How to Sew a Custom Tablet Cover (Free Pattern)

Make to Fit Any Size Tablet!

Do you have a tablet or Kindle and need a carrying case or cover for it?  This custom tablet cover made from jelly roll strips could be the perfect cover for you!  This custom tablet cover can be made to fit any size tablet or Kindle device.

This sleeve cover made from jelly roll strips is a fun way to use up some of your leftover fabric jelly roll strips and makes a stylish cover to protect your Kindle or other tablet.

The best part about this pattern is that it can be made to fit any tablet or Kindle device. I needed a cover for my Kindle Oasis so I designed this sleeve cover from jelly roll strips.  This sleeve cover is nice because it doesn't add additional weight to the Kindle when you are reading.  

The cover features a modern look, a kam snap closure and a small pocket.  Using your device measurements, you can make this to fit your device!

Learn more about this custom tablet cover by watching our video or keep reading this tutorial.

What is a fabric Jelly Roll?

A jelly roll is a fabric precut available at quilt or fabric stores. Jelly rolls are similar to cakes and charm packs in that they feature all of the fabrics from a line of coordinating fabrics. 

Jelly rolls are 2-1/2" wide strips cut across the width of fabric and the strips are rolled together like a jelly roll.  

INSTRUCTIONS to make a custom tablet or Kindle cover with jelly roll strips

Note: Throughout this tutorial, I have included photos from the two covers I made.  So, some photos are from the Kindle Oasis cover and others are from the iPad cover.

STEP 1: Select Jelly Roll fabrics

Select a fabric jelly roll to use for this project.  This project is perfect for using up leftover jelly roll strips because this cover only uses a few strips.

If you don’t have a jelly roll to use, select some coordinating fabrics and cut 2-1/2” wide by the width of fabric strips.

I made two covers, one for my Kindle Oasis and another for my iPad Air. 

Since the Kindle is smaller, it needed four half length jelly roll strips.  The larger iPad Air cover needed wider strips.  Calculate the size of the strips you need below! 

STEP 2: Calculate the length and number of jelly roll strips needed

Don't worry, these calculations are pretty simple!

Measure the width and height of your tablet or Kindle. I will show the calculations for my iPad Air tablet measurements which is 7” wide by 9 ½” long.

To calculate the strip length needed:

Tablet Width (shorter side) x 4 = Length of Strip

For my iPad: 7" wide x 4 = 28" length strips

For my iPad, I will need strips 28” long by 2 ½” wide to create the cover.

To calculate the number of strips needed:

(Tablet Length (longer side) + 4") / 2 = Number of Strips (round up to nearest whole number)

For my iPad: 9-1/2" long + 4" = 13-1/2"
13-1/2" / 2 = 6.75 strips
Round up to 7 strips

For my iPad, I will sew together 7 jelly roll strips (2-1/2" wide x 28" long).

The number above is divided by two because after sewing the seams between the jelly roll strips, each strip will be 2” wide.

Once you've calculated the number and length of strips needed, select strips to use and lay them on a work surface to see what they will look like.

I selected strips starting with purple and moving to a pink color.

STEP 3: Sew Jelly Roll strips together

At the sewing machine, thread the machine with white thread in the top and bobbin. Set the machine to a straight stitch at a normal length and if you have it, install a ¼” presser foot.

If you don't have a 1/4" presser foot, use a standard presser foot and sew 1/4" seams.

Place the first two strips with right sides together and sew along the long edge with a 1/4" seam allowance.

After sewing each seam, finger-press the seam to one side. Place the next strip with the right sides together and sew along the long edge.

Continue sewing all of the strips together.

Once the strips are sewn together, iron the seams to one side.

STEP 4: Trim the strips

The jelly roll strips will likely be a little mismatched along the two shorter sides.  Use a straight ruler and rotary cutter to trim the edge and create a straight side.

STEP 5: Check the size

Check the size of the sewn jelly roll strips to make sure it's big enough to cover the tablet.

