This is a lightly padded camera strap cover for DSLR and SLR cameras! Dress up your ho-hum DSLR camera strap with this fun, easy to wear cover. This strap fits over your existing manufactures strap, and is easily removable and washable. The straps are lined with a lightweight fleece to take that harsh edge of the existing strap around your neck. Each strap has a pocket large enough for most lens caps to fit snuggly, 2-SD card holders and one “ear” to hold things of like a light weight stuffed animal of you are working with kiddo’s! I made these because the the leather tabs were getting in my way and bugged me as I was shooting. I wanted something wide enough to stuff my lens cap in “snuggly,” as I’ve lost 5 with loose pockets, and 2 extra SD cards. This size fits popular Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Samsung, etc. 1.5" straps but if you are using a wider than normal lens, make sure you adjust your width to accommodate for it!
Fabrics and Interfacings:
- Main Fabric: 1 strip, 3 ½” x 27”; 1 strip 3 ½” x 5”, 1 strip 3 ½” x 3”
- Background Fabric: 1 strip, 3 ½” x 27”; 1 strip 3 ½” x 5”, 1 strip 3 ½” x 3”, and 1 strip 2” x 31/2”
- Fusible Fleece: 1 strip 6 ½” x 25”
- Lightweight Fusible Interfacing: 1 strip 3 ½” x 5”, 1 strip 3 ½” x 3”
Putting it All Together:
1. Iron the 3 ½” x 5” interfacing to the wrong side of the Main Fabric.
2. Iron the 3 ½” x 3” interfacing to the wrong side of the Main Fabric with a ¼” seam allowance.
3. With right sides together, sew the Main Fabric 3 ½” x 5” to the Background Fabric with a ¼” seam allowance. Turn fabric to right sides out and iron open. Sew ¼” from the top. This is the Lens Cap pocket.
4. With right sides together, sew the Main Fabric 3 ½” x 3” to the Background Fabric. Turn fabric to right sides out and iron open. Sew ¼” from the top. Fold the left and right edges together to make alight “middle crease (you’ll use that as a sewing guide when you pit it on the Main Fabric Strip!)
To make the double-fold we need to iron it over one more time. Fold the tape in half, so that one side is just slightly wider than the other…about 1/16 of an inch….very small. (FYI, you just made a mini binding for a quilt. Kinda cool, huh?)
Sew two lines down each edge as close as you are comfortable doing in order to keep the tab closed.
6. Sew the 3 ½” x 5” pocket to one end of the 3 ½” x 27” Main Fabric with the seamed side towards the middle using a scant ¼” seam allowance.
7. Place the 3 ½” x 3” pocket on the other end of the 3 ½” x 27” strip with the seamed side facing toads the middle, just like you did for the last pocket, and pin in place. Using the middle crease you made, sew up the middle towards the center of the Main Fabric and give yourself a few back stitches where the top of the pocket and the Main Fabric meet. This is where you put in your SD Cards and these pockets will get a lot of pulling.
8. Fold the “ear” tape tab in half. With the raw edges on the right edge of the fabric and the fold towards the center tack/sew it ½” up from the Lens Cap Pocket on the right side very, close to the edge and no further in that you ¼” seam allowance.
9. Layer the Main Fabric and the Background Fabric, right sides together, and pin to hold into place. With a ¼” seam allowance, sew the two together down the side that has the “ear.” Once sewn, open up and press towards the darker fabric.
10. Place the fusible batting, fuzzy side sewn, bumpy side up, on the ironing board and layer the strap, wrong side down (to the bumpy side). There should be ~ 1” of strap overage to the batting. Slowly press the fusible batting to the strap. Do not push or pull on the strap fabric as it will slide around in the beginning. More of an up and down pressing motion. Be careful, this stuff retains a LOT of heat, don’t burn your fingers!
11. Once it has cooled off, take fold over the lens pocket edge ¼” and iron. Fold it over again and iron for a nice hemmed edge. Sew as closely as you are comfortable with to the edge towards the middle of the strap first (to hold the sewing into place) then again sew near the edge of the outside . Repeat this same process for the SD Card pocket side.
12. Fold the raw strap edges together with the fuzzy batting side up and pin into place. With a ¼” seam allowance, sew the sleeve shut.
13. Carefully turn the strap right side out without pulling too hard on the just sewn edges. Take a wooden spoon handle or a thinner sewing ruler and once the sleeve is turned out, run the handle/ruler up and down the inside seams to help “shove” things back into place. With a warm, steamy iron, press it flat, manipulating the Background fabric to the underside and the Main Fabric to the top.
14. Using your sewing foot as a guide, move the machine needle all the way to the furthest right side it will go. Place the sleeve with the right edge up against the right side of the foot, using it as a guide. Very carefully and slowly sew, back up, and sew again the ends of the strap and then up the side. Once you get to the other end, sew, back-up and sew again the ends just like you did when you started this sewing run. Repeat the same process for the other side of the strap.
And there you have it! These make WONDERFUL gifts to bring to your family photographer or just for yourself! I mean after all it IS a moral imperative that we coordinate with all of our GirlyGeek Gadgets! If you wanted to, you could even embroider your initials on the main Lens Cap pocket, or what ever suits your fancy! Enjoy!
