I made this laptop sleeve in sewing class Tuesday (yesterday!). The instructions came from the book, One-Yard Wonders, which I purchased from our instructor. She ordered a batch, knowing many of us would want one.
Another woman in the class was making a bag from the same book, and had made a grocery sack from it the previous week. We agreed that the author is biased in favor of bias tape and puts it everywhere. There are cases where it's a great addition but in some cases it simply is not the best idea. For example, two of the seams inside my bag (the other long side is a fold) are encased in bias tape. It makes it bulky and I could have achieved a better result with a different kind of finish seam.
The sleeve can be individualized not only by the choice of fabric(s) but also by the addition of appliques (which are actually called for in the pattern but which I did not add) and by the pattern one chooses to use in "quilting" the case. I did a variation of a zigzag pattern that I think adds to the overall appearance:
This type project also lends itself well to recycling fabric from other sources. I think used denim would be great here, for example, or even old curtains.
Addendum, Feb. 11: In the middle of the night I woke thinking about how to sew this with lining so that the two parts are sewn together at the top and then turned. For some reason I couldn't think how this was done, although I have made bags this way, so I turned to my patterns to find one that used this technique. It's simple:
* Sew three sides of the bag (attaching batting if needed), leaving the top open.
* Sew three sides of the lining, leaving top open and leaving an opening in one of the seams for turning.
* Place lining and bag together, right sides together, and sew top. turn.
This is how I will do the next one. If I want to finish the seams on the bag and lining I can, of course, but they will not be visible.
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