Quilted Laptop Bag Tutorial

Make a Quilted Bag and Tote Your Laptop in Style. Free Sewing Tutorial.

I love bags of all kinds-purses, totes, shopping-you name it. But when it came to choosing a bag for my laptop, nothing seemed to fit my style or my laptop. So I decided it needed a custom carrier. I made it from some pig suede skins, but fabric could be used as well, such as a tightly woven denim, poplin, or a great upholstery fabric. I'm partial to quilting-it not only holds the layers together nicely when padding is called for but it also adds texture. I love the symmetry of a basic grid pattern, but you can create your own quilting design to make your bag truly one of a kind.

What you'll need:

    1 yard fabric or leather skins
    1 yard fabric for lining
    Batting: one crib-size fusible batt
    1/4 yard firm, 45-inch-wide fusible interfacing like Pellon's Décor Bond
    Zipper (to determine the size, measure the length of the laptop and add 2 to 3 inches)
    Four rings (available in notions departments or hardware stores)
    Thread
    Leather needle (optional)
    Quilting guide bar
    Teflon presser foot (it glides along the leather and keeps the stitches even)
    Zipper foot
    Large paper clips (for working with leather or suede)

Draw a paper pattern using the illustration below as a guide.

Measure your laptop to determine the dimensions for piece A (Front and Back). The length of piece B (Bottom/Sides) equals the bottom plus two sides of piece A; the width of B is the width of the laptop. Add 1/2 inch on all four sides of each piece for ease and 1/2 inch for seam allowances as indicated by the broken lines. Piece C (Strap) measures 30 inches by 4 inches. Piece D (Ring Holder) is 5 inches by 4 inches.

Using your pattern, cut out the following pieces:
A. 2 of fabric, 2 of lining, 8 of fusible batting
B. 1 of fabric, 1 of lining, 2 of fusible batting, 1 of fusible interfacing
C. 2 of fabric
D. 4 of fabric

(NOTE: If you quilt the bag, cut all pieces for section A 1 inch larger all the way around. Quilting reduces the size of the overall piece and you need to allow for this. After quilting, you can recut according to your pattern.)

Cut your pieces according to this pattern.

Construct the Bag:

1. Fuse two layers of batting, according to package directions, to the wrong side of each piece A, fabric and lining. This creates enough padding to cushion the computer.

2. Place one fabric/batting section to one lining/batting section (batting in the middle) and machine-quilt the layers together.

Layer fabric and lining with batting in the middle. 

Use a Teflon foot if you're sewing on suede and a quilting bar to ensure straight rows of quilting stitches. 

After quilting each A section, use the pattern to cut to size. 

3. Open the zipper. Pin the top of one section A to one side of the zipper, matching the raw edge of the fabric to the edge of the zipper tape. (If you're using suede, use paper clips to hold in place.) Leave about 2 inches of zipper extending at one end, and place the zipper stop 1/2 inch from the side edge at the other end. Use a zipper foot and stitch close to the zipper coils through all thicknesses.

Place the right side of one zipper half to the right side of one A section and stitch in place close to the zipper coils. 

4. Trim away excess fabric close to the stitching.

Trim away the fabric under the zipper tape.

5. Press the zipper tape under, exposing the coils. Edgestitch along the fold.

Press the zipper tape to the wrong side.

Edgestitch on the right side close to the fold. 

6. Close the zipper and match the two sections. Stitch the other side of the zipper in place as above.

7. Make ring holders: Fold each in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.

Fold the ring holders in half, wrong sides together, and in half again. 

8. Fold again, matching raw edges to the center. Stitch close to the folds on each side.

Stitch ring holders close to the folds on both long edges. 

9. Slip the holder through the ring, and sew the ends together with a 1/4-inch seam. Turn so the seam allowance is on the inside.

Feed the ring holder through the ring. Stitch with a 1/4-inch seam. Turn right side out to form a continuous loop. 

10. Sew each holder in place as marked on the pattern, with the ring at the top.

Sew the rings holders in place according to the markings on the pattern diagram.

11. Fuse two layers of batting to the wrong side of the Bottom/Side (B) lining piece. Fuse interfacing to the wrong side of the Bottom/Side (B) fabric piece.

Fuse interfacing to the fabric B section. 

12. Place the fabric and lining together with batting and interfacing in the middle. Pin one long edge of this strip to one A section, right sides together, raw edges matching with 1 inch extending at the top on each side. Stitch in place, pivoting at the corners.

Layer the fabric and lining B sections, wrong sides together, and stitch to the A sections, pivoting at the corners. 

13. Sew the other long edge of the strip to the remaining A section.
14. Finish the seam allowances by serging or binding.
15. Turn in the ends of the strip at the top and hem.

Turn in the top edges of the B strip and hem. 

16. Trim the extended end of the zipper, if necessary, and sew a folded scrap of suede in place to prevent the slide from coming off.

Finish the end of the zipper. 

17. Make the straps the same way as the ring holders. Feed through the rings, fold under 1-1/2 inches, and sew in place.

Sew the straps to the rings.