Every Kindle Needs a Cover!

I'm a bibliophile. I love books. I can devour a stack of them - almost literally - in a weekend. I also travel for work quite a bit, and these are long trips - as in 18-hours-on-one-plane long. Even though I am working, I inevitably pack a stack of books for these trips, which is heavy and inconvenient. Enter the Kindle. After a lot of thought, my husband (also a book lover) and I decided to take the plunge. We were both unsure about reading off a Kindle, since we like the tactile component of reading, but it has been a purchase we don't regret. I can't wait to take it on the next work trip.
So what does this have to do with sewing? Considering you spend a good chunk of change for a Kindle, you would think it comes with a protective cover. But... it doesn't, and since I am cheap, I decided to make my own last weekend, using this tutorial for a book-style cover posted at One Pearl Button.


Since I decided to make this first cover for my husband's use, I was looking for a less-girly fabric, and I found it in the unlikeliest of places: my bathroom. I know it sounds crazy, but it really makes sense. Last year, my favorite pair of winter dress pants ripped and were were not repairable. I loved these pants, and so rather than just throw them away like a normal person, they found their way to the bottom of my laundry basket, and never left. Fast forward to last week. I'm brushing my teeth, and spy the back pocket of the pants, which had a great button loop detail and it struck me to use the pants to make the cover.


And that is exactly what I did. I spent a Friday night ripping out seams on the pants (learning a lot about pants construction in the process) to salvage the material.  And I spent a Saturday putting it together. All in all, I am fairly pleased with my first project after a long, long hiatus, though I do have some gripes. First, the material was a bit stretchy, which means the shape of the cover isn't great. This alone would probably be okay, but I also didn't use thick enough cardboard, so overall the cover is floppier than it ought to be.

Even with the gripes, I am pleased. I am especially happy I was able to use the button loop how I'd wanted. I think I might try this same material (and closure) on another version of a Kindle cover sometime soon, though this time around I'm going to choose a version more forgiving of stretchiness. I am also very happy that Bessie and I seemed to get along much better this time around.