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Golden Vines E-Reader Cover

This tutorial shows you how to sew and embroider a cover for your Kindle or any other e-reader. You will cut the fabric pieces, sew them together, and add machine embroidery to the front panel. The design features a grapevine pattern that adds a classical touch to your device. Follow the steps to create a cover that protects your e-reader and looks good on a shelf or in your bag.

For the cover, we chose the Grapes embroidery design.

The finished size of the cover is about 6" x 8" folded/closed, and 8" x 12 1/2" unfolded. It was made to fit an e-reader measuring 4 1/2" x 6 1/2". You will need to adjust the size of the cover to fit your device.

You can purchase this e-reader cover from our Etsy store!

Velour cover for an e-reader quilted with golden metallic thread and embroidered with a design of grapes.

You will need:

a piece of cotton-based velour fabric for the top of the cover;
cotton fabric for the lining;
binding;
medium-weight cut-away embroidery stabilizer;
low-loft dense batting (you can also use polyester craft felt);
ultra firm fusible stabilizer or interfacing such as Pellon Peltex-71;
about 1/2 yard of 1/2"-wide colored elastic band, and 3" of black 1/4"-wide elastic band;
1/4" button;
quilting threads;
quilter's ruler;
chalk pencil or marker;
sewing pins;
sewing threads;
#14-16 universal sewing needle;
crystals/glass gemstones and glue for them (optional).

Embroidery:

Stabilize the piece of velour fabric with medium-weight cut-away stabilizer.
Upload the Grapes file into the embroidery machine. Embroider the design.

Cut away the excess stabilizer.
Trim the fabric to about a 9" x 13 1/2" piece, leaving margins of about 1 1/2" on the top, bottom, and right edges of the embroidery, and about 7" to 7 1/2" on the left edge.

The finished embroidery of grapes for the cover.

Quilting:

From the lining/backing fabric and the batting, cut one piece each measuring 9" x 14".
Place the backing face down on a flat surface such as a table. Cover it with the batting. Spread the top over it.

Pin all three layers together with 1" pins and start quilting. We quilted around the embroidery and then in parallel lines all over the cover in a free-motion style.

We quilted with gold metallic thread, which complements the style and colors of the embroidery.

After the quilting is finished, trim and square the work: the long sides should be 12 1/2" and the short sides 8"; all corners should be 90 degrees, and opposite sides should be the same length.

To make the spine of the cover, measure the long sides and place a pin in the middle of each side.
With the quilter's ruler, connect the pins and draw a line with a chalk pencil.
Stitch over the line. Then stitch twice on both sides of the first line, with a 1/8" seam allowance between the lines.

Finishing Up

From the lining/backing fabric, cut a piece measuring 8" x 8".
From the ultra firm fusible stabilizer, cut a piece measuring 8" x 5 1/2".

Position the lining piece onto the stabilizer piece, aligning the top, bottom, and left edges. Fold the right end of the lining over the stabilizer. Press to fuse the lining and the stabilizer. Topstitch along the folded edge with a 1/4" seam allowance.

Cut the 1/2"-wide elastic band into 4 pieces, each 4" long.
Place the pieces across the corners, fold the edges to the wrong side, and pin as shown in the picture below. Topstitch along all edges of the elastic, securing them in place.

Elastic bands stitched to the corners of the inner panel.

Place the quilted top on a table, face down. Position the inner panel with the elastic bands over the side without embroidery. The finished edge of the panel should be on the inside. Pin the parts together.

Topstitch 1/4" from the edge, along the three edges.

The inner panel positioned over the left part of the cover.

To make the clasp, fold the 3"-long elastic band in half to make a loop. Pin the edges of the loop on the face side of the cover, onto the side with the inner panel.
Topstitch the ends in place.