What do I need to make a stiff sewing machine cover?
 

Do I need stabilizer? What kind do you recommend?
Do I need Interfacing? What kind? Or is stabilizer and interfacing same thing?
Do I also use batting and in what order do I put all this?
Can you tell I've never used stabilizer and I'm a bit confused.

The new foam interfacing that is used for bags would be a good choice. It's available widely now... Walmart, JoAnn's, etc.

Stabilizer is a material you use to, well, stabilize fabric when you do all types of embellishments, which can be as fancy as machine embroidery or as simple as a zigzag around an applique. Simply stated, it helps to hold your fabric flat to keep it from bunching up under the stitches. Many types wash away, so it's not really meant to add permanent stiffness to an item.
Interfacing adds permanent stiffness, body or thickness. It can be sew in or fusible. The final product can be soft or very stiff. If you really want something very stiff, Peltex or Timtex are good products, as is a heavy home dec interfacing, like decorbond. but I agree with Sewbizgirl. Do you really want stiffness or just body? Soft & Stable is a great product that will make your cover stand by itself, but will still be soft and light weight.

You probably would not want to also use batting with a heavy interfacing, but you could just use warm and natural and quilt the heck out of it with a heavy thread. Folks are always complaining about too much quilting making the quilts stiff.

Another product to consider is a fusible fleece.
Look online for free tote bag videos for other tips.

If you want it really stiff, find some buckram, often used for hat brims.

Thank you for your replies, Sewbizgirl and PaperPrincess.
PaperPrincess, you are right...I want it to have body...not necessarily stiff.
I will look into those products. Thanks.

I like Annies Soft and Stable. I use it in totes and slippers and wallets. It never fails to stand up even after washing. I use it just like batting. You can quilt right through it.

Just google it for a look.
peace

Another thought - automotive headliner. It's soft, washable, and will stand on its own easily. You can use it as a combination stabilizer and batting. You can find it at Joann's and other general sewing stores.

Peggy, I'm wondering what this is like for machine quilting. I found some on Amazon after reading your post, and it's 3/16th of an inch thick. That seems as though it might be pushing the limits of what my DSM could handle by the time you add the layer of pieced fabric, and yet I know the nylon fabric on the headliner would glide nicely on the machine bed. It's an idea I'd like to try, but it looks as if you have to get quite a lot of it (on Amazon). Maybe Jo-ann's sells it off a roll in a more modest quantity.

Also, has anyone attempted to use it on an embroidery machine?

Your suggestion also made me think of Neoprene, which is not as thick, but is also sew-able and stiff. It's used for scuba outfits, so would definitely be washable. It comes in more colors than headliner.

To get back to the original question, I have made quilted sewing machine covers using my usual Warm and Natural in the quilt sandwich and a medium level of quilting. They stand up just fine. Here's one that I've probably posted on this board at one time or another. I start with a flat little quilt to make the quilting simple. The length is the distance from the front of the machine bed over the top and down to the back (+ an inch or two to make up for shrinkage and loss due to quilting) and the width is the side over the top at the highest point and down to the other side in the same way. After it's quilted, I fold in half, sew up the sides and make the box shape in the same manner as a simple bag, by sewing off a triangle at each side and trimming and overcasting the seam.

I should mention that the block I used was from a design offered by RaNae Merrill at our quilt guild meeting one time.

I think the headliner would be better than neoprene. Headliner is a squishy foam, you will not have any trouble at all sewing and quilting through it. The thickness would be similar to quilting through backing, batting, and top. The neoprene would be more difficult, I believe. It's not as squishy as the headliner and you're going to have a lot of friction on your needle and thread, sewing through neoprene.

I'll bet you're right, especially since it's probably slippery on both sides, making it hard to keep the quilt top in position except by gluing. I know people sew the stuff all the time by itself, though. Maybe it requires denim needles. It finally dawned that someone would surely have a video about it, and they do, indeed (not quilt related): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hPnxnpxVxA

It comes in various thicknesses and is very flexible. I'm amazed anyone would want to use it for clothing other than a wetsuit! Obviously, they don't live in Texas.