Saturday, August 4, 2012

A little help from my friends...

I have a finish to share that I'm really excited about.  As I mentioned, last week was my birthday.  I had dropped some pretty heavy hints (necessary in this house!) that I would like a Kobo Touch eReader for my birthday.  My husband came through and I've been enjoying my eReader so far, but of course what does a little techie device need?  A cozy!  And why buy one when you can make one, right?


Now, about the blog title...over the last number of months at different times I've done little swaps with other quilters here and there, and both of the fabrics I used for this project were ones that I received from my quilty friends.  The Tula Pink Prince Charming that I used for the outer came from Chelsea, and the Lizzy House Outfoxed Pearl Bracelet that I used for the lining came from Lucy.  Both of these fabrics I've been hanging on to and wanted to use for the "right" project.  I'm excited that I'm finally using them, so thanks again you two!


The Kobo is a bit smaller than the Kindle, which is what many of the tutorials I found were designed for.  I ended up combining a few different patterns, this one by One Shabby Chick (which is written for an iPad) and this one by Elizabeth Hartman (written for a laptop).  The Elizabeth Hartman one gave formulas for making a custom size - bingo!  Sometimes my brain doesn't work very well on its own to figure out those sorts of things plus seam allowances, etc., so I was glad to find that someone else did the work for me.  The finished pouch is a very snug fit but I think it's good that way and will likely stretch out a little with use anyways.


Did you notice the button and buttonhole??  This was my first time ever making a buttonhole on my machine!  I made a bunch of practice ones to get the width how I wanted it, but really, it was smooth sailing.  If you're afraid, don't be!  I didn't want to use velcro or snaps, and I wasn't crazy about the idea of an elastic loop either, so I just went for it and it turned out great.  Another little item to add to the "not as hard as you might think" category!

I've spent the morning sewing, now time for some lunch.  Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Fresh Poppy Design

11 comments:

Katie B said...

So sweet! This looks perfect for your new reader.

Debbie said...

Awesome - the gift, the pouch, the buttonhole - very fun!

Patti said...

Great gift, Heather! Isn't it wonderful to receive something you actually hinted at! Love the holder you made for it too. Perfect fabrics!

Jess @ Elven Garden Quilts said...

Oh I love it! Fabulous fabric choices (they work awesomely together!)

CJ said...

Cute pouch! I so appreciate someone doing the math and conversions for me. I bought a ereader pattern on etsy and it did have various sizes but not the size of my daughter's tablet. The gal gladly gave me the measurements. I'm so lazy when it comes to math. Sadly I did not get into this hobby (sewing) to imrove my math skills. :0
My Bernina has this fancy button hole foot but mine does NOT work!!! I need to haul my machine in for that to be repaired but that is quite the trip for me so I put it off and just haul out my old Brother machine to make any buttonholes. ;)

Chelsea said...

Awesome case Heather! And I'm so glad I could help, even if stuffing some fabric in an envelope and heading to the post office barely counts!

Nicole said...

Happy belated birthday, Heather!
Kudos to you for making the cozy to your exact measurements. It looks great!

Kirsten said...

Such a pretty cover for your reader!

Krista Schneider said...

it's darling! happy belated bday, glad you got what you wanted :D
as for buttonholes, they ARE easier than you'd think! and i very much dig when others have done the calculating, i'll have to check that tute out :D

QuiltNut Creations said...

Super cute! I love the fabrics. I have a Kobo too and have been looking for a good pattern, thanx for sharing.

Heidi Grohs said...

It is sooo cute! It is amazing how we psych ourselves out from certain things! I remember myself pre-buttons/holes and zippers. What was I thinking? So funny!