I really have no clue how to sew anything.  I can’t even operate that As Seen On TV Stitch Quick hand-held sewing thingy let alone a full-fledged sewing machine.  The least I know is how to use a simple needle & thread.  The best I can do is mend a hole in a pair of socks, or fix up a tear in a shirt.  I can just barely stitch in a semi straight line.

This is my first REAL attempt at making my own personalized iPad case, complete with padding & an inner-lining.

My very first attempt at making my own DIY style iPad case ended up in a tragic disaster.  I didn’t follow any type of tutorial, guideline, or sheet pattern.  I just used the fabric I had purchased & was supposed to make something for my niece, & I just made up my own steps as I went along.  Instead of going the easy & much more professional-looking route by sewing the fabric, I had decided to get creative by using no-sew iron-on fabric tape.  I thought this would help me cut a corner in having to do any sewing.  Well, let’s just say that after all the cutting & fabric tape ironing etc. etc. etc., I ended up needing to do some sewing after all.  I had to sew the seams together because even though the package claimed the tape to be long-lasting, I didn’t want to run the risk of the stuff coming unglued.  The biggest mistake I made was not properly measuring & cutting the fabric before doing all the nipping & tucking, so my iPad case ended up being a little too baggy & bulky.  The end result?  Let’s just say a 4th grade elementary student could do better than this:

my first attempt at a sewing project. don't judge me. -__-

On my next attempt, which I’d like to call it my first “real” attempt at making a good quality DIY style iPad case, I actually followed an online sewing tutorial.  Rather than follow the tutorial line-by-line, I improvised on a few of the steps.  The end result, I think, looks pretty darn good.  It’s still not quite Cut & Sewn quality, but it’s still very durable & clean looking for a casual iPad case.  Even though sewing is not my best skill by a long shot, I’m still very impressed that I managed to pull a rabbit out of this dusty ol’ hat.

This is the online tutorial I used: http://www.creativekristi.com/freebie-friday-sew-you-own-ipad-case-pattern.html
This is the shop where I buy all of my fabrics: http://www.peapodfabrics.com