As I have posted before, I am getting a laptop as a late Christmas gift. I have looked at different laptop sleeves and find that none have all the goodies that I want for a reasonable price. So, being that I love to sew, and love to create, I am going to attempt this. I will walk you along as I go-I will add pictures of my process when the new computer gets here. Maybe it would be nice to have them as I go, but sometimes what I want and what works are two different things.
What I want in a laptop sleeve is:
Waterproof-or at least a good protection against moisture
Hard on both sides-to further protect it.
I want it to show my personality-colors, crafty whatever-
padded-for better protection
a secure closure
Value for my money
So, to begin with I had to figure out what kinds of fabric to use. I have chosen PUL, 300 wt windpro fleece, and quilters cotton. How will I make it a hard face? I am going to use some shower board pieces that we have that are scratched, wrap them in the 300 wt windpro fleece for padding, and slid them between other layers. The 300 wt windpro fleece is also a good water barrier, as is the PUL. The PUL is going to be my inner fabric. I am piecing together my outer layer that is quilters cotton. I am using 3.5 inch squares-for a finished square of 3 inches. I will then quilt the pieced outer to some cotton batting-planning to do a double layer of batting-more padding. My Windpro fleece will also be good padding. The wrapped board will be between the PUL and Quilted outer.
PLEASE NOTE that this is NOT a finished product-So, if you try this at this time, you are following a plan not a tute. I do not know if this will actually work. ;o)
So measurements:
Measure all the way around your laptop (the long side) add 2.5 inches-this allows for seam allowance and for some give. Then measure all the way around the short side, and again add 2.5 inches. I got some help figuring my measurements from here. However, because I am adding some bulk and the hard face, I am adding a half inch. So, for my laptop that I don’t have yet, I have taken the online measurements of :
long side= 15.4
short side=10.2
depth=1.61
So, I am having to double the 1.61 and add it to the 15.4=18.62 +4 (seam allowance, bulk, and hard face allowance)=22.63 round down to 23 wide
For the short side, I need to double both the 10.2 and the 1.61=23.62 add 4 (seam allowance, bulk, and hard face allowance)=27.62 Now I need to add 4-5 inches for the envelope flap. I am going with 4 inches and rounding to 32.62. So, I need my fabrics to be 23×33.
So, I am now at a point where I am cutting out my 3.5 inch squares. So, until, I get them done, and sewn together, we must wait.
This is my Frugal Friday project for the next week or sew. (pun intended)
And if you are wondering, why on earth I would blog this now? Simply because I need to remember what I have done so I can make a tute later, or remember what part of this didn’t work. You may benefit from seeing my mistakes. lol It also, does not hurt to have someone else read through this and say-hey, that is not going to work because…
mother, christian, wife, woman, child of God. It is about my life as a farmer’s wife, as a cook, a baker, a nurse, a teacher, a woodworker, a housekeeper, a farmer (yep, I drive tractors, pick up hay bales, and other farm duties), a gardener. So, what you read here, is me, as a transparent sometimes hot headed, passionate, and opinionated person.