The shorter side of the sewn jelly roll strips must be 3”- 4” larger than the length of your tablet (longer side of the tablet).

The longer side of the strip fabric should be at least 3x the length of the tablet (shorter side of the tablet).  Fold the fabric over the tablet from each side.  If both sides cover the tablet, then it's large enough!

If the size is not large enough, check your calculations.  For the width, an extra strip could be added to make the fabric wider.  For the length, we originally calculated 4x the width of the tablet, so there should be enough to cover the tablet. 

Don’t trim the jelly roll strip fabric at this time.  We will trim it after quilting.

STEP 6: Cut Lining & Batting

Cut a piece of lining and batting the same size as the jelly roll strips fabric.

Look in that batting scrap bin!  This project is perfect for using up some of those scraps.  If your scraps are not large enough, consider joining the fabric scraps together into one larger piece.  Click the link for a tutorial!

STEP 7: Layer and pin

Prepare the fabric for quilting.  

Layer the fabrics as follows:

• Lining with the WRONG side up
• Batting
• Jelly Roll Strips with the RIGHT side up.

Pin the layers together in a few places to hold them together for quilting.

STEP 8: Quilt the layers

Next, we will add some quilted lines to hold the fabric layers together.  

You can quilt your fabric in any design but I decided to quilt with simple straight lines. Another option is to quilt with a serpentine stitch.

The Kindle cover was quilted with lines 3/4" apart and the iPad cover was quilted with lines 1" apart.  The lines could be quilted even closer together in matchbook style.

Other options are quilting on a diagonal, quilting in both directions or free motion quilting.

To prepare the machine for quilting, use top and bobbin thread that coordinates with the fabric colors.  Use a matching top & bobbin thread or two different colors.

Since my custom tablet cases have a cream-colored lining fabric, I used a white bobbin for both. For the iPad case, I threaded the top thread with a purple variegated thread.  The Kindle Oasis case was quilted using an orange variegated thread.

I like using Sulky Blendables variegated threads for quilting my quilt tops.

A walking foot can be used to help with quilting the fabrics. For my iPad Sleeve Case, I used a walking foot.  For the Kindle Oasis case, I used a standard presser foot.  Both worked well for this project.

Use your presser foot guide bar and set it to the width of the lines to be quilted. See our tutorial on straight-line quilting for more information.  

Set the sewing machine to a straight stitch.  The stitch length can be normal or a bit longer.

Mark the first line to be quilted near the center of the fabric with a ruler and your favorite marking pencil.  I like to use a Chaco-liner pen when marking fabric. Sew a straight line across the layered material following the marked line.

For the next line, align the guide bar on the previously sewn line.  Sew the next line following the first line with the guide bar.

Continue sewing lines towards one short side until half of the fabric is quilted.  Turn the fabric around and sew lines across the other side of the fabric.  The whole fabric is quilted with the lines.

STEP 9: Trim Quilted fabric to size

Square the quilted fabric with a long or square ruler.  

To square the fabric, use the seams of the jelly roll strips or the quilted lines for guides. Trim all four sides of the quilted fabric so the edges are even and straight.

Next, trim the fabric to the size needed for the case. 

Trim the shorter side to be 1-1/2” - 2" wider than your device length.  My tablet is 9 ½” long, so I will trim this to be 11 ½”.  For a more snug fit, trim to 1-1/2” wider than the device length (longer side).

When I made the Kindle Oasis Cover, I trimmed it to be 1-1/2" wider than the device. This cover has a nice fit without a lot of extra room.

For the iPad, I trimmed it to be 2" wider than the tablet length. This cover has a much looser fit.  If I make another cover, I will cut it 1-1/2" wider than the tablet length since I prefer a snug fit.

Trim the quilted fabric longer side to be 3x the width of your device (shorter side).  My tablet is 7” wide so I will trim the quilted fabric to be 21” long.

So, my finished piece of quilted fabric is now 11 ½” x 21”.

STEP 10: Bind the Short Ends of the quilted fabric

Use extra jelly roll strip(s) to make a double-fold binding.  This binding will be used on all four sides of the cover.  For larger devices, you may need more than one strip. 

