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Laptop Sleeve
It’s been so long since I wrote in here. I mean, school started, lots of things have happened, and this blog is just there in the corner of my mind waiting for me. This is essentially my hobby, what I want to spend my free time with, but who has time to bake a cake or sew a pouch after school ends and all you want to do is sleep?
However, it was my brother’s birthday on October 15, and I thought, “I don’t care if I have school or whatever I’m gonna start a sewing project”, and spent all night doing it. By all night I mean like until 6am in the morning. Once I start something, I really have to finish it that day.
So yes, I sewed a laptop sleeve and the next day, we had dinner with my grandparents. I gave my brother this sleeve, which he uses now when going to places like Starbucks. It makes me feel good when someone actually uses something I make. When grandma saw the laptop sleeve, she wanted one for her iPad mini, so I made that for her during my textiles class at school. It was easier, since I already knew the steps and where I made mistakes.
I think this is is the handiest thing I’ve ever made, and I am so excited about the curved zipper. Maybe you can make it too, because here’s the tutorial! Which isn’t very good because I hastily took photos in textiles class and it’s the iPad mini version of it, not the laptop version. However I do have the fabric dimensions for the Mac sleeve.
MATERIALS
For a MacBook that is 15 inches in diameter, you will need: 2 outer pieces, 2 lining pieces, and 2 thick batting pieces that are 16 1/4 x 11 3/4".
For an iPad mini, you will need: 2 outer pieces, 2 lining pieces, and 2 thick batting pieces that are 7.5 x 10" in diameter.
However, you can make this sleeve for any device. All you need to do is measure the width and the depth and add 1.5". Then measure the length and the depth and add 1.5". Those two measurements become the dimensions for your fabrics.
You also need a zipper that is about 5 inches longer than length of your fabric.
TO GET STARTED
Note: 1/4" seam allowance is used.
1. Position the zipper right side down, top edges aligning on one of the outer fabrics. Make sure the amount of excess zipper sticking out on both ends is equal. Clip along the outer curves of the zipper, which you will create by curving these excess ends along the sides of the fabric. Pin and sew the zipper onto the piece. HOWEVER, make sure you leave the ends after the zipper stoppers unsewed, because you'll need to tuck those in and hide them towards the finish of the sleeve.
2. Now place the lining fabric on top, right side down. Sew the lining in place, following the exact same seam you used while sewing the zipper to the outer piece. After this, trim and clip the corners.
3. Flip right side out, and you should have the outer piece and lining piece wrong sides together on both sides of the zipper.
4. Now let's attach the second lining piece. Place the second exterior piece right side up on your work surface, then place the whole assembled piece on top of that, but with the zipper right side down. Clip the curves of the zipper. Pin and sew the naked edge of the zipper to the second exterior piece. I know the next photo does not show much of anything, but yeah.
5. Place the lining fabric right side town on top of this whole stack. This is what the sandwich should look like: The second) exterior piece at the bottom, then the zipper, then the earlier exterior piece, the earlier lining, and the second lining piece on top of everything. Pin and sew the lining to to the zipper following the seam you created while sewing the second exterior piece and the zipper together.
6. When you turn everything right side out, this is how it will look like. Everything about this sleeve is done except the sides and bottom have raw edges.
7. To get rid of those raw edges, flip the sleeve inside out so that the exterior pieces are right sides together. For now, pull the lining out of the way. Then start at the bottom centre of the outer pieces and sew up to the sides, and repeat this from the bottom centre to the other side. Make the ends before the zipper stoppers are not tucked inside but remain outside.
8. Now flip again so that the lining pieces are right sides together, and sew just like you did for the outer pieces, except leave a 3" opening at the bottom. For a Mac sleeve, you would leave a 6" opening here. Clip corners and trim, especially the batting on the outer pieces. Then turn right side out through the opening in the lining.
9. Once you do that it will look something like this, and the sleeve will be ready, with the outer pieces all facing the outside, the lining nicely tucked inside, and the zipper that closes it up. The only thing that will not be done is the opening in the lining, and the fact that the sleeve is looking quite wonky as it wasn't pressed.
10. So slip-stitch the lining closed.
11. And press the entire thing, and topstitch along the top edges! You're done!
Note: For the outer pieces of both the MacBook sleeve and the iPad sleeve, I joined two fabrics together and topstitched. I made the two pieces the same length as the given dimension, but for the width I split it along 2/3, making one fabric take up more space than the other. I added a 1/4" to the width both pieces for when I would sew them together and topstitch.
As for the leather corners on the bottom of the MacBook sleeve, all I really did was cut out a square, fold it in half to make a triangle, and topstitch it on each corner of the exterior pieces, which were right side up. Later when I assembled those pieces, the remaining two raw edges of the leather triangles would be eliminated.
Sorry for the confusing tutorial, but happy sewing!
Tutorial adapted from Design Sponge: http://www.designsponge.com/2011/09/sewing-101-electronics-sleeve.html