Hi, and welcome to my stop on the Riley Blake Designs Quilted Cotton Blog Tour! I have a tutorial for an easy-sew gadget cover with French seams. I made a sleeve for an iPad, however, this tutorial can easily be adapted to fit a Kindle, Nook or even laptop. The quilted cottons are super soft, and there is a variety of fun prints to choose from.
Materials:
1/2 yard Riley Blake Quilted Cotton (available here at Hawthorne Threads)
1 1/2" strip of 3/4" Velcro®
Clover Wonder Clips, chalk pencil (or other marking tool) and related sewing supplies
Place your device on the quilted cotton. Mark a generous inch on each side and also on the bottom. Mark 2 1/2" at the top. Cut two pieces using your marks as guides. Pictured is an iPad with Belkin keyboard case, which makes it slightly thicker than the iPad alone. I'm going for a snug fit. If you prefer a loose fit, add more space around the edges.
Lay one rectangle face up on a flat surface. Fold the top down and then fold it over again. Make sure the fold is wider than your piece of Velcro®. Use pins or Clover Wonder Clips to secure the fold; the more the merrier!
Flip the piece over. Remove the middle clip. Center the Velcro@ and trace it with the chalk pencil. Be careful to ensure the Velcro® is entirely on top of the fold.
Remove the clips and lay the two pieces of quilted cotton flat, side by side. Measure the location of the Velcro® that is already outlined and find the same spot on the second piece of quilted cotton. Trace and pin both pieces of Velcro® in place.
Once the Velcro® is pinned in place, place the two rectangles together to double check that the Velcro® meets as it should. Adjust as necessary.
Stitch around the edge of the Velcro®. Repeat for other side.
You now have the two sides of the gadget sleeve ready to assemble.
Place both pieces right side up, side by side. Fold the tops down and fold again, just as you did at the beginning. Make sure the seams on the reverse side of the Velcro® are covered by the folds. By doing this process side by side, you can ensure that they're the same height and that the folds are identical. Clip in place with Wonder Clips. Removing the clips as you go, carefully sew along the bottom edge of the fold, as close to the edge as you're comfortable. I used my walking foot, which made it easier to achieve a straighter line with a more regular stitch length.
Time for the French seam! Put the rectangles together as shown, with the insides of the sleeve facing. If you've never tried a French seam before, this is the part where you question my sanity. Pin the two pieces together and with a scant 1/4" seam, sew around the two sides and the bottom. Clip the corners. It's also helpful to trim a bit off the edges of the fold at the top to reduce bulk.
Turn the sleeve right side out, poking the corners as you go. Now it's time to check the fit. Insert the gadget halfway into the sleeve Pin or feel with your fingers to assess how much room you have on either side. Remember that the bulky seam will be on the inside of the case, so don't make it too snug.
Make the sleeve as flat as possible, and pin to avoid shifting while sewing the final seam. Sew around the two sides and the bottom with a slightly greater than 1/4" seam allowance, making sure to sew just to the inside of the bulky seam.
Turn it right side out and it's ready to use! I promised a laptop or iPad tutorial a while back in this post. My husband finally got his new iPad. I've replaced the interior binding method with the French seam, and added the Velcro® at the top. If you forego the Velcro® this case can be reversible!
Thanks so much for visiting. Please take a moment to visit the other stops on the Quilted Cotton tour; there are some wonderful tutorials!
