Tag Archives: pattern review

Hooked on my nook!

Posted in Pattern Reviews, Sewing by
      Remember when I said I was going to recycle

the Hot Seat

      into the draft of a new project?

Ta-da! Introducing… a cover for my nook! (My Barnes & Noble e-reader) …

Nook e-reader cover draft

I searched for a nook cover pattern awhile ago, but there wasn’t much out there since e-readers are still fairly new to the world. I recently stumbled across this amazing pattern on etsy.com that included patterns for the nook, nookCOLOR, Kindle 2, Kindle 3, iPad and KOBO, all in one PDF file!

E-reader Nook Kindle iPad Cover Pattern

Click here to visit the etsy shop, BirdfulStitches, where I bought this pattern!

I printed the pattern at home and decided to use scrap fabric – the fabric from my old “Hot Seat” – for a first draft to make sure I knew what I was doing before invested in new fabrics. The pattern was easy to follow with lots of helpful photos, and I couldn’t believe how quickly I finished the project! The cover is sized perfectly for my nook.

Only one boo-boo took place during the first draft – once I finished, I realized I had some leftover fabric pieces, and my nook cover didn’t have any extra pockets on the inside. I read the pattern ten times over and realized the reminder to sew the pockets inside must have slipped through the cracks, because it was never mentioned. I sent an e-mail to the person who created the pattern, who thanked me for my input and said they’d update the pattern. Yay!

With my first “draft” safely behind me, I excitedly allowed myself to buy new fabric for the cover I actually planned to use.

E-reader nook cover

I even got adventurous and strayed from the pattern, using a magnetic snap instead of the recommended button. My first magnetic snap!

E-reader nook cover magnetic snap

I was so excited to take my freshly covered nook to my book club last week… with the second set of pockets and all!

E-reader nook cover

E-reader nook cover with pockets

It’s projects like this one that make me truly appreciate the power of the internet. With e-readers being such a new product, it’s unlikely that I’d be able to find an “official” pattern like this anytime soon… so I’m thankful that I can tap into the talents of others via the world wide web!

The Friday Five: 5 reasons to check out PatternReview.com

Posted in Friday Five, Uncategorized by

1. The most obvious reason to visit PatternReview.com is to read… duh… pattern reviews! As a new sewer, it’s really nice to read about which patterns have mistakes printed in them, which beginner patterns are actually suitable for beginners, which steps in the pattern are tricky, etc.

2. See photos of other people’s completed projects. The pictures opened my eyes to how different each finished project can be. Even if everyone uses the same pattern, it’s amazing how various fabrics and notions, plus minor alterations, can change the final look.

3. Search and shop patterns from lots of different brands all in one place. Dropdown menus make it easy to browse general categories so you don’t have to visit lots of separate web sites.

4. Message boards! Post questions and reach a huge audience of sewers for a variety of answers.

5. RESOURCES GALORE. Not only does the site actually offer online sewing classes, but it is exploding with helpful articles, tips and techniques, glossaries, podcasts, classifieds… you name it! If it can be posted to the internet and is related to sewing, it’s probably there.

Happy Friday!