tutorial: fabric laptop sleeve

This laptop sleeve is a breeze to make with the help of an 18mm bias tape maker. It’ll keep a 15” laptop very cosy and safe from scratches and bumps. The flap is secured by Velcro set at right angles so that it can be adjusted to fit varying bulk carried in the pouch. [great idea for pressies too]

Materials: 45cm medium-weight fabric (cotton drill, canvas, duck-cloth or denim) for the outside of the sleeve (or you can use lighter fabric fused to medium-weight interfacing) + 50cm contrasting medium-weight fabric for lining and binding + 40cm Fusible wadding (pellon or batting) + 45cm Woven, iron-on interfacing + 60cm Velcro + Matching threads

Instructions:

Draft the pattern following the dimensions below. Then cut out 1 each of the following, using the same pattern piece – outside fabric, lining, wadding and interfacing.

Fuse the interfacing to the lining piece and the wadding to the outside piece. NOTE: If you’re using lighter weight fabric than a canvas or drill, fuse interfacing to both the lining and outside pieces.

On the lining piece, sew (the prickly side of) a Velcro strip across the curved edge of the flap, 1.5cm from the straight edge TIP: Measure and draw a chalk line to follow before you attach the Velcro.

Sew 2 x 10cm strips of (the fuzzy side of) Velcro to the front of the bag body, about 10cm in from each of the side seams. TIP: Use a square ruler to measure and mark the Velcro placement with chalk – this will help to keep it at a right angle.

Place the lining and the outside pieces together, with the right side of fabric facing out. Stay stitch .4 mm around the outside edge, holding all the layers together.

Make 2.5metres of bias binding (as per Bias Tape Maker instructions) in the lining fabric.

Fold the binding in half and press a crease the full length of the tape. TIP: Make the top “half” of the tape 1mm shorter than the bottom. This will make it easier to catch both sides of the binding in the stitches when you’re attaching it to the sleeve.

Fold the binding over the straight, short end of the laptop cover. Sew it in place along the folded edge of the binding. Take care that you catch both front and back edges of the binding in the stitches. TIP: If you’re not confident of the accuracy of your sewing, you can zigzag the binding in place.

Fold the laptop cover at the notches and stay stitch (baste) the edges together – forming an “envelope” shape. NOTE: Turn the sleeve inside out and check that the lining fabric has also been caught into the staystiching. Start binding 1cm in from the bottom corner of the pouch.

Backtack (backstitch) and sew the binding all the way around to the other corner – stopping 1cm short of the corner. Be careful on the corners to ensure that you have caught the bind on both sides of the pouch.

Turn the pouch inside out. At each of the bottom corners, pinch the side seam down towards the folded bottom edge

Draw a line across the corner – about 1.5cm from the corner point. Pin the corner into place. NOTE: Don’t make the corners too large but also don’t miss catching the bind in the corners.

Sew across the corners, following the chalked lines, and backtacking (backstitching) at the start and finish of each seam. Voila! Finished Laptop Sleeve!