Quilted computer case: tutorial

For my own record as well as contributing to greater human knowledge, here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a quilted computer case. Its deliberately vague about sizes, as it can be made to fit any computer.

Not only does it keep the computer snug while you drag it abouttown, you can keep the cover on while the computer is in use. If you are actually using it on top of your lap this insulates your thighs from the computer's heat. This also makes using your computer slightly more discrete in public. And if that wasn't enough, it means your laptop looks much more personal than the mass-produced object we all try to forget it is.

You can do it in a day or two, depending on speed of sewing and how complected you want to make your quilt. Its a great opportunity to play with quilt-making skills because at the heart of the project, its a tiny-tiny quilt.

You will need:

• A sewing machine and the know-how to use it.
  
• A tape measure.
• The computer the case is going to accomodate (or at least careful measurements).
• A humungous zip which is long enough to run along the two shorter sides and one long side of the computer.
• Pretty fabric for the outside (or scraps to patchwork).
• Quilting batting (optional, but I think it makes the quilted bit look nicer)
• Some backing fabric for the quited bit (this ends up hidden so can be any old rubbish, but it'll be easier to sew if its a similar type of fabric to your pretty outer layer).
  
• Some flat foam leftover from packaging or purchased from a stationary or craft store (I used a 5mm thick one, folded double). Please don't ask me how to source this - look around or improvise within your own local area. Basically, you need something thick enough to keep your computer cushioned.
  
• Some lining fabric - more than twice the size of the computer. Its probably a good idea if this is cotton, electrical conductivity and all. Though I've never heard of a conducting fabric (e.g. wool) actually causing problems, general wisdom is that if you have the choice of cotton, you might as well not risk it.
• Thick strips of fabric for edging (though wide bias tape would probably be better). You can do without this and just make the lining fabric bigger.
  
• Thread appropriate to your fabric.
• A few inches of elastic (5mm wide minimum).
  
• An iron.
• Big fat pins.
• Hand-sewing needle.
  

Step One:
Using the fabric you've chosen for the outside, along with any batting and the backing fabric make a mini-quilt which is slightly smaller than twice the size of the closed computer.

Step Two:
Cut out foam and a layer of lining fabric which is big enough to cover the computer, its probably a good idea to use the computer to work this out. At the very least, do remember to take into account the depth of the computer as well as two-times the length by width. You want the foam to be every so slightly smaller than the other pieces.

Step Three.
Pin these two new layers together with your mini- quilt. Make sure the foam is in the middle, with some space for the fabric to be sewn together around it adn the zip attached. Test out the sizing with the computer.

Step Four.
Bring these layers together neatly with your edging strips/ bias tape. If not using separate edge pieces, fold the sides of the lining fabric accordingly. Bear in mind the size of the zip when you are making sure the whole caboodle will fit snugly around the computer. Even lazy sewers will want to iron in neat seams at this stage.

Step Five:
Pin in some elastic to the corners - this hold the computer to the case when working with it open.

Step Six:
Check the sizing works one last time. Now is also a good point to weave in some ends (so they don't tangle up sewing later) and you might want to give it a bit of an iron. Then sew around the edges to bring it all together.

Step Seven:
Pin and sew in the zip. Again, its a good idea to check fit with the computer. Finally sew in all remaining ends.

is a bell on a bicycle - yes she is

Above above is a photo of me reflected on the bell of my new bicycle.

Nothing has threatened my knitting output more. Not moths, not a cut on the bit of my right forefinger I use to guide the end of a needle, not the boredom of deadline-knitting the last few days before christmas. None of these come near. This is because I generally knit on the bus to work, and come the start of term in October, I plan to be cycling in at least a couple of days a week. That said, I am yet to master cycling down-hill without getting scared of the increased speed and simply wheeling it down the road.

And as it happens, I'm off to the world of the bicycle (also known as the Netherlands) for the next week. I've got five(ish) days in Amsterdam holiday-time, then five(ish) days in Rotterdam for a conference. Any yarn-y (or un yarn-y) recomends?

Because I've not blogged for a bit, and won't for at least another week and a half, I'll finish with a small photo-matrix of some other bits and bobs I've been up to.

