No Sew Book Cover for a Tablet Computer

I'm excited about finally being able to get a tablet computer. I'm even more excited about making some awesome covers for my new tablet.
I've seen a ton of cool book covers, some required me to put Velcro on the back of my tablet. Others wanted me to use something called "sugru".  So I made one for myself.


You can use this tutorial for any size tablet or eReader.
My tablet measures 10.1" x 6.9" x 0.34"
I wanted to get a book that would fit so I looked for something approximately 11" x 7.5" x 1". 

I'm rather particular about which book I was using even though I was covering it with fabric. This book was so appropriate, not only was it a Southern cookbook but it was my for my birth year.  $2.99 at Goodwill, can't beat that.

These are the supplies you'll need:
Book to fit your tablet or eReader
Fabric (1/2 yard should be more than enough)
Chipboard (if you have an old binder you can cut this out of the front and back.  Otherwise look for "MatteBoard" in an art store)
Elastic
Crafting Glue (such as E600)
Batting (optional)
Xacto/Box cutter


Start by cutting the pages out of the book. You can use those for wrapping paper or other projects. I saved mine since it had some good recipes.

Open up the book and measure the fabric around the outside. Measure and cut an inch larger all the way around.  Fold the extra inch of fabric to the inside of the book and glue it down.  Give special care to your corners.

Measure a piece of fabric about and inch longer spine of the book and twice as wide. Center this on the inside of the spine and glue down.  Take the top and bottom ends, fold them over and glue them under.   You should have some overlap on either side of the spine.

Now take your chip board and cut 2 pieces the size of the front and back cover. Cut 2 pieces of batting the same size at the chip board. Then cut 2 pieces of fabric an inch larger around than the chip board.

Cut 4 equal pieces of elastic.  Length depends on size of your tablet/eReader. 
You are only attaching elastic to 1 of the inner pieces, this will be used on the inside back (right hand side) of the book.

Start with 1 set of inner cover pieces. Lay the fabric face down. Center the batting and then the chipboard on top of it. fold the edge around the same way you did with the outside of the book and glue them down.  The edges of the elastic will come around to the back of the chip board.

After I had the fabric on I added the elastic to the corners. Make it go around the corners.  I secured it to the chip board with staples. 

I ended up having to redo the elastic and have it higher up to hold my tablet

Repeat for the other inner cover but don't add elastic.  You can add a shorter layer of fabric first to give yourself a pocket. (I sewed the 2 pieces of fabric together to make them a bit more secure but you don't have to).

Glue the inner pieces to the inside of the book.  If you have wax paper put it down and put a heavy book on it to help the glue adhere securely.

You're done. Check out how cool your tablet/eReader looks in it's new cover.

You can barely tell there is a pocket on the left side.

Ruffle shirt

I've been eying this awesome shirt for a while. I had some cute fabric in my stash so what was I waiting for? I was told that the summer here was going to be hell.
That was enough to get me to start making more clothing for myself.  I love that I can use light weight cotton for this shirt.

New shirt and a new haircut

I had 2 sets of fabric I was going to use to make 2 separate shirts. I decided to start with the one I liked less just in case I screwed it up the first go around.  I did try out the shoulder ruffles but moved the pockets from the sides to the front.
The pattern is simple and straight forward and I promise the math at the beginning isn't that hard if you write it down as you measure.

Taxes, Tablets and Crafts

I'm so excited that when our tax refund comes in I'll finally be able to get the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that I've been saving up for.
I was able to use the Amazon.com gift cards I had to buy some accessories for it.  I was going to buy a cover and then I remembered how many crafted covers I've seen.

I'll be crafting 2 covers for my new tablet computer. I'm waiting for the fabric to come in.  I will be posting a tutorial for a no sew tablet book cover.

I've also been getting sewing work on a regular basis.  Feel free to check out my flickr stream to see what new things I'm adding. 

Nightgown

I've been meaning to make myself a new nightgown.  I have one made of cotton that I got for $6 on clearance at the GAP.
I came across a simple nightgown pattern the other day. I didn't have enough of one fabric for the pattern so I used 2 fabrics with the same color scheme. 
It's nice and loose which will be really comfy in the summer months.  This pattern would also make a cute top if you shortened it. 

Kid tested

Not only is the pattern easy but even with my doing fabric strips I finished it in an afternoon (with interruptions). 

Doxie approved

Don't throw away those ripped pants

For some reason Ben wears through his clothes faster than our toddler. One of his pairs of khakis got a rip in the knee.
"They're not ripped, they're worn through."
"What exactly are you doing at work that you are wearing through the knees on your pants?"
*crickets*

He was going throw them out when it occurred to me that Ben doesn't have any shorts. I know he can't wear them to work but he'll want them for weekends since it will get pretty damned warm here in Memphis.

After a quick modification the pants are now shorts. I cut off the excess fabric and hemmed them.  Instead of tossing the excess fabric away I saved it for the next time he rips any of his khaki pants.
It only took a few minutes for me to do and it saved us from spending a lot more money.

Ben says he looks like he's going golfing

Please consider donating just a few dollars to help fund the FORCE Memphis Chapter.

Almost to our goal.

My FORCE Fundraising page went up a week ago and already I've reached 84% of my goal.  I am so inspired by the generosity of my friends and family in helping me get a FORCE chapter started in Memphis.

Michelle and I are so excited to get this chapter going.

Let's give them something to talk about

Last Tuesday while at CMOM (Children's Museum of Memphis) Garrett (2.5 years old) ran up behind me, hugged me and said "Hi MumMum". The only time he usually says anything like Mama is when he is upset and wants me. He's said it twice today. I keep crying every time.
When Ben walked in the door he gets a "Hi DaDa" so it's amazing for me to get Garrett to look at me and say MumMum without being upset.

As an added bonus last Thursday in Mommy and Me class he smelled the toy flower and then held it to my nose so I would smell the flower too. He then took my hand, put the flower in it and wrapped my hand around the flower. Looked at me and smiled (yay eye contact). I was so excited, he even went and picked up another toy flower and did the same thing with another mom.

At the end of the class he walked up to me and put his arms up (a big step on it's own) and then said "up". I just about cried. The teacher in the class knows Garrett is autistic and she was so excited for both of us. I had to share because I'm sitting here blubbering because I've waited 2.5 years for him to call me by my "name"

Tonight I was doing "Up and Down" and then pausing to get him to say "up". I heard him say "dow". So I looked at him and said "Up and ...." "DOW" While I was folding the laundry he looked in the mirror and I said "who is that boy in the mirror?" and I heard "boy, boy, boy".
He saw his ABA therapist today and I told her about last week. Now I'm already excited to see her next Monday and tell her the new things he's been doing.

We've come so far recently and I just love hearing his little voice.