Leftover sections of the jelly roll strips can also be used to create a binding. For the Kindle Oasis cover, one full strip was used for the binding.  For the iPad cover, I used several partial strips since one strip would not cover the entire cover.

We will use our Quick Quilt Binding method to sew on the binding.  There are no mitered corners on this binding!

To create the binding, fold the strip in half lengthwise and iron.

Turn the quilted piece with the wrong side facing up.  Sew the binding to the wrong side first with a 1/4" seam allowance.  Align the raw edge of the folded strip along the short edge of the piece.  If there is extra binding, trim it even with the fabric edge. 

Turn the quilted fabric so the right side is facing up.  Wrap the binding around to the front and sew the binding down with a serpentine stitch, straight stitch or other decorative stitch.

I recommend testing the sewing of the serpentine stitch on a piece of scrap fabric to adjust the stitch length.

The first short end is bound.  Add the binding to the other short side in the same way.

STEP 11: Fold fabric into sleeve and pocket

Lay the quilted fabric piece on a table with the wrong side facing up.

Place the device onto the center of the quilted piece.  Fold one side of the fabric across the device to cover the whole device and pin. 

Check the size of the cover.  The binding will cover 1/2" on both of the long edges of the cover.  Place the pins 1/2" in from the edges and then test to see how it fits your device. If the cover looks like it will be too large, adjust the size now before sewing on the binding.  As an option, sew on one binding and test the size before sewing on the final binding.

Fold the other side over to make a small pocket.  Leave a ¾” - 1" gap between the two short ends.  Pin this side in place. I recommend basting the two edges close to the raw edge to hold the sides in place while binding.

STEP 12: Bind long sides

To bind the long sides, continue to use the previous jelly roll strip or select new strips to use.  Prepare the strips by folding them in half lengthwise and ironing them.

Please note that I showed an alternate method of sewing on these last two binding strips in the video for this project.  To view the whole video, visit the YouTube video through the link. 

Hold the tablet case with the pockets facing towards you.  Align the raw edge of the binding strip along one long edge of the case.  The end of the binding should extend past the corner of the case on both sides by about ½”.  This will wrap around to finish the corners.

Wrap the ends of the strip to the back and pin it in place.

Sew the binding to the case through all layers with a ¼” seam allowance removing pins as you go.

Wrap the binding to the outside of the case.  At the corners, the binding will be wrapped around the end.  Tuck in the corner point as shown in the photo below. Fold the binding to the outside of the case so that it covers the previous stitches.  

It may be helpful to use quilting clips to hold the binding in place.

As before, stitch the serpentine or other stitch to hold down the binding.

Sew the other side in the same way.  Test the case to make sure your tablet will fit.  It's almost finished!

STEP 13: Add Kam Snaps

To hold the case closed, add two Kam snaps to the case.  If you need help installing the Kam snaps, please click this link to read our tutorial.

I added the Kam snaps in the center of the two strips.  The Kam snaps could be added more toward the edges also.  Put the Kam snaps on the small flap/pocket close to the folded edge.

The Kam snaps only go through one layer and do not show on the outside of the case.  Install the other half of the snaps on the main case. Don't forget to test the snaps to make sure they are installed correctly.

Did you install Kam Snaps incorrectly and need to remove them?  Click to see our tutorial on How to Remove Kam Snaps.

The Custom Kindle Sleeve Cover or Custom Tablet Cover is completed. Below are photos of the covers I made for my Kindle Oasis and iPad Air.

Back of Covers - The iPad Case is on the left and the Kindle Oasis case is on the right.

 

Front of Covers

 

Cover with iPad Air

Some other patterns you may be interested in are:

• How to Sew a Cord Wrap - Tame all of your cords with these handy cord wraps.
• How to sew a Key Lanyard

Here are some other Jelly Roll Projects:

• String Pieced Potholders - Jelly Rolls would work wonderfully for this project.
• Jelly Roll Mug Rug Pattern