Belt Pouch

The mp3 player.

Everyone and their dog seems to have one, and accessories for these little guys abound. It's not enough to have a little lump of plastic that holds enough songs to make your ears bleed, it has to be stylin' as well, just so everyone knows how much of a music aficionado you are.

You wouldn't believe how much I had to pay for a little plastic strap to keep it on my arm for when I'm working out.

As an iPod owner, I'm especially wracked with guilt because when I got mine, it was all nice and shiny and bright, and within 5 minutes I had managed to get it covered in smudges, scratches, and nicks.

Just look at the state of mine. It's despicable, really. Steve Jobs would be ashamed of me. It's time to give my iPod the style and protection it demands. I'm not spending my allowance on another hunk of plastic, though. Oh no. I'm making this one myself.

I'm going to give my little iPod a snug home, complete with a pocket for storing earbuds.

Hey -- this project works for machine embroidery, hand embroidery, and iron-on transfer for clip art, too!

Mp3 players tend to be tiny little buggers. They're getting to the point where you might sneeze and accidentally swallow the thing. My little nano is under three inches square! It's practically bite-sized.

To start, grab your main fabric for the outside of the case. You'll need a piece that's at least 12 inches long and 5 inches wide.

Hoop the fabric with some stabilizer.

I'm using an applique design (Edge Bunny), so in this step I'm precutting the fabric for the bunny from a printed template of a dieline.

If you're using a regular, non-applique design, just skip this step.

Stitch the design onto the fabric and stabilizer. 

Flip the fabric over and trim away the excess stabilizer.

Keep your design centered, measure four inches across and mark it. Then snip up either side so that you have a long 4 inch strip of fabric, with your design at the bottom end.

Measure up from the bottom of the design 10 1/2 inches. Leave a 1/2 inch between the bottom of the design and the edge of the fabric.

If it were chilly outside, you could just measure it longer and you'd have an instant scarf...but that wouldn't keep the mp3 player very cozy, so let's keep it to 10 1/2 inches.

Use the rectangle that you just made as a guide to make a second one from the lining fabric. Place the fabric on top of the lining fabric, trace, and cut it out. Then put the lining aside for later.

Now we'll make the back pocket, where you can store the earbuds. 

If you have an itty-bitty iPod or mp3 player, the holder itself might be large enough to carry the earbuds and the player. But as one can really never have enough pockets, you can certainly add one anyway.

Cut out a 3 inch by 3.5 inch rectangle of the outside fabric, and the lining fabric.

Place the pieces together, right sides touching, and sew a seam around all but the top edge. When you've finished, turn the fabric inside out, so the right sides are visible again. Push out the edges of the corners so it's nice and square.

Take the rough edges at the top and fold them about a quarter inch in, so it looks nice and finished. You can go over the edge with an iron to make them stay flat.

Sew another seam across the opening, and then keep going all the way around the pocket, so everything is sewn shut. Now you should have a nice little square with your outside fabric on one side, and the lining fabric on the other.

If you want the holder to have a cute little clip, take a strip of fabric and fold it in on itself so it's about as wide as your clip ring. I used my lining fabric to make it more interesting (contrast and all). Mine's just about an inch wide. Make sure there are no rough edges showing, and sew a seam down either side of the strap.

In order to figure out where to place your pocket and strap, you'll want to fold up the fabric to roughly the size it's going to be with an mp3 player in it. If your iPod is small and short like mine, the flap can come down pretty far, nearly to the bottom. If your iPod is taller, the flap will be higher. Once you've figured out about how big it's going to be, keep it folded and flip it over. Now you can see exactly where to place the pocket and strap so they're centered on the back of the holder.

Place the pocket and strap in the center of the back, and then open up the fabric, making sure the pocket and strap don't move.

Pin your pocket on, keeping in mind that the top will stay open. As for the strap, it's up to you how long you want it to be. Snip it about 1/4 inch longer than you want, and fold the rough edges 1/4 inch back inside the strap, so nothing frays. Pin the strap near the folded edge of the case, above the top of the pocket.

Now, stitch along the seam already sewn around the pocket, making sure to keep the top of it open. Then stitch a seam along the edge of the strap.

To the lining! Place the fabric and lining together, right sides touching in, and pin them in place. If you're using an edgy applique design, where parts are hanging over the edge, just tape the stray teeth and bits out of the way.

Sew a 1/4 inch seam around three edges of he rectangle, making sure to leave the design's side open. When finished, turn the fabric inside out and push out all the corners, using a ruler or pencil, to make sure everything is nice and square.

Like you did with the edge of the pocket, turn the raw edges of the rectangle inside themselves. This time, fold them as close as possible to the design, leaving just enough room to get a seam across the bottom. Pin it in place.

Carefully sew a seam to close up the opening. Just stitch the opening closed, instead of going all the way around the holder.

Go to the other end of the rectangle, the one without the design, and sew a double seam along the edge. This is the edge of the inside pocket for the mp3 player. I did a double seam mostly because I think it looks spiffy.

Check your pocket to make sure that it is still in the right spot. Sew a seam around the remaining three edges, sewing the pocket in place.

Finally, get out the Velcro. I used the self-adhesive kind, but you have to give it a while before it really adheres to the fabric, so don't yank on it too much right away. To get the placement right where you want it, stick on the inside square first, then place its partner on top of it with the adhesive removed so the top is sticky. With the Mp3 player inside to help measure, carefully fold the flap over to where you want it and press down so it sticks to the top piece of Velcro. That way you'll get the placement just right.

And now we have one spiffy iPod case! It'll keep the player from getting all the bumps and scratches that mine has, keep your earbuds snug and untangled, and give it a place to hang when you're jammin' to your tunes.