Load-it-Up Laptop Slipcase Revisited

My third laptop slipcase...

Back in the spring of 2017, I came up with an idea for a laptop slipcase. I presented the general instructions here as a freebie tutorial, and later released a pattern for it with additional features.

As with most of my creations, the slipcase came about as a result of personal need... to cart around hubby's laptop.

This past March, its fan stopped working. The unit tended to run hot, so he was worried about it overheating. With good deals available on refurbed laptops, we decided to spring for a "new" computer. With this one being just slightly bigger than the old one, however, the old slipcase was no longer able to accommodate.

So several weeks later, I pulled out my pattern and got to work.

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Was I ever so slow!

Y'know how I had indicated that I might sew more with all the free time that I'd have at my disposal after calling a halt to blogging regularly? Well, whether or not I actually had a lot of free time is up for debate, but the only sewing I did between January and April was for my junk journal (which wasn't much) and cutting and hemming some tea towels for Mom. (Yes, I understand it's now mid-October, and I still haven't done a whole lot of sewing!)

This is a fairly simple, straight forward sewing job, but the need to cut a few long lengths of fabric and interfacing (33" in this case; the pattern provides a custom fit for whatever size laptop you have) drove me crazy in terms of deciding the best way to do it.

Fixing the bellows pocket to the front of the slipcase...

Yes, I admit it. Cutting fabric causes me anxiety and in this particular instance, it took me a couple of hours to accomplish. 😏

Speaking of fabric, this is from a Craftsy purchase six years ago; part of the Robert Kaufman Remix Metallic collection by Ann Kelle. Some of this yardage was featured on the exterior of my origami-ish basket from last year. The remainder was completely used up for this project, with the exception of a 10" x 3" piece.

Exterior side is on the left, lining (with zippered pocket) is on the right...

The main body of the slipcase was done to spec according to my pattern, but I had to adjust the bellows pocket and grab handle to accommodate the fabric that I had. (The fabric for the bellows pocket was about a half inch shorter.) In the case of the grab handle, I used an existing segment from a faux leather purse that I harvested for various parts years ago. It wasn't the right length, but I added some fabric to the ends to make it work.

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It's somewhat weird to follow a pattern of your own creation to make something, particular from a distance of many years. There's an obvious sense of familiarity to it, but also a vague alien-ness that's hard to describe. At any rate, it certainly wasn't a case of I know exactly what to do; I had to read.

Finished view of back...

That said, I had no complaints to make to myself about how I wrote the pattern, so that's good! (It would have been unsettling had I encountered anything that made me wonder, whaat...?)

Flap open with laptop inside...

To reiterate, this slipcase is custom fitted to a specific laptop, so it's not one of those projects that you'll make just for the sake of making. You'll need to have measurements for the actual computer in order to achieve a proper fit.

Interior zippered pocket keeps small items like USB sticks secure...

Note that the advantage of this design is that it is an "all in one" storage solution. Sleeker looking sleeves and bags usually don't have a place to hold the power cable and "brick" (it's called that for a reason), not to mention mouse and other peripheral devices. In this case, USB sticks and memory cards have a separate, secure home in the zippered lining pocket.

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The paid version of the pattern also includes instructions to add a pen and notepad slip pocket inside the bellows pocket. I didn't have enough fabric for it, so I left it out.

Closeup view of handle made from recycled piece of vinyl...

As is usually the case whenever I work with this fabric, its luxe factor impresses me. You can see in these photos how the gold is truly a shimmery gold. Love it!

A laptop slipcase with a place for everything... 

If you need a laptop case, this is a quick sew. (Don't let the story of my slowness in cutting fabric deter you!) Again, the freebie tutorial is here; pattern for sale is here.

I'd like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to any fellow Canucks who may be reading. With all that's going on around the world – and even at home – I hope there's stuff in your life that you're thankful for, because things can always be worse. 

And speaking of things being worse, I sure wish I had the ability to control the weather like some people claim can be done, because I certainly wouldn't be choosing to throw out hurricanes everywhere. (My thoughts go out to those suffering a horrific hurricane season down south.) 

'Til next...