Do you need a laptop bag? It’s a must-have item for students or anyone who carries a laptop around. You need to protect your expensive tech, and a laptop sleeve or bag is the perfect way to keep it safe from little bumps.

Today, I’m sharing a super-easy tutorial on how to make a quilted laptop bag. The pattern features a zipper closure and a carrying strap that you can easily remove if you want to use the pouch as a laptop sleeve inside a backpack. This quilted laptop sleeve/bag is also fully lined.

Let’s get right to it…

For this sewing tutorial, I made a sleeve for my 17” laptop, but you can easily adapt the dimension for any size laptop or tablet.

Measure the width and length of your laptop and then add 2.5” to both measurements. This gives you the width and length of fabric you need to cut for the two main fabric pieces, the two quilt backing pieces, and the two lining pieces. The new dimensions gives you room for a seam allowance and space to easily insert and remove your laptop from the sleeve.

Example: My laptop measured 16”x10.25”, so I needed fabric pieces that measured 18.5”x 12.75”.

This easy laptop sleeve pattern is perfect for beginners, and it doesn’t require a lot of materials! I’ve listed what you need below:

• ½ Yard of Fabric for the Exterior, Quilted Panel
• 1 Yard of Fabric for the Quilt Backing Panel and Lining
• ½ Yard of Batting or Flex Foam
• Coordinating Thread
• #5 Nylon Zipper Tape (1 or 2 Pulls)
• 1-inch D-Rings (2)
• Purse Strap (optional)

If you decide to use this quilted laptop bag pattern, I’d love to see what fabric and hardware choices you make. Join Madam Sew’s Sewing Facebook Group and post pics of your creations!

Using the dimensions you determined in Step 1, cut two pieces of batting, two pieces of fabric for the exterior, two pieces of fabric for the quilt backing, and two pieces of fabric for the lining. All the pieces should measure the same dimensions. The quilt backing fabric will not be seen because it will be covered by the lining, so use whatever fabric you want for that part.

Also cut two pieces of fabric 3”x 2” for the purse strap tabs.

Take one layer of your fabric exterior, one layer of your lining fabric, and one layer of your batting and create a quilt sandwich. The wrong sides of your fabric should be touching the batting. You’ll need to use some basting spray or safety pins to temporarily hold all the layers together. Then, head to your sewing machine and quilt the layers using any method you like—free-motion quilting, straight-line quilting, etc. Repeat this process for the other exterior side of your laptop bag.

I did some simple straight-line quilting for the exterior panels of my laptop bag. It’s a beginner-friendly way to quilt the layers together. If you want to learn more about it, read my last post: 5 Tips for Straight-Line Quilting.

Alternatively, you could purchase pre-quilted fabric for the exterior panels of your laptop bag.

Note: If you simply want to make a laptop sleeve instead of a bag, you can skip this step.

Fold each 2”x3” tab in half along the longer side and stitch shut with a ¼ inch seam allowance to form a small tube. Then turn them right side out and press with the seam in the center. If you have a hard time turning tubes, consider trying Madam Sew’s nifty Tube Turner Set.

Insert each purse tab into a D-ring and fold them down to hide the seam. Then topstitch close to the edge of the D-ring.

Position the purse tabs 1 ½ to 2 inches down from the top of the laptop bag exterior fabric on both sides. Secure with pins and stitch them in place.

You can make your own carrying strap, too, but I just purchased a purse strap because I wanted the durability of leather, and I thought it would cost me more to buy all the hardware to make it.

Add a zipper pull or two to your zipper tape. I like to use two pulls so that I can have the zippers meet in the middle of my laptop bag. One zipper pull works just fine, though.

Cut your zipper so that it extends over the top edge of your laptop bag by 1 inch on both sides.

Place the zipper tape face down on the top edge of one exterior quilted panel, use clips to hold it in place, and then sew along the top edge to secure the tape in place. Use a zipper foot to stitch as close to the teeth as possible. You’ll need to stop and slide the zipper out of the way as you approach it so that your stitches stay straight.

Then, place one lining piece face down on the other side of the zipper tape, secure it with sewing clips, and sew it to sandwich the zipper between the lining and quilted panel.

Pull the quilted panel and lining piece wrong sides together to reveal your zipper tape at the top. Then topstitch next to the zipper tape to hold the batting down so it doesn’t bubble up and get in the way of the zipper when you go to use your laptop bag. Go slowly and consider increasing your stitch length to keep the topstitching smooth and straight.

Repeat this process for the other side of the zipper tape, using the other lining piece and quilted panel.

At this point, open the zipper a little bit. This is important! You’ll need to have it open to turn the lining to the inside in the next step.

Note: If you used a zipper with only one pull, bring the open teeth together and stitch over the end to keep them closed at that end. This is optional, but it will help you keep the fabric panels straight.

Match up the two exterior panels, right sides together, and match up the two lining pieces, right sides together. Use some sewing clips of pins to hold everything in place.

Ensure that the purse tabs remain inside.

Fold the zipper tape towards the lining fabric and pin in place. It may seem a little bulky, but it will turn out ok in the end.

Now, stitch around the entire edge using a ½ inch seam allowance, leaving a generous opening at the bottom of the lining (5-6 inches). When you get to the zipper tape in the middle, you might not be able to sew over the hump because of the bulk. If this is the case, sew as far as you can and then continue on the other side. When you turn the laptop bag right side out, the little gap won’t be seen.

When you turn your laptop bag right side out, there will be a lot of bulk at the corners. To reduce this, clip the corners and trim the batting, if necessary. Be careful not to clip into the seam or your zipper.

Personally, I don’t like to trim the batting in the seam allowance because I think leaving it gives my laptop more cushion.

Turn the laptop bag right side out through the open zipper. Use a pencil or sewing stiletto like the MadamSew magic wand to poke the corners out.

To finish the quilted laptop bag, you need to sew the lining shut. Use pins to keep the opening lined up correctly and then stitch close to the edge. Alternatively, you could use a ladder stitch to close the opening by hand. This makes the seam invisible and more professional looking. However, I don’t typically do that because it is on the inside of the bag where no one will ever see it.

After sewing the lining closed, stuff it inside the bag, give your project a final press, and attach a purse strap. Then you’re finished! I hope you enjoy carrying your laptop around in style.

Let me know if you use this quilted laptop bag pattern. I’d love to see what you make. I think it would be a fun item to sell at craft markets, too.

Cara Stromness,
Blogging for Madam Sew and Sewing Society

Cara loves sewing, quilting, and machine embroidery. Be sure to check out her other sewing tutorials!