I’ve been trying for years to make a case for an iPhone that I like. I have a good design for a belt holster-style case, but I’ve never been completely happy with a snug case that fits into a pocket. The difficulty is preventing bulk, putting in the needed accessibility for plugs, buttons, etc., and making it easy to get on and off. I managed to get a design that really only deals with bulk and doesn’t worry about buttons or getting it on and off, but it is my favorite so far.
The key was to make it in place. The problem is that the case won’t come off without cutting or unbraiding the sides. So it isn’t something I can really make for others, but that is ok, because I’m generally too busy to do much leatherwork these days. It is quite simple: a small top and bottom slip-on cover with the right holes and a few hand stitches to hold it in place. Then, I braided the top and bottom covers together along the side using either a 4 strand (7 case) or 6 strand (7 plus case) flat braid. I made the 7 plus first, and I now realize that the 4 strand is better because it is less bulky on the turn-back. I also made the mistake on the 7 plus case in putting the bulkier turn back on the top rather than bottom. This makes the case a bit harder to use, because the other “feature” is that there are no holes for the on-off, volume, or mute buttons. I realized that you don’t really need holes and that you can easily work these through a light piece of leather. But the added bulk of the braid should be on the bottom. The red 7 plus case was for my wife, and when I do a redo for her, I’ll fix those things and dye the kangaroo leather red per her request. That may need to wait for awhile until I get my next nice weekend in the shop!
Art's Musings, etc. 