Clockwise, from top left-hand corner: 1) Sewing in ends for a quilted computer case I made for a friend (full photo-tute when I'm back). 2) The 'let' sign outside the house we're going to be moving into in mid-September (front view and agent's details). 3) View of the Mersey from Liverpool (taken from just behind the Tate). 4) FO shot of the uptown socks I did for the IW sockalong (my ravelry notes here).

results are in

So, the answer to the contest question was 533 (148 primary, 385 secondary). Anyone who thought it was over 1000 scared me, though I think my clues might have misled guessers to the bigger numbers. This means the winner is Juicelbee who guessed 539.

The results of some of my tea-dunking experimenting last week as a worn FO:

This was a very economical project. I picked up six balls of the yellow in the summer sales. I was sure I could get a tee out of just six, but also knew it'd be tight, which meant working a size down from what I would normally and a lot of 'will I make it' nail-biting. It is also a winner of a knit. A very wearable garment and if anything the smaller size was a good choice - I wouldn't want it baggy. Its a genius pattern - easy and elegant, I can see why its so popular. More details on the project's ravelry page.

A nice cup of tea and a sit down

Firstly, thanks for all the congratulations about handing in my thesis. If you still want to enter the competition there is another day to get your guess in, have a second guess if you want - only two though (note: I've extended the deadline by a day). If you want to see it knitted up, here's a shot of a skein I dyed at the same time. A few people asked about the dying process, I'm writing it up on the yarn's ravelry page.

More good news: the Interweave preview is up for fall and one of my designs is in it. To celebrate, I brewed up a good old pot of tea.

Except, I stuck a load of yarn in it rather than actually drinking the stuff. I'd read about people dying with tea before, and, still reeling from the smell of koolaid (people drink it?), I thought I'd give it a go. I got a bit carried away and dyed about half my stash, its amazing to see how the different yarns took the tea differently (its all the same brand of tea-bag).

Above is some more bamboo/wool sock yarn, which I think will end up as a baby garment. Below are before and after shots of Orangina I made with some cotton bought in the summer sales. The original colour was a bit too bright yellow. Dunking the FO in a saucepan of tea before I blocked it has just muted it a bit and brought out the golds. Only a slight change, but a much more wearable garment.

Some more before and after shots, this time from a shawl of knit/crochet hexagons. Again, the original (this time a bright white) was a bit too strong and the tea calmed things down, but it came out much more bronze than the other two.

And finally, because you can't have afternoon-tea without some bread and jam, another comparison shot from a taste-test I did today. The front bit of bread has some raspberry jam I made back in April. The one behind is from a batch I did on tuesday, to a recipe from the Guardian. This new batch uses a lot less sugar, and consequentially, to my taste, is a lot yummier - its much more fruity. Still, I'm sure it won't keep nearly so long.

contest: purple sock yarn

Blog contest in celebration of finishing my thesis - guess the number of references in my bibliography. Deadline for answers is 5pm, Thursday 24th July 2008 Friday 25th July (London time). The closest guess wins this skein of sock yarn.

Its a wool and bamboo mix, dyed by me. 100g, it comes in at about 420 meters - plenty for a pair of socks. From a smoke and pet free home, though it does still smell a bit of grape-flavoured koolaid (my dye of choice). I might throw in some other purple-themed goodies too if I find anything worthy. In event of a tie, I'll pick one winner at random. No one who has read the thesis can enter.

Some clues to get you going:

• It includes both primary and secondary sources.
• The actual thesis content these sources support comes in at just under 100,000 words.
  
• My case study is this series, though I mentioned many other primary examples, and my secondary source list was much longer.
• My media studies inclined colleagues felt it was a bit citation-heavy, the litcrit types thought it was sparse.
• The photo below shows the thesis open at the page the bibliography starts. There are no appendixes after that. It is 1.5x spaced, in 11pt font on A4 paper.
• Its more than fifty, less than three thousand.
• You might as well guess something random. When I tried to guess, I was a good hundred off, and I wrote the bleeding thing.
  

EDIT: I mean 'closest' as in nearest guess either way (you can go over). So, if the answer was 7586 and no one gets that but someone gets 7588 and another 7584, I'll pick one of the two out of a hat.