Laptop case tutorial

It took me an afternoon to make this laptop sleeve. It would've taken a whole lot less effort if not for the ambitious lining at the sides. But I think the extra work pays off. The main exterior fabric is marvelous - a printed waterproof laminated fabric I scored in Hong Kong. 

These measurements fit a 13" macbook (13"x 9"x 1")

Materials:

Exterior 

- Laminated bird fabric 2 x {15" x 10"}

- Side faux leather lining {35" x 2"} 

OR 2 x {15" x 2"} and {10" x 2"} (I used 3 separate pieces because my material wasn't long enough. Extra steps will be in italics)

Interior 

- Jersey 2 x {14" x 12"}

- Quilt batting 2 x {14" x 12"}

Closure (not in picture)

- Velcro {1.5"} 

- Faux leather {14"x 2.5"}

A note before you start sewing: Do not pin leather or laminate fabrics as you will leave holes. Use binder clips or clothes pegs to keep fabrics together instead.

Exterior

If you're using 3 separate pieces of leather, connect them to make a long strip. Press seams open. Unpick or leave 3/8" (seam allowance) unsewn from the ends to turn corners later. 

1. Line up the long sides of the leather and exterior pieces right sides together. Sew down. Ensure seams are pressed open as you sew. 

2. Stop 3/8" from the end (or whatever measurement you use for seam allowance). Leave your needle in the fabric. At this point, clip a small square from the leather. This is to allow you to line up the leather with the fabric after the corner.
Because you already left the ends unsewn, you don't have to cut a square. 

3. Pivot 90*. Line up the side of the leather with the fabric, sewing a right angle. The leather will not be lying flat at the corner. 

Repeat Step 2 and 3 when you reach the next corner. 

4. Match other exterior piece with leather lining. Repeat Steps 1 - 3. Trim excess fabric, especially from corners but be careful not to cut into the stitching. 

Interior

5. Pin batting to wrong side of jersey. Machine quilt in whatever way you like. I sewed diagonally, following the white patterns of the jersey. It's easier to sew from the middle outwards.

6. Match quilted-jersey pieces right sides together and pin. Using your laptop, mark out where you want your seams to be, about a 1/2 inch border around. I left about 1.5 inches from the top. Sew seams. 

7. Place your laptop inside to ensure a snug fit. Adjust seams if necessary. Cut away excess fabric. Turn inside out so that the right side of the jersey is on the outside.  

8. Place lining inside exterior, keeping right sides together. Match the tops of the interior and exterior, ensuring the side seams of the interior meet the middle of the leather. Use clips to secure. 

9. Sew around the top through all layers, leaving an opening in the middle for turning. Turn the fabric inside out through the opening left at the top. 

10. Tuck the interior all the way into the exterior shell. The exterior should extend into the insides of the sleeve.

11. Hand stitch the opening closed, being careful not to sew into the outside fabric. 

At this point, you may top stitch around the opening. I chose not to since I would be sewing the strap and velcro through all layers which would secure it. 

Closure

12. Sew prickly side of the velcro onto the right side of leather about 1.5 inches from the edge. Fold leather right sides together and sew sides, leaving an opening for turning. Turn strap right side out. Top stitch all around.

13. Measure where the middle of the sleeve is and make a mark. Attach the non-velcro end of the strap. The square sewn here is 2x2". You might find it easier to glue and clip the strap to the sleeve first. Sew through all the layers.

14. Flip the strap over and mark the point the velcro hits. Sew the furry side of velcro in place through all layers as well.

Enjoy! (or give it away)

Tutorial: Make a cushion seat

I knew I wanted to cushion my stool because I knew I was going to spend hours and hours sitting on it. (Read: Dream.)

I love that if i get bored of the colour, changing the fabric would be painless.

The key ingredient in making a cushioned seat - A STAPLE GUN.

(I mulled over using thumb tacks but decided $7.50 was more than a worthwhile investment)

Materials:

Staple gun

Fabric

Foam / Stuffing (I would highly recommend foam)

1. Size your materials. 

Flip the stool upside down. Mark out and cut the foam the same size as the seat. 

Measure and cut the fabric. I.e. Diameter of seat x 2 + height of foam + height of seat = diameter of fabric. D x 2 because I wanted the fabric to cover the bottom as well. You could just eyeball it. I used pinking shears to keep the fabric from fraying. 

2. Staple the fabric to the seat.  

Remember not to shift the seat or foam to avoid a wrinkled cushion.

I find it helpful to staple in intervals. Fold and staple the fabric all around (see: 1), pulling the fabric taut. Then work in between (see: 2 then 3) and so on. This would ensure that you have a even distribution of fabric all around. 

3. When you feel the fabric's nice and secure, neaten it up. 

I opted for "box pleats" here, simply by taking the fabric that was standing up (you'll know what I mean if you stapled in intervals) and fold it down the way you would the sides of a christmas present. Tuck in the cut edges to prevent fraying and staple.

Done!
Completely clashing with the decoupaged bottom, but well, thats the way I like it. 

Note: Staples are pretty easy to get out so if you "make mistakes", just pull them out and start over. The wood would have a collection of holes though, but it was an OLD stool anyway, right?

Tutorial: How to decoupage a stool

Breathe new life into old furniture around the house - decoupaging gives items a new look.

If you can't draw or paint, decoupage! 

1. Prepare the item. 

Firstly, I unscrewed the seat because I had other plans for it.

Sand the item down to smoothen the surfaces. Sanding also removes varnishing and allows the glue to adhere better. 

2. Choose your paper material. I used gift-wrapping paper from a scrap booking shop. 

Note: Decoupaging flat surfaces is much easier than curved surfaces. If your surface is curved, you might want to use a lighter and more moldable material. 

3. Cut your paper into workable pieces.

I measured and cut a strip of paper, making sure that it covered the underside of the leg as well. 

4. Apply glue.

I use Modge Podge Hard Coat. Any other decoupage glue from craft shops would work as well.

Coat the wood surface with glue. Be generous, but spread the glue evenly.

5. Stick the paper to object.

Make sure that there are no air pockets underneath. I do this by vigorously rubbing the paper with my fingers and brush. I don't suggest you do this with delicate materials as they might tear. 

6. Apply glue over entire surface. 

Instead of using whole pieces of paper, you can also cut/tear material to make other shapes or designs. If your material is not flexible, you might want to do this for curved surfaces. (This will add years to your life.) Stick the pieces one by one, overlapping them as you please. 

I did that here because I was lazy to measure out the circle. (On hindsight, I should've just taken the time)

7. Lacquer.

The glue will feel tacky even after it's completely dry. To reduce the tackiness and also to waterproof your item, spray the entire item with lacquer. Let it dry for a couple of hours. 

Done. 

And the possibilities are not limited to furniture. Use your imagination and decoupage almost anything. Like a tissue box. =)  

Next up, how to cushy your tushy - cushioning a wooden seat.