Nook Cover 3 Ways!

So this was the project that just kept going, and going, and going!  It should have been simple and quick but ended up being drawn out over almost a week.  Turned out the third time was the charm!  I learned many things through my trials and I'll share with you what I discovered so you don't make the same mistakes I did.

Here is a little tutorial for you on making a Nook cover.  You can really use these as a guide to make a cover for any eReader and, for that matter, any sort of case/cover/etc.  I will put out there that this is a very general guide, I'm guessing most people have some sewing experience, if you have any questions or need clarification please ask!  Also I just noticed I took no pictures of the steps (I really thought I did!) so I'm putting in some pictures from a diaper pouch I made to demonstrate since I used the same technique.  Sorry about the flip-flopping.

Here's what you'll need:

scraps of fabric for outer - rectangles will be 12.75" x 6.5" and 9.25" x 6.5" respectively (or 1/2 yard of fabric - if there's no direction to the pattern you can do it with 1/4 yard)
scraps of yard for inner (or you can use the same fabric, if you aren't using scraps you'll have plenty)
fusible fleece  **optional**
velcro - 2" long


Instructions:

1.)  Cut out your pieces.  
      Cut two 12 3/4" x 6 1/2" rectangles, one for the outer and one for the lining.  This is the back piece.
      Cut two 9 1/4" x 6 1/2" rectangles, again one for the outer and one for the lining.  This is the front piece.
      *If you are using a different lining fabric make sure to cut fabric accordingly.*
      Also if you are using fusible fleece cut one 12 1/4" x 6" and one 8 3/4" x 6" rectangle.

2.)  I wanted to use fusible fleece to give the cover an extra bit of protection and make it a bit sturdier.  You don't need this so it's more personal preference and what purpose you want the cover to have.  If you are using it now is the time to iron it on.  Center it in the fabric, it should be about 1/4" away from the edges.  I did this so there wouldn't be so much bulk in the seams once sewn.

3.)  To give the flap it's shape I marked down 2" from the top, on each side, of the longer piece (the back piece) and 1.5" over from each edge.  I then took a ruler and connected the dots and drew a line.  Cut on that line and you've created your flap.  You could also round the edges or scallop, really let those creative juices run wild!

4.) Now you are ready to start sewing!  Place your outer fabric and lining fabric right sides together and sew up one side, across the top, and down the other side.  You will not be sewing the bottom.  Do this for both the front and back.

5.)  Clip the top corners and flip right side out.  Press seams.  Now you will top stitch across the top edge of the front piece (the shorter piece) and also around the flap on the back piece (longer piece).

6.)  Time to sew your velcro.  Take the hook piece of the velcro and center it 1.5" down from the top on the RIGHT SIDE of you front piece (shorter piece).  Sew in place.

Next you'll sew the loop piece onto your flap.  Center it and sew it 1/2" down from the top on the WRONG side of your back piece (longer piece).

7.)  Take your two pieces right sides together and line up the bottoms.  Sew across the bottom opening then zig-zag or serge the edge.

 

8.)  Now you will open your pieces, iron your seam to one side and flip your pieces the other way so now the right sides are facing out.  Almost done...promise!

9.)  The only thing left to do is to sew up the 2 sides and enjoy your stylish new cover!  Now you could use plain fabric and embellish with ruffles, applique or whatever your heart desires.  The possibilities really are endless.  I will say though that I was originally going to use a button closure but I was scared that the button may get pushed against the eReader while in a bag and hurt the screen.  For that reason I chose to go button free, I really don't want to crack the screen!

Now here are the other 2 versions I made and I'll give you the little tidbits I learned below each one.  The one below is the first one I made.

I love the fabric with this one and don't mind it being horizontal either (turned out that way simply because of the dimension of the scraps I had).  What bothered me was the flap and how it didn't lay completely flat!  I should have beveled the edges or used 2 pieces of velcro instead of one.  Lesson learned!

This one here is the second one I made.  I had originally wanted a zipper one but didn't have any zippers so I make the zebra one instead.  I wanted it in time for a trip to Vegas and we were leaving in 4 days.  I made it to the store and picked up a zipper to try again since the flap bothered me.  I used the basic guide of this tutorial to figure out how to make the zippered version.  This is the one I really struggled with.  Here is what I learned.

• I did not take the zipper into consideration when cutting out these fabrics.  You need to make your pieces 1/2" - 1" wider than if you weren't using a zipper.  I learned that one the hard way!
• If your using interfacing or fusible fleece you need to iron it onto the OUTER fabric.  I ironed mine to the lining and then it wrinkled all funny when I flipped them.  It did not lay well at all.
• The corners of your project where your zippers are will be a little weird, it's natural so just push them out as much as you can.
• When you sew everything together make sure your zipper is completely folded in half and the teeth are facing your lining.  For this part I would recommend pinning just to make sure it stays in place, this coming from a girl who forfeits pinning every chance I get!
• Also make sure you open your zipper halfway before you sew everything together!!  Very important and don't forget or you won't get it flipped right side out.

Like I said I learned a lot from making all these and especially when working with a zipper.  This was my first go at a zippered pouch (with lining) so hopefully with some more practice I'll perfect the skill!  I'm still thinking about making another zippered version, maybe in a plain or manlier fabric for when my husband has the Nook in his possession.  After all it is his!