Easy Quilted Camera/iPod/Mobile Phone Case Tutorial! Plus, there's still time to get in on the Giveaway!

Aww, isn't it cute?

I hope you are all well and HappyBusy getting ready for the holidays! I'm looking forward to staying with the Outlaws - hoping it won't be for too long as I start getting cabin fever with no internet, xbox, sewing machine, dvd box sets, sky tv, etc...

Anyway, I have a confession: I broke our camera.  It was in my bag and I accidentally dropped the bag in a car park and broke off the zoom thing.  So Buzz got me a new camera to carry round in my handbag and use for tutorials and blog stuff.  But I didn't want to take the chance of breaking another camera, so I made a little quilted case for it.  So here's the tutorial.  You can use it for an iPod, mobile phone, camera, anything small that needs a bit of protection. And it makes a great gift, especially because it doesn't take very long to sew.

Before I start, I want to admit to a mistake (or two):

I used bias binding for the top of mine, which was a HUGE mistake.  So it's not included in the tutorial.  The side seams are French seams, and doing it with bias binding was a nightmare.

Also, I cut my little strap/handle thing way too big, and you'll only need one half as long as the one in the picture.

This went pretty quick, though, and I hope you have fun with it:

What you'll need:
a little bit of batting
2 exterior pieces of fabric - about 5 inches by 6 inches
2 interior pieces of fabric - about 5 inches by 6 inches
1 piece of fabric - 4 inches wide by about 5 inches long (fusible interfacing on this piece is a good idea)
little bit o' velcro
cute button - 1 inch or thereabouts

1. I measured my camera generously and added 1 cm to all sides to determine the batting measurements: my camera was a little under 6 by 10 cm, so my batting is 7 by 11 cm because my camera is pretty small and skinny.  If your thingy is bigger, add more than 1 cm.  Also, I left LOADS of extra fabric around the edges - about 2 inches at the sides and 1 inch on top. That extra will make your French seams easy later on.

This is the first part of the quilting sandwich.

I know you can't see it anymore, but the pink fabric and batting are under there!

2. I made a sandwich with the interior/backing, then the batting, then the exterior fabric on top, like in the pics above.  I used a couple of safety pins to baste it together.  Then I quilted it only where there was batting. There's no point quilting everything as you're going to cut some of it off. Some quilting during and after shots:

Make sure you pull the bobbin thread through on your first stitch when you start quilting. If you want more information about quilting, try Quilting in the Rain, an amazing resource of free info!

I did random stippling on the front piece.

It's a little easier to see it from the back.

I did diagonal lines on the back piece, 1cm apart.

Here it is from the back.

3. Make the 'strap' by ironing it in half lengthways (wrong sides touching), unfolding it, then folding in the edges and folding it in half - you know, the way you make a strap for a tote bag or whatever.  However, do fold in a small bit on each end so that it's finished nicely as both ends will be visible.  Sew a few mms from each edge. Put aside for now.

Making the 'strap' thing - remember to fold the edges in for prettiness!

4. Here's where I went wrong and put bias binding on the top edges.  DON'T do that! Trim the top edge to a little over 2 cm.  Fold it towards the interior by 1 cm and iron.  Then fold it again by 1 cm and stitch it in place so the top is all nice and finished. Do both the front piece and the back piece, just on the tops.

PLEASE don't use bias binding on the top - disaster city! Just hem it like you would a pair of trousers.

5.  Now take your strap and sew the soft square of velcro onto one edge, then sew your button on to make it pretty - see pics.

front of 'strap' thingy...

back view

6. Add your 'strap' to the back quilted piece (see pic).  Now figure out where the other velcro square needs to go on the front and stitch that in place.

Position where you want the strap to go, then sew it in place.

Now you know where to sew the other half of the velcro.

7.  Now, you need to trim the 3 edges till they're about 3/4 inch (2ish cm) all around.  Now we're going to make a French seam: Place the two pieces with the interior sides facing each other (exterior sides on the exterior, get it?).

You can sew the strap on before or after this trimming step.

8.  Ok, sew a seam about .5ish cm from the edges, on all three sides.  Then trim the edges a bit, cutting the corners off, too.  Now turn it inside out.  Press.  Now sew around the three edges again, encasing that raw edge within your new seam.  Do it close to the raw edge, but far enough away that all the raw edges disappear.

pin all around, then...

sew a happy little seam!

Turn it inside out, and sew again to encase that raw edge! (See what a disaster that bias binding was to sew???

9. Now turn it again to Right Side Out.  Press if necessary.  Done!

You officially rock now!

If you have any questions or are having trouble, please email me!.

Also, it's not too late to put your name in the hat for the ornament giveaway! Just leave a comment on this post to get in for the drawing! Open til 15 December!
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