The Muppets Run!!!!

Occasionally someone will "gift" me fabric.  Maybe it's something they've found that they are not going to use, or maybe they saw a patterned fabric in the store that they thought was just my style so they got some for me.  Regardless of how it is acquired, in the past 2 years since I began sewing I have gathered quite the stash of odds and ends fabric.  A short while ago my sister found a fabric in the store that reminded her of me, it was The Muppets and I'm a HUGE fan of all things Muppets!  So she picked some up for me and mailed it to me with one condition...I had to use the fabric for myself, not something to sell.  Well she mailed quite a bit of the fabric, and it's been sitting in my stash waiting for the perfect project to be made with it.  This week I found a project for some of it.

I recently had to get a new phone.  This is not something I enjoy doing since I know that I am locked into keeping that phone for the next two years because of cell phone company contracts and inevitably a newer model of the phone I just got will come out within a month of me getting a new phone.  Sometimes though you can't avoid it, and this was one of those times.  So I ended up bringing myself into the 21st century and finally getting an iPhone. (I know, I'm behind the times!)  I've had an iPod for years, and got an iPad last year, so I'm familiar with Apple's operating system and since I already had apps and music from iTunes it only seemed logical to get the phone too.  I discovered one problem with my iPhone though...the cases and armbands I had for my other Apple products didn't fit it and many retailers want well over $50 for a case and $60 for an armband to use when running!!!  I only paid $50 for the phone (deal of the century I know!) I wasn't going to shell out more than I paid for the phone for the case!  So I decided to make something.

It took some trail and error, but I knew that I wanted to make an easy to use case quilted case that would hold my iPhone, but not trap it in bulky packaging.  I also wanted to make an armband that was easy to use as well for when I was out running, but not have to take a case off in order to use the armband.  After searching online for something to purchase (found case and armband for total of $100 that fit the bill, but not the budget!), or make I didn't find much.  Some tutorials that looked promising were flimsy and made me nervous about putting my shiny new phone in.  Others just seemed so complex for no reason!  Finally I decided to wing it, and make up my own pattern.  This is what I came up with.

Simple armband with some chording material, a D-ring, and hook and loop so it's totally adjustable to any arm size.

The case fits the iPhone snugly so it's not bouncing around in it.

A simple button and piece of elastic close the top of the case so that the phone can't be jolted out.

The chording goes through two buttonholes on the back of the case so that it can be removed if I don't want to use the armband, but still have the phone protected in the quilted case.

The four best parts about this project...
1.  It cost me around $3 to make!  The fabric was free from my sister, and roughly estimated the amount of other materials I used add up to slightly more than $3!!!
2.  I have a large (read as fat!) arm, and many armbands out on the market for iPhones and iPods don't fit my arm.  By making my own armband I was able to make it large enough to fit my arm without any problem!
3.  Because this doesn't scream sports armband I can wear this on the days that I am wearing an outfit that doesn't have a pocket for me to put my phone in.  This is a big thing for me since I always like to have my phone on me, and the "put the phone in your bra" trick many women do can be a little awkward when you get a call and are reaching in your cleavage!
4.  Finally my favorite part about this armband and case...THEY'RE WASHABLE!!!!!!!!!!!  Now if the case gets dirty on a run, or if it begins to smell, I can wash it all!!!!

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