Teeny Little Ipod Cozy: A Tutorial

Today I wanted to make a little protective case for my ipod nano. I have been carrying it around in my purse pocket for a while and maybe that's why it's acting up a little. So I went looking for a zip pouch with a front zip, I found these by SewWhitney on flickr, but I just didn't find any tutorials that looked like what I wanted to do. This method uses french seams to enclose the raw edges on the inside. Nothing new, but it's quick, easy, and pretty too.

So lets get started; here's what you'll need:

• two pieces of fabric 5.5" x 3.5" (one lining fabric and one outer fabric)
• One scrap of batting the same size, 5.5" x 3.5"
• Four pieces of fabric 5.5" x 3.5" (two lining fabric, two outer fabric)
• Two pieces of batting 5.5" 3.5"
• One scrap of fabric 2" x 2" 
• One zipper longer than 6"

First prep your tab piece (2" x 2") by folding it in half, then opening it up and folding the raw edges to the center. Fold in half again and stitch 1/8" away from either long edge. Fold in half lengthwise and press. Set aside.

fabrics sandwiched and sewn

Next sandwich one side of your zipper fabrics in this order:

lining fabric right side up, 

zipper right side up,

outer fabric right side down, 

then batting. 

Sew 1/4" from the edge with them all lined up (you can pin if you'd like, but I don't).

after top-stitching and tacking the zipper (notice the zipper pull is  INSIDE the zipper tacks)

Press the lining away from the zipper, then flip it over and press the outer fabric away. Top-stitch 1/4" away from the edge of the fabric. Repeat for the other side. 

Now, with the zipper pull in the middle of your piece, use your machine to sew over the zipper about 1/8" from the edge. I forward, then back-stitch a few times over each end. Trim off the zipper ends at the edge of the fabric (note, don't use your fabric scissors to do this, use some duller ones because that zipper will dull them!)

Lay the folded pull tab on top of one of the zipper ends and baste it with the raw edges facing the raw edges of the zipper end.

Now layer your fabrics as follows:

Lining fabric right side down,

batting

outer fabric right side up, 

top section right side down.

Stack them right on top of each other (Be sure that your zipper is at least halfway open) and sew around all four sides using a 1/4" seam allowance. Trim the corners being sure not to clip through your stitch line, and trim the seam allowance down to about 1/8". 

All trimmed!

Turn the whole thing inside out and poke those corners using whatever you have handy, a chopstick, pencil, awl, etc. Then press it all flat. Topstitch around the whole thing about 1/4" from the edge and you're done!

That was easy!

Simple and easy! Now enjoy your little ipod case thingy. Of course if you're all hip and cool you'll have a larger/cooler/awesomer Ipod - in which case, just increase these dimensions to fit your device. :) Enjoy!