Fabric Selection Tips:

You will need two types of fabric: fleece and a decorative fabric, preferably not stretch, to cover the fleece. Measure your laptop with a tape measure or bring your laptop with you when you go to buy your fabric to be sure that youā€™ll have enough. For the fleece, measure the width of your laptop and add an approximate one inch seam allowance. Also, measure the length and double then add one inch for seam allowance. Give the dimensions to the fabric store clerk to cut your fleece to size. For the decorative fabric, measure and cut the same way except add 1 Ā¾ inch to the width only. The decorative fabric should be cut slightly larger than the fleece.

Supplies:

  • Tape measure
  • Pen or Pencil (optional)
  • 1 yard of any solid color or patterned fleece
  • 1/2 to 1 yard of any solid color or patterned decorative fabric
  • 1 spool of coordinating ribbon 1 inch or wider
  • Thread to match
  • Hand sewing needle
  • Straight pins
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine

Optional closure: 2 clasps, 2 sew on snaps, or 1 inch strip of Velcro cut in half

Preparation:

  1. Now fold the fleece into thirds to form a pocket to hold the laptop. Lay the laptop in the middle with enough fabric below the laptop so that this fabric can be folded up to the top edge of the laptop. Leave enough fabric above the laptop so that this fabric can form a flap that can be folded down to approximately half way down the laptop.
  2. Pin the fleece sides together, leaving the flap free (Do not pin the flap down to the sides). Carefully remove the laptop.

Fold fleece into thirds.

  1. Now, sew the left and right sides of this fleece sleeve to where the pocket stops and the flap begins. Donā€™t forget to back stitch; this adds extra strength to that part of the sleeve. Remove the pins. You will use a ribbon to cover these rough edges, but you could also sew the fleece inside out then turn the pocket outside in so that seams are invisible.
  2. To sew the top decorative fabric to the fleece laptop sleeve, begin by pinning the decorative fabric and the fleece sleeve together. Starting at the top of the flap, pin along the edges of the sleeve finishing at the sleeveā€™s pocket opening. Sew the decorative fabric to the fleece by sewing along the same path that you used to pin the decorative fabric to the fleece (do not sew the sleeveā€™s pocket closed.) Remove the pins.

To sew the ribbon to the sleeve:

  1. First, you can either fold the ribbon in half, iron it and then pin it to the sleeve with the ribbon sandwiched over the raw edges, or pin the ribbon without ironing it (you will have to make sure the ribbon is divided equally in half as you pin).
  2. Now, sew the ribbon to the pocket and outside edges of the sleeve. You will not need to add the ribbon to the bottom of the sleeve. Remove the pins.

To keep the sleeve closed choose one of the optional closures:

  1. Since the clasp option was used for this project, hand sew one end of each of the clasps onto the flap of the sleeve, then with the flap closed, mark where the other part of the clasp needs to go and hand sew the other end of the clasp on.
  2. To use the snaps option for this project, sew the snaps onto the sleeve by sewing the top end of the snap to the inside of the sleeve flap, sewing the thread around the rim (Do not sew across the snap). Then with the flap closed, mark where the bottom end of the snap will go again sewing the thread around the rim (Do not sew across the snap).
  3. To use the Velcro option for this project, take the two half inch Velcro pieces apart and pin one part of the Velcro to the sleeve flap. Sew along the edges of the Velcro and through the middle in the shape of an X twice. Close the flap mark and pin the other part of the Velcro then sew along the edges and through the middle in the shape of an X twice. Remove the pins.