Sunday, June 28, 2015

Passport Cover Tutorial




I had to take my passport to be scanned over to the military base so I could get clearance rolling and the trip to and fro in my bag jostled and scruffed my passport up a wee bit. It got me thinking that it would be nice to have a cover to help protect it and maybe even store my ID inside of for when I need to get through customs. Thus the birth of my down and dirty quick passport cover tutorial. It is not ultra refined but it IS quirky and does the job.

Materials:

Timtex: roughly 10 by 6  inch piece
two fat quarters of coordinating fabric
mini hairband
vintage button
thread


I chose a heavier weight cotton for durability purposes. I had these two half yard cuts of Echino fabric made by Kokka, a high quality Japanese fabric brand, that I had been hoarding for several years. They have a light canvas cloth feel. Plus the buses and cars rocked... transportation... going places... passports!


Cut two rectangles of Timtex or other heavy weight interfacing: 4" by 5 1/4"


Not perfect but close enough.


Cut five total rectangles of fabric: two for the cover of the book and two for the lining and one for the pocket that the passport will slide into: 4 1/2" by 5 3/4" each. 

Next, cut out two pieces in any fabric choice to create an additional little pocket for an ID: roughly 2 1/2" by 3 1/4".




Remove plastic backing from the Timtex and adhere to the cover fabric pieces using a hot iron, as directed.


Here are my pieces all lined up and ready to go. The left are my covers with the interfacing attached. The brown buses are my lining, the single on the right of the buses is the passport pocket with a double folded and ironed edge (do this on the LEFT side of the fabric when right side up). Lastly, the tiny pocket on the far right with a corner cut off. Just eyeball it. ;-)


Ironing the edge down on the passport pocket.


Sew down the folded edge. I used a zigzag stitch for fun factor. 


Place the tiny ID pocket right sides together and sew around the short side, corner and top using a 1/4" seam allowance. See below.


After sewing along the three sides shown: clip corners, turn inside out, press and top stitch.



Place tiny ID pocket on the left lining side (as if you were holding open a book, one lining is the inside left and the other is the inside right). The tiny ID pocket can be placed either vertically tall or horizontally long, whichever is your preference. See photos at the end of the post for clarification. 


Next, make your loop for the closure by taking the tiny hairband and spearing it with a needle near one end. Take some thread and tie the end of the hairband off so it stays pinched.


Lay the hairband down along the left edge of the left lining on top of the tiny ID pocket. Stitch along the left edge of the tiny pocket and over the hairband (back and forth over the hairband to secure it) and down across the bottom, using 1/4" seam allowance.


Take the right hand lining and place the large passport pocket on top, lining up along the right hand edge. stitch in place using 1/4" seam allowance.


Place the covers and the linings right sides together, making sure the fabric is correct if directional (no upside down cars or anything, unless you want it that way). Stitch them together along the sides and top, back-stitching at the beginning and end for security. Stitch as close to the Timtex as you can without going on top of it.  Leave the bottoms open. 


Clip the corners and turn inside out. It will be tricksy with the Timtext, but you can do it! Iron down and tuck in the bottom. Top-stitch all the way around the rectangle, close to the edge. Press with the iron.


Sandwich the top and back covers and use a blanket stitch along the spine to join the two sides. I used all six strands on the embroidery floss.


Two passport covers.


Slide the last page of the passport into the large pocket on the right side. This one has the tiny ID pocket placed vertically.


This one has the tiny ID pocket placed horizontally. The cars are upside-down on this passport pocket. Totally on purpose. >bites lip<


Check out my mad cool vintage buttons. The green one is an old bakelite button from eBay. Vintage buttons are sweet. 

These really weren't too bad to whip up. 

Thanks and happy sewing!

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