Sewing U-pocket cover easily - DIY guide

• Sewing instructions for U-handle cover
  • material
  • patterns
  • cut
  • The sewing
  • Now it is turned

In this sewing guide we show you how to sew a cover for a U-pocket or even the U-Pass yourself and creatively design it. After birth, many important documents patter on the parents, which of course should be stored properly. This sewn DIY case helps you, creates order and looks very chic.

Immediately after the birth of your child, you and your little one will receive an examination booklet, the so-called U-booklet. This is a booklet and from that moment until the training constant companion. The results of all medical examinations are entered in the notebook and documented therein. Therefore, it plays an important role for your first years with your child and should therefore be well cared for. What fits even better, as a self-sewn sleeve for the U-booklet, an envelope for all the important examination documents ">

High costs will not really come to you. Depending on the fabric selection and whether you may still have scraps at home, these are between 0 € and 14 €.

To sew a U-pocket, including creating a pattern, takes about an hour. Of course, depending on the degree of experience, this can take longer for one and less for the other.

Sewing instructions for U-handle cover

The following instructions can be customized for each type of envelope and envelope. You then just have to adjust the dimensions according to the booklet:

• German vaccination certificate (closed): 15 cm high x 10, 75 cm wide
• German U-booklet (closed): 21 cm high x 15 cm wide
• German mother pass (closed): 17.5 cm high x 12.5 cm wide
• Austrian mother-child-pass (closed): 17, 5 cm high x 11, 25 cm wide
• Austrian U-booklet (closed): 23 cm high x 16.5 cm wide

Of course, this information may vary with time. So measure very accurately the dimensions of the examination booklet before you start with patterns.

material

At the beginning it is the procurement of the material. Above all, the choice of materials is crucial. Ideally, you should choose a non-stretchable fabric for the booklet. Cotton or linen would be the best choice. If you have found a beautiful fabric that can be stretched, we recommend an ironing fleece reinforcement. So the shell can not be forgiven later and the result looks more accurate.

We use a turquoise linen fabric as the outer fabric and for the interior of the shell we use a matching, gray cotton fabric with stars. Of course, you can let your creativity run free and customize the colors and patterns.

patterns

First, measure the dimensions of the booklet - ie height and width and add 3 cm seam allowance (that is 1.5 cm per side). For a U-booklet you need:

• 1 x outer fabric
• 1 x inner fabric
• 2 large and 2 small side panels each

The German examination book has unfolded the dimensions of the DIN A4 format, that is about 21 cm high x 30 cm wide.

For the outer shell you therefore need a piece of fabric which is 24 cm high and 33 cm wide. The inner fabric should be a little narrower but the same length. That gives a measure of 24 cm x 30 cm. The two large side panels are also 24 cm high. These are however square and therefore 24 cm x 24 cm. The small side parts are narrower and are therefore cut to 24 cm x 22 cm.

The dimensions at a glance

Basic size	+ 3 cm seam allowance	H 21 x B 30
1 x outer fabric		H 24 x B 33
1 x inner fabric		H 24 x B 30
2 x large side panel		H 24 x B 24
2 x small side part		H 24 x B 22

Tip: Before cutting and sewing, place all elements together so you can see exactly which side of the fabric you want to see where and in which orientation. For motifs with patterns, cropping is important, so that motives that are aligned do not later turn upside down or stand on their sides.

cut

Now carefully cut out all fabric parts for the U-hull cover. If the fabric is stretchy or very thin, we recommend that you reinforce the outer fabric with a non-woven fabric. Often passports and authorities have a plastic cover. If you take this with you, you could also do without reinforcement of the substance.

Tip: If you reinforce the outer fabric, you should leave the seam allowances open and NOT reinforce them. The many layers of fabric would later make the seams too thick and that does not look really nice.

The sewing

Before sewing, all parts should be ironed well, so that the result has straight seams. Then fold all four sides, the two little ones and the two big ones, exactly in the middle of the width and iron them tight. Then they put a big and small part on each other so that the open sides lie against each other. Now mark the point where you want a division for pockets. Here, the page was thirded, that below a compartment for a chip card is created. In the upper part there is room for larger documents. Of course you can customize the bags as you like. Make the mark with a pin and then sew it with a simple straight stitch. You should not forget the stitching.

Tip: If you want to provide the outer fabric with applications, this should now be done. Later, you will not come in single-ply on this fabric.

Now place the outer fabric piece with the nice side up on the table. Then place the side panels exactly against the outer edges and secure them with pins.

Tip: If you want the smaller pocket inside the U-pocket to be on the left side, you need to attach it to the lower right in this step.

Then sew both edges with a distance of 0.5 to 0.75 cm - a simple straight stitch is also the right choice here. All fabric edges should lie flush on each other when sewing, so that no ugly wrinkles arise.

Now put the inner fabric part in the middle, the one with the star pattern. 1 - 2 cm are missing left and right depending on the pattern so that you can now see the seams. This is intentional and later represents the turning opening. After placing and centering the edges are pinned top and bottom. Then sew all edges together with a straight stitch. After thorough cooking, all four corners are cut off at an angle. This causes the corners after turning are not so thick.

Now it is turned

The scissors in the picture above show you where there are still openings - one opening to the right and one opening to the left. Now apply the sewing piece through one of these openings. Then fold the side panels left and right. The U-hull cover is almost finished.

Finally, everything is ironed well again. The DIY case can now be decorated as desired, for example, with a hanger.

This custom case for the U-book brings order in all future examinations of your child from now on. At the same time, the fabric cover is a good identifying feature and later a nice memento, the little ones are at some point great.