Quick Project: Padded iPhone case with vinyl touchscreen tutorial

An iPhone case with a clear touchscreen, padding and pocket? Perfect! Quilter’s Vinyl keeps your phone protected while still allowing you full use of your touchscreen. Thick industrial felt padding keeps that small miracle secure from bumps and bruises. Tutorial by Dory Smith Graham.

Supplies & tools you’ll need:

• Quilter’s Vinyl – 12×12″ square
• Printed felt /pleather – 12×12″ square and (optional) 5×5″ square for pocket
• Industrial (heavy) felt, 4mm thick – 12×12″ square
• Bias tape – single fold, 2 – 5″ pieces 1 – 6″ piece
• Snaps & press – 2 sets of snaps
• Rotary cutter & self-healing mat
• Binder clips – 5-6
• Jeans/Denim sewing machine needle & standard cotton poly thread
• Weights – something to hold vinyl while cutting & layering. (I used my phone.)

Got your supplies? Lets get started:

1. Using the templates, cut your felt, vinyl, pleather and bias tape pieces. Install the Jeans/Denim sewing needle in your machine.

2. Layer 4×3.5″ pieces of vinyl and pleather, fold bias tape over short edge and sew using an 1/8″ seam allowance (maintain for the full project). Similarly, sew bias tape along the short edge of the single 5.5×3.5″ vinyl piece.  Fold remaining 6″ piece of bias tape in half lengthwise and stitch the length of each edge, this will be the loop, set aside.

3. Layer 5.5×3″ tab pieces: vinyl, printed felt, heavy felt. Use binder clips to keep layers stationary. Sew along border of 3.5″ tabbed edge as shown above. Repeat with layered 5.5×3.5″ pieces of felt and heavy felt, sewing along one 3.5″ edge.

4. Mark center of vinyl/pleather sandwich and install ‘top’ snap just below bias tape edge, as shown. Place vinyl/pleather pocket over back of case (3.5×5.5″ tabbed section) and mark for bottom snap, install bottom snap on back of case at mark. Mark center of 3.5×5.5″ vinyl at bias edge and install ‘bottom’ snap 1/4″ below bias tape.

5. Make your iPhone case sandwich! Mmm, tasty. Fold and pin (only through heavy felt!) stitched bias tape at upper left hand side as shown with layer 3. Starting at edge without loop, stitch around border of case, leaving top/tabbed side open. Back-stitch at start and finish for a lasting case.

6. Carefully trim threads and bits of bias tape that are sticking out with rotary cutter or scissors, being careful not to cut off loop. Insert your iPhone and fold over tab, marking snap placement. Take out your phone and install top snap on tab.

7. Nice work! Enjoy surfing and texting while keeping your phone safe from dings in your cute handmade case.

 

 

 

Dory Smith Graham is a contributing designer in Hat Shop 25 Projects to Sew from Practical to Fascinating by Stash Books and owner of two small shops, worthygoods and worthygoods textile .