Page Buttons

Monday, November 11, 2013

Simple Tablet Sleeve

Hey y'all!  As promised, here's a tutorial for the simplest, quickest tablet sleeve you will ever see.  I love things that are easy, speedy and most of all- cute!  You know that I'm not into fancy-schmancy stuff like zippers and pockets, so if I promise it's simple, you can count on it!


First of all, let me say that the sleeve I'm making fits a Kindle or an iPad mini (more snugly).  It will probably fit other eReaders and small tablets, but since I don't own any others, I can't actually test that out.  So, just know that if your tablet is no bigger than an iPad mini- you should be good with these measurements.  I've included the directions for calculating the measurements for bigger tablets at the end of the tutorial.

What You'll Need-



*Fabric for the outside of the case- cut 9x15 inches
      If you would prefer, you can also use scraps and piece them into a block measuring 9x15 inches

*Fabric for the lining of the case- cut 9x15 inches

*Fabric for the binding- strips- cut 2.5 inches and made into binding.  You'll need about 55 inches of binding, so if you're using yardage, you'll need two strips.  If you're using fat quarters, you'll need three strips, cut along the longer side.

   **If you're new to quilting and have never made binding, or put binding on a quilt before, it's no big
       deal!  Check out my full tutorial on binding by machine HERE!  My tutorial walks you through
       this process step by step with lots of pictures.

Have fun with your fabrics!  You can go as matchy or as funky as you like!  It's lots of fun opening up the sleeve and seeing an unexpected surprise of color in the lining.  This is also a great use of those fabrics that you love, but never quite make it into a quilt because they're hard to mix with others.

*Batting- cut 9x15 inches.  This is a great use of scrap batting!

*Velcro- you only need about 4 inches for one sleeve

Now, just make a tiny little quilt!  Lay your lining fabric face down.  Add your batting, and your outside fabric and baste.  It's so tiny that you don't have to worry about your "backing" fabric wrinkling, and it only takes about 5 pins (one on each corner and one in the center).


Next, quilt however you like!  Of course, I chose to meander because it's my favorite.


For the rest of this process, I use my walking foot.  Choose one side to fold over, and add binding to it, sewing to both sides.  Don't worry about leaving the raw edges of the binding exposed.  Just trim your binding flush with the edge of your quilt.




Next, sew velcro just under the binding strip.  My velcro is cut into sections about 2 inches long.  It's so much easier to sew the velcro on at this point, because once we stitch the sides together, it would get awfully tight!


Now take a look at your sleeve.  It's really just a little square quilt with part of it doubled over.  Just add your binding to it as you would any other quilt.  Be sure you give yourself plenty of seam allowance so you cover all of your raw edges completely.  Here's what it looks like when you attach the binding to one side.  It can get a little bit thick where it's doubled, but just take your time, increase your stitch length a little bit, and you'll be just fine!



Finally, flip your sleeve over and sew it to the other side.  I sew both sides by machine, but let me just say from experience, be careful that you don't pull the binding too far around the front.  Remember, sewing the binding further in will make your case more narrow.  Pull your binding just past the seam, and you won't make your case too small.  Another option would be to add a little width to your fabric, but I really like my cases to fit my devices snugly.


The very last step is to sew the other velcro to the closure flap at the top.


And, voila!  A sweet little tablet sleeve that's the perfect mix of functional and fabulous!


Alright, all you full size tablet owners, this part's for you!  The construction is the same, but you'll just vary your measurements!

*To determine the proper width of your fabric, measure the long side of your device.  Add 1.5 inches to it.

*To determine the proper length of your fabric (the part that will be folded over), measure the short side of your device, double it, and then add five inches.  Since your device is bigger, this allows for a closure flap that is slightly bigger (which may also affect velcro placement).

Use these measurements to cut your lining fabric, outside fabric, and your batting.

*Rather than do all sorts of calculations (unless you're into that sort of thing), just know that three binding strips cut WOF should be long enough to make a case for any tablet.

**Edited to add- If you make a sleeve for a tablet, and would like to send me the measurements, I'll be sure to add it here!

-from Hilary, Young Texan Mama- Nexus 7 measurements- 9.25 x 14 inches

I hope you give this a try!  These are great when you need a quick gift, or if you want to do a little bit of selfish sewing!  And there is so much opportunity to change the look just by changing the fabrics!  Check out my post HERE to see lots of different ones that I've made.

See?  Definitely cute, and totally simple!


22 comments:

  1. Lovely tutorial. I'm wondering...when you say tablet, what do you mean? Ipad? I'm wondering about making these for a little sale my children and I are having to raise money for Philippines...and I just wonder what actually would fit in them?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome!!! Definitely going to make one of these for the tablet we have. If you want, once I get the measurements I can let you know what they are for a Nexus 7 tablet.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love those fabrics! Looks quick and easy. Gonna try to squeeze one in before Christmas for a coworker.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Perfect! Thank you Kelly! You just saved me a bunch if time figuring out the measurements for a couple of laptops. I may add a small pocket on the outside for the mouse and a strap to carry it! Very cute, very simple!

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's a great design! Very simple to make the right size for your own needs. And how gorgeous is that purple solid?!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks Kelly! Great job of making it sound simple....we shall see!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great tutorial Kelly! These are so fun and simple!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very cute and I love the fabrics you chose. My only addition would be an inner or outer pocket that I could put the charging cord into for when I'm gone on retreat or out of town. Thanks for the tut.

    ReplyDelete
  9. well done!! can't wait to make one!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great tutorial! Thank you so much, Kelly!

    -Soma

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Kelly! This is beautiful and your tutorial is very good! With the binding it's easy to make and looks perfect! Thank you for inspiration! x Teje

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love the tutorial Kelly -- I really have to make one of these for my IPAD ! Woohoo!

    ReplyDelete
  13. oh I totally need to make one for my little computer! It's been on the to do list since May...

    ReplyDelete
  14. thank you so much for this tutorial Kelly
    I'm going to give it a try in the run-up to xmas ^^

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, that looks so cute! And it looks like it's a breeze to put together. What a nice tutorial! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a great tutorial Kelly! Just a little quilt folded over. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love your fabric choices! Thanks for linking up :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I made this! I followed Kelly's directions and it came out perfect!! Thanks for the tutorial Kelly.

    Val:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you linked this under our crafty theme this week! Thanks for sharing Kelly.

      Delete

Thanks so much for your comment and for visiting! I read and appreciate every single comment, and I reply to each one as soon as I can. If you don't hear back from me, you might be a no-reply blogger. :)

09 10 11 12
Blogging tips