You will need:
Fabric for outer cover (I’ve used Blue and White Spot)
Fabric for lining (I’ve used Sky Blue and White Spot)
Fabric scraps to decorate
Bondaweb
Coordinating thread
Embroidery thread
A fastening of your choice (I used a snap fastener but you can use velcro, buttons, or magnetic fasting)
Chalk, scissors, needle and iron.
Step 1: Cut the fabric
Cut one piece of outer (22cm x 16cm)
Cut one piece of lining (22cm x 16cm)
Cut two pieces of fabric for the sleeves (10cm x 16cm)
Cut one piece of fabric for the fastening tab. (12cm x 7.5cm)
Step 2: Decorate the front of the outer case.
Draw your individual shapes onto the paper side of the Bondaweb. For the shapes that will be made with different fabrics, you need to draw these separately (i.e. the doors of my little beach huts are going to be in different fabrics, layered onto of the beach huts themselves so I have drawn these as separate shapes as opposed to onto of the huts).
Cut out the shapes, leaving excess paper around the edges.
Place your shapes, glue side of the Bondaweb facing down, onto the reverse of your fabric scraps.
Press for a few seconds until the Bondaweb has stuck to the fabric.
Cut out the shapes from your Bondaweb-fused fabric.
From each shape, peel away the paper backing from the Bondaweb (the glue layer should remain on the reverse of the fabric).
Place the pieces onto the front of your outer fabric (what is going to be the front of the case).
Press for a few seconds until the shapes have stuck to the outer fabric.
Using a small zig zag stitch and coordinating thread, sew around each shape.
Step 3: Make the sleeves.
On the reverse of the two pieces of fabric you cut for the sleeves in Step 1, with the piece lying landscape, measure 1cm from the top and make a small mark on the side of the fabric.
Repeat this for a measurement of 2cm and 3cm – make small marks on both sides of the reverse fabric.
Fold the top of the fabric down 1cm so it meets your 2cm mark. Press
Fold this again to the 3cm mark. Press
Place a few pins in the fold to hold in place
Sew along the fold, as close to the edge as possible, removing the pins as you go.
Repeat for both pieces of sleeve fabric.
Step 4. Make the fastening tab.
Using the fastening tab fabric you cut in Step 1, fold length-ways, wrong-sides (the reverse of the fabric) together. Press
Open up the fabric and fold each edge approximately 1cm towards the centre fold. Press.
On one end of your tab fabric, fold the corners in towards the centre fold and press.
Now fold the whole of this end over, towards the inside of the tab and press – this helps to form a neat square end on your tab.
Fold back along your original centre fold so all the sides and tab end is tucked in. Press and add some pins to hold together.
Top stitch, as close as you can to the edge, all around the two long sides and one short side (the side you made the neat square end) of the tab.
Step 5: Attach sleeves and fastening tab.
Place the sleeves, wrong-sides (reverse) together, on top of the piece of lining fabric. lining up the raw edges edges. The folded edge of your sleeves should be facing in towards the centre of the lining fabric.
Pin the sleeves in place around the edges.
Using a 0.5cm seam allowance, sew around the three raw edges of the sleeves to attach to the lining.
Place the fastening tab in the centre of the right side of the outer fabric. The fastening tab needs to be facing in towards the outer fabric, and the raw edges pocking over the edge of the fabric.
Pin in place and, using a 0.5cm seam allowance, sew across the tab, on the edge of the outer fabric, to secure in place.
Step 6. Putting the case together
Place the outer fabric, right-sides together, on top of the lining fabric and sleeves.
Pin around the edges to hold the pieces together.
Starting at the bottom centre of the case, using a 1cm seam allowance, sew all around the edge of the case, stopping approximately 3cm from the place you started, leaving a opening to turn the case the right way out. Stay stitch at the start and end of your line of stitches to hold them in place.
Snip the corners.
Turn the case the right way out through the opening. Poke the corners out with a pencil to get them nice and sharp.
Press.
Step 6: Finishing.
Using a ruler an pencil, lightly draw even dash marks around the outer edge of the front of the case.
Using embroidery thread, hand sew a running stitch around the edge of the case.
Which ever fastening you have chosen to use, now is the time to attach it. If your fastening, like my snap fasteners, come in two parts; make sure where you place them on the front of the case and on the fastening tab, they line up so sit nicely when closed.
Pop in your passport and away you go!
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