Cell Phone Pocket Holder

Newest Cell Phone Pocket

I've added a couple of additions to my cell phone pocket. The measurements are the same, but I now added a flap to keep the strap from pulling out of the zipper pocket when I reach for my phone.  This one is for a friend for her birthday. Colors are a little off. That plaid actually is red. Use only plastic zippers since you will be sewing over the end of a cut zipper.

CREAT

The measurements are as follows:

1. Solid blue fabric for base - 5.75 x 16  (5.75 by 8 rectangle) folded in half  one for outside and one for lining (Use a light-weight iron-on interfacing on the lining piece)
2. Yellow fabric - base for pockets  22 x 5 (rectangle 11 x 5 ) folded in half 
3. Red - pocket - 11 x 5  (hidden pocket)
4. plaid pocket - 9 x 5 (bottom pocket)
5. 2 x 2 inch square of outside fabric to add to bottom of zipper 2 if you are doing the top and bottom
6. 4.5 x 2.5 inch fabric for tab to keep cord down 
7. 2 x 8 inch fabric to make side loops.
8. 10 inch non-metal zipper
9. ________________________________
10. MAKING THE OUTSIDE POCKETS:
11. Decorate the flap and the plaid pocket first or leave it plain. I use cutaway stabilizer when doing the embroidery and find that it helps make the pockets a little more sturdy.
12. Open the yellow pocket to it's full length and stitch each of the smaller pockets, one at a time,  to the yellow pocket with a 1/2 inch seam. Trim the seam on the first pocket to keep the bulk down when stitching closed the yellow pocket. This way each pocket will have a bottom seam, and won't shift when the yellow pocket is sewn together.
13. Fold the yellow pocket, right sides together, over the top of the smaller pockets, matching bottom edge to yellow pocket. 
14. Stitch around the yellow pocket, 1/2 inch seam. Start at one side, and continue around the yellow pocket, leaving an opening to turn it right side out.  Check the pocket to make sure that it isn't more than 1.5 inch wider than your phone. If it's too wide, it won't fit on the outside base fabric when you add the zipper.
15. Trim the corners. You can also trim some of the layers of the bottom to reduce bulk. Turn right-side out and use the less pointy end of a chop-stick to poke out the corners.
16. Top-stitch the sides of the yellow pocket to close the turn opening. To make each side look the same, start at the top of each side and stitch only to the top of the red pocket. Set aside.
17. ________________________________________
18. CREATING THE ZIPPER POCKET 
19. Place the outside and lining, wrong sides together, and zig-zag or serge sides to reduce fraying.
20. Fold this section of fabric in half and make the placement for the grommets or add buttonholes. They should be about 2 inches from each edge.
21. Attach grommets or stitch buttonholes. I recommend adding cutaway stabilizer on the lining side for either technique.
22. Cut a 2 x 8 inch wide piece of fabric for the loops. Fold the strip in half (the long way) to find the center. Then fold each side to the center and fold it in half to make a strip 1/2 inch by 8. Stitch the strip closed and then stitch along the folded edge. Cut the strip into 2 pieces.
23. Attach each loop on the back sides of the outside fabric, just below the fold. Place the tab fold to the inside and let the raw edge of the loop go beyond the edge of the blue fabric so the loop is attached well. Double stitch just to the outside of the first stitching.
24. TAB TO HOLD DOWN STRAP WHEN NOT IN USE: Sew the 5 x 2.5 inch piece of fabric in half, right sides together, to make a tab 1 inch wide and 5 inches long. Sew along the sides and one end. Turn right side out, and top-stitch on 3 sides. A chopstick comes in handy to turn and get the corners pushed out.
25. Find the center of the blue fabric and place the tab on the front of the pocket, about 1.5 inches from the fold. The raw edge of the tab should be nearer the fold. Stitch the tab in place.
26. Fold tab UP, and stitch again so that the raw edge is now encased in the second stitching line. The outside pockets (yellow pocket) will hide where the tab was attached to the front.
27. Put a piece of the cording you intend to use under the tab and mark placement for cam snaps.
28. Attach cam snaps. (It's a lot easier to do it while the outside pocket is still flat.
