessories can be packed into the side pockets.

Yes, when all is stored away, it looks a bit tighter.

But actually, I can’t wait to uncover my machine and use it again for sewing the next project.

And for all those of you who have read my article about the simple cover, stitched with b64 and b62, yes, there are many things the same, but the outcome is quite different, right?

… and for the few of you who find it easier to start with a simple cover, please refer to the blog article for the simple cover.

… but also the b62/64/68 underneath this cover is waiting to be used again.

With this I wish you a good time with your bernette 68 AIRLOCK!

Doris