Pages

Friday, March 16, 2012

Kindle Fire Cover Tutorial

Here is my version of the Kindle Fire Cover.  I looked around at various covers but didn't really like everything about any one of them so I mixed and matched and made my own.  To see the evolution of my Fire cover you can take a look back at earlier blog entrys since there are a couple of them before I settled on this, my final pattern.

The first thing you need to do is make an 8 1/2 inch by 11 1/2 inch quilt top.  I'm not going to give you the instructions for doing that.  You can make any pattern you want.  If you have looked at my other covers the first was a disappearing 9 patch, the second was log cabin the one I made yesterday for hubby was a Cock's Comb block.  For the purpose of this tutorial I am using more of the orphaned log cabin blocks.  So make your quilt top, sandwich it (I use two layers of batting to make it a bit fluffier) and quilt it as you desire.  I prefer a meander after making the one I made today with just in the ditch quilting.  DO NOT BIND your quilted mini quilt.


After you have it quilted you will trim it to 11 1/4 inches by 8 1/4 inches.  Next you need to cut four, 3 inch squares in whatever color you want your Kindle holders to be.  I used black.  Once you do that, you will use your iron and press them in half so you have 4 triangles.



Next cut a piece of fabric for your inner pocket (if you want one, you do not have to make the pocket) 8 1/4 inches by 10 inches.  Then press it in half so you have a rectangle that is 8 1/2 inches by 5 inches.



Now you need to place the triangles and the pocket on the inside of the cover.  Make certain that you have the cover turned so that what you want to be the front is top down on the left while doing this step.  (Don't ask me why I state this very obvious thing!) :)

Place your triangles.


Then the two triangles on the left will have to have the left sides pressed under about 1/8 of an inch.


So after you do that you have this.


I pin them, though before I actually sew them down I remove the pins to I make sure they are right on the edge.  At this point you can trim those little pointies from ironing down that 1/8 edge on the triangles.


Next add your pocket and pin it.


Now you are ready to tack everything down so it doesn't shift when you do the binding.  I put my needle as far right as it will go which ends up being a bit more than 1/8 of an inch. then sew around the outside edge starting just before your pocket the way I did.  Remeber to make sure the edge of your pocket is right on the edge of your little quilt.



When you get to where you ironed those triangles make sure you have it tucked under before you stitch over it.


Where the triangles overlap you want about 1/2 an inch of overlap.


Continue all the way around, removing your pins so everything is lined up and laying flat as you sew.


The next step is invisible stitching down the sides of the triangles that you ironed under, that didn't get stitched down as you went around the outside.  Bury the knot in the batting and invisible stitch them down. 




Once you invisible stitch both of those down then you bind it.


I used 2 1/2 inch strips, pressed in half and sewed it with 1/4 inch seam on the front of my cover.


I leave a long piece of binding and start near the bottom corner on one of the long sides so that I will have room to bias finish off the binding.


After you sew on your binding you have this:


Now is when I attach my ribbons.  I just sew them on then backstitch over them again on the same seam line where I sewed on my binding.


Then when you flip it to the back you just make sure you pull the tie ribbons taut before you start sewing down your binding.


Next finish your binding like you would on any quilt.  I lay mine only slightly over the 1/4 inch seam that I used to sew it down on the front and do a thin decorative stich, but you could sew it by machine or by hand, however you prefer.


Then you are done!  I'd take a picture with the Kindle in it, but it is in the bedroom where hubby is soundly sleeping and I don't want to take a chance on waking him.



If you have questions or need some help leave me a comment or shoot me an email and I'll answer as soon as I can.  I hope this is helpful to anyone who wants to make a Kindle Fire Cover. 




3 comments:

Unknown said...

You are just the best...

Dianne said...

You're the best..

Bente-I like to QuiltBlog said...

Hi Samantha,
thats a great tutorial, glad that you found my blog and I´m yours ☺
Liebe Grüße
Bente