29. Place the outside pockets (yellow pocket) on top of the blue fabric, so that the top of the yellow pocket is about 1/4 below the fold of the blue fabric. Using clear thread (looks best, but not totally necessary) stitch the outside pockets (yellow pocket) to the front of the blue fabric close to the edge of the yellow pocket. Start just below the fold on the flap of the yellow pocket and end just below the flap fold on the other side. Make sure the stitching begins below the fold on the pockets you are adding to the base fabric so the pocket doesn't droop. It's difficult to fix the problem once the whole thing is closed up.
30. ADDING THE ZIPPER: Measure the zipper to know where it will need to be cut. You want the zipper to be about 5/8 shorter than the side of the outside pocket when folded in half. By adding fabric at each end of the zipper, when the bottom is stitched together, the zipper teeth are not in the seam and the ends are smoother.
31. Place the zipper on the side of the blue piece that is closest to the front. I'm right handed, so the pocket is worn on my right and the zipper went on the right side of the pocket. It was put on the left side on the demo pocket (as you look at the front) which is actually wrong.
32. Mark the zipper 5/8 shorter than the blue fabric, but DON'T CUT it yet.
33. Using a scrap of fabric about 2 inch square, lay the square across the zipper so the edge of the square is just below the cutting mark on the zipper.  SLOWING Stitch the square to the zipper just above where the zipper will be cut. Fold the square down, over the stitching line you just completed, and stitch across the square and zipper again. Now snip the zipper where it was marked.
34. Line up the top of the zipper to the top of the fold line on the blue fabric.
35. Stitch zipper to the right side of the blue fabric. The zipper will be longer than the blue fabric, but you will be trimming off the bottom of the zipper/fabric to match the bottom of the blue fabric.
36. Do the same for the 2nd side of the zipper. Make sure you don't sew the side tabs into the zipper. You can tape them to the inside to prevent stitching them in with the zipper. The zipper won't be in the seam at the top and bottom, but the fabric tab that was added WILL be in the seam.
37. Open the zipper at least 1/2 way and put right sides of the base together.
38.  Matching the side and bottom edges of the blue fabric (base fabric), stitch 1/2 inch seam on the side and bottom.
39. Trim corners.
40. Turn right side out.
41. CREATING THE CORD: Measure the length of a 3/16 inch home decor polyester cord to go over the shoulder or across the body (however you plan to wear it). My cord is about 51 inches. DOUBLE THAT LENGTH.  
42. Cut a piece of fabric 1 3/4 wide by the length of your strap (before doubling).
43. Find the center of your cord
44. Matching the narrow edge of the fabric to the middle of your cord, fold the fabric over the cord, right sides together. Stitch across the cord, and then using a zipper foot, sew the fabric strip around the cord, encasing it.  One half of the cord will not have fabric on it.
45. Trim the seam, but don't trim the open end of the cord since extra fabric on the end can be used to finish the cord once it's inserted into the pocket and is stitched together.
46. Begin pushing the fabric down toward the center of the cord while holding the end of the cord that has fabric stitch around it. Depending on how closely you stitched and how much seam is let, turning the cord right side out will either be fairly easy or a little time consuming. This is still the best method I've found for making a covered cord.
47. Feed the cord through the grommets starting from inside the pocket to outside and then back inside. Stitch together the ends however you like. The cord can stay inside the zipper pocket when using carabiners to hook onto pant loops. No pant loops, pull the strap from inside the zipper pocket.

Add a couple of carabiner clips to the loops to hook onto belt loops and you're done!

A quick list of the order to assemble:

Front Pocket
decorate outside flap and lower pocket (if desired)
stitch pockets to largest pocket
flip the outside pocket over to enclose the rest of the pockets and sew all around leaving an opening    to turn right side out
top stitch flap

add cam snap to flap and the lower pocket.
set aside

Outside
interfacing to lining
attach lining to outside, wrong sides together using a zig-zag or serger along longest sides 

add grommets or buttonholes at the top fold

add side tabs and tab for strap

add strap to hold down cord

add cam snap to tab
attach pocket to front
add tabs to top and or bottom of zipper

add zipper to outside

open zipper, and sew around other side and bottom with right sides together

turn right side out