Practical Recycling

Now that I have a new camera, I decided I need a new case. While there are plenty of commercial cases available, I prefer a little pouch that protects my camera from dust or scratches while still allowing me to slip it in my purse or pocket. I decided to get crafty using one of my favorite, although stained, shirts. Hot air balloons hold a special significance to me, and I figured I could recycle rather than retire this tee.

First, I layed the tee out flat.

Then, I cut a rectangle of fabric to work with. I used both the front and back layers of the tee, working as though they were one layer. I folded over and stitched along one edge to make a casing. Then I folded the rectangle in half, marked the size of the camera, and sewed along the bottom and side seam, up to but not over the casing. I fed cord through the casing, tied it in a know, and melted the edges to prevent fraying. Camera case in fifteen minutes flat.

While I was at it, I decided to make a case for my iTouch using my father's childhood shirt. I hoped I could manage to alter it to fit me, but the shoulders were way too tight.

The front pocket was the exact same height of my iTouch, so I decided to simply alter the pocket to make a case. First, I cut it out.

Then, I turned it inside out and marked the width of my iTouch.

I stitched along the side seams, although not on the folding flap. After trimming the seams, I turned it right side out.

While I could have finished the folding flap in many ways, I decided to keep it simple. I trimmed it with scissors and then hand-embroidered along the edge.

Because I did the embroidery by hand, instead of just zipping through straight stitches on a sewing machine, this took a little longer. Still, I made myself a case for my iTouch in less than an hour, and found a way to preserve a shirt my dad once wore.

Neither of these were done especially meticulously. I'll admit, I was too lazy to switch out the black thread in the sewing machine. Still, it wasn't a bad use of a Sunday evening.