Craft tutorial - E-reader cover from recycled doyley




 
This craft pattern is to make an e-reader cover out of a partly completed doyley which is often the state of these lovely vintage pieces in the op-shops. The linen is usually wonderful, the stitchery very nice and neat, and this project utilises a project someone else didn't finish. This one is partliculary nice as it was very age marked which really appeals to me.

Materials:
1 large partly completed doyley from a second hand store
20cm width wadding
20cm width lining fabric (I've used linen)
1 large snap fastener
collection of vintage buttons to decorate

Finished size: 21cm wide by 16cm wide approximately.  Yours will need to be fitted to your e-reader.

Measure your e-reader and add 2.5cm to the width and length.  Cut two rectangles from the doyley, two from the wadding and two from the lining to this dimension.  My measurements were 18.5cm * 23.5cm for each rectangle.

To make the e-reader front:  Pin a sandwich of fabric in the following order -  a rectangle of wadding, two layers of doyley fabric right sides together, and a second layer of wadding.  Stitch around the edge of the fabric sandwich on three sides, leaving top open, and using a 1cm seam allowance.  Turn through the front and press to neaten shape. You may want to use a chopstick to square out the corners.

To make lining: With right sides together, pin the two layers of lining on three sided, leaving a marked section open on the middle of the base of 5cm.  This hole will be used to turn through the cover.  Stitch around the edge of three sides of the lining using and 1cm seam allowance and leaving top and hole in the base open.  Do not turn through the lining.


To form the e-reader pocket: Insert the front of the e-reader inside the lining, so that right sides are together, matching sides seams.  Pin the layers and stitch.  Use the hole in the lining base to turn through the pocket.  Invisibly hand stitch the hole in the base of the lining closed and insert the lining inside the pocket, leaving an edge of about 5 mm of the lining exposed around the top as a feature.  Stitch in the ditch around the top of the pocket at the edge of the lining.  Press the completed pocket.

 



 



To add the flap:  from the left over portion of doyley cut a strip of 12cm wide.  Pin the strip lengthwise and stitch.  Turn through the strip and press.  Measure a length of the strip thats long enough to fold over the top of the cover.  Mine is 15cm.  Turn under both ends.  Pin and stitch one end to secure.



With the remaining end of the flap, turn in end and pin the flap to the back about 6cm from the top and about 1/3rd of the way along length.  Stitch in place.  Fold the flap over to the front and mark point to attach snap to the front.  Hand stitch the snap fastener to the flap underside and the pocket front.  Stitch some decorative buttons on.  I have put one on the flap and another four on the front of the e-reader.  Vintage buttons look best.


Comments

CrystalMoonCat said…
What a lovely idea, I see loads of embroidered linen in charity shops and nobody seems to be buying them. A well explained and useful tutorial. Many thanks,

Linda xx
Nilufer said…
Very nice outcome and also seems easy to do. I make similar ipad sleeves, might try one with a doyley some day. Thanks for sharing...
edyB said…
So pretty made with this linen piece. Nice for an e-reader but I can think of other ways to use this lovely.
Thanks for sharing!