Cut Now, Measure Later : DIY iPhone Sleeve

Hello friends!

So, this was a quick project born of necessity this week.

I've been whining for a while about needing a sleeve to hold my phone while I exercise, but haven't wanted to buy one. So, I usually just hold my phone and make it work, but I've discovered that becomes a little dangerous when I try to ride my bike. :)

So, as always, when the need arises, grab the sewing machine and some scrap fabric and do it yourself!

I started playing with some scrap jersey knit material and came up with this first version:

Not bad, but I wanted the phone to have a "pocket" so that it wouldn't slip down. So, I'll show you how I made the t-shirt phone sleeve, version 2.0. :)

What you'll need:

-Scrap jersey (I used an old black t-shirt and some striped jersey from the square-circle skirt project)

-Sewing machine

-Measuring tape

-Sharp scissors

-Optional: Scrap fabric and embroidery floss/needle for embellishment

Ok, let's get started...

First, measure your phone or other music device, so you have an idea of how wide or tall your sleeve needs to be. My phone, in it's case, measures 5.25"x3". Next, measure your arm circumference for the length of the sleeve. You'll be trying it on to get the exact length in a few steps, but this will give you a starting point.

Since I used an old t-shirt to make the sleeve, I cut the fabric from the bottom hem of the shirt, 6"x10.5". This way one hem will already be sewn for you. I like short-cuts.

Once the rectangle is cut, sew a hem on the other long side of the rectangle.

Now you're ready to try it on for size. Stretch the jersey around your arm to find where you should make your seam. You want it to be snug, but remember your phone (if it's wide like mine), will take up space, so don't make it too tight.

Pin your desired seam.

Sew the seam with a straight stitch and cut the excess fabric. Turn your sleeve inside out to hide your seam, and you're ready to make the pocket.

Decide on your dimensions and cut out more jersey fabric with at least 1/4" extra on each side for your seam allowance.

Go ahead and fold over 1/4" on each side and sew your hem; this way you won't have any unfinished edges showing on the outside of the pocket.

Now you're ready to sew it onto the sleeve!
Sew three sides of the pocket onto the sleeve; obviously you're leaving the top open to slide your phone/music player in and out. I also left about a 1" gap open in the bottom of the pocket, for the headphone cord to come out. If your headphone jack is in the top of your device, you don't have to do this.

Ok, try it out! If everything is snug and happy, you're done!

Of course, I have a hard time leaving things without embellishment. Since we've been embroidering things this month, I had to find something to embroider on this sleeve :)

You can embroider on a knit/stretchy fabric if you use a stabilizer. However, since I thought of it later, there was no way to embroider directly onto the pocket once I sewed it onto the sleeve.

So, I used some scrap cotton fabric from an old IKEA curtain. (Yes, this is why I hold onto so many things. You just never know when it might come in handy!) ;)

I found a really cute design in an embroidery book I borrowed from a friend. Since the fabric I chose was thin, I was able to trace the design with pencil directly from the book.

Embroidery pour la Maison: 100 French Designs for the Home, Sylvie Blondeau

All she needs are some headphones!

To keep the lines small for little details, I embroidered the design using 1 thread of embroidery floss in each color.
I used a split stitch for the entire outline of the design, french knots for the pig tails and for the "ear buds", satin stitch for the rest of the hair, and single/detached chain stitches for the hair and shoelace bows.