You will need: Sewing machine, marker, pins, old T-shirt. A smaller T-shirt works best for this, unless your laptop is enormous. An old favorite with holes and burn marks will just add to the case’s theft-deterring stealth. A pocket large enough to store your laptop’s power brick is a nice touch.
a. Lay the shirt face up and then fold the bottom half upwards over the chest. Check by touch that the bottom of the pocket (if the shirt has one) is a bit above the fold. Set your laptop on top of the shirt and then draw vertical marker lines about an inch from both of its sides.
b. Along each marker line, use straight pins every few inches to hold all the layers of fabric together. Pin crossways so that the pins won’t get snagged on the sewing machine’s foot.
a. Sew a straight seam along both marker lines. For reinforcement, double up the stitching near the open edge of the pouch.
b. Cut off the sleeves and trim the excess cloth around the seam, leaving about 2 inches all around. This extra fabric outside the seam will provide additional padding.
Illustrations by Dave McMahon
3. Use! Turn the pouch inside out so that the pocket is on the front again. Slip your laptop into the middle compartment. The neck opening is great for stashing stray cables; the bottom flap holds papers or your ever-present copy of MAKE.
For Extra Credit + Take one of the leftover sleeves and sew it into a pouch for your iPod and earbuds!
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