Leather E-Reader or ipod Cover

For Father's Day I made my husband a leather ipod cover.  He has really enjoyed it and I decided to make him a larger version for his Kindle. This is such a quick project and just requires a supplies. 

Want to make your own?  You can find the full tutorial below.

 I used two pieces of leather and two pieces of felt for the lining.  I'd recommend a wool blend felt, but acrylic could work as well.  The felt provides an extra layer of padding, and prevents any fibers from the leather from sticking to your e-reader.

My husband has the first version of the Kindle, though the new version is on his Christmas list.  The dimensions of his kindle are 5 1/4 x 8 inches.  I cut my rectangles to be 6" x 8 1/2" to accommodate for seam allowances and the depth of the e-reader.

Next I found the center point at the top of one of the rectangles, and used a spool of thread to trace a nice little half circle.

I then used my craft scissors to cut out the half circle.  For some reason I'm afraid to use my sewing scissors on leather, so I just use a cheapo pair of Wal-mart craft scissors and they work just fine.

Layer the cut piece of leather onto one piece of felt and pin in place.  I always pin along a seam allowance to prevent piercing the leather in the middle of the cover.

Using a leather sewing needle and thread stitch along the top edge.  Follow the contour of the semi-circle.

Repeat this step with the remaining piece of leather and felt.

Next I added a few rows of decorative stitching to the front panel.  As you can see I used a teflon presser foot, this isn't necessary, but it does help the presser foot slide over the leather with greater ease. I've used a regular presser foot for leather without any problems.

I only added the decorative stitching to the front of the case, but you could add a few rows to the back as well.

Next line up the two pieces of the cover with felt sides together.  Stitch along the two sides and the bottom of the case using 1/4" seam allowances. Trim any irregular edges if needed.

*I just used all purpose thread for the e-reader sleeve.  When I made the ipod sleeve I used a heavy duty thread, but my machine prefers a lighter weight thread.  If you are concerned about the strength of the seam you could always use a triple stitch for reinforcement.

 That's it.  You've created a simple e-reader sleeve.  It's a really quick and fun project.

I used the very same technique for the black ipod cover. See, you can make handmade gifts for guys.