If you've been following along on Instagram or TikTok, you probably already saw the sneak peek. A little fabric camera case with a drawstring closure and a flap that snaps shut. It got way more attention than I expected, and a lot of you asked the same question: is this a pattern?

Not yet. But here's the full story of how I designed it, measured it, and put it together.

Where the Idea Came From

I'd made a simple fabric sleeve for my digital camera a while back, and it worked fine until I got a new silicone case for the camera itself. Once that case was on, the sleeve didn't fit anymore, and my camera was basically just... exposed.

So I went looking for something better and came across a bag design on Pinterest that had exactly the shape and details I wanted. Only problem: no link, no source, no notes. The account that posted the image was @miasophiegtmn (@mia.knits on insta) so thank you for the inspo, Mia!

So, since I only had the photo to work off of I decided to recreate the concept myself and size it specifically for my camera (Sony ZV-1).

The Design Elements

Before I got into any measuring, I mapped out exactly what I wanted this case to include:

• A rectangular body with boxed corners
• Foam on the exterior panels for actual protection
• A drawstring closure on the inside
• An outer flap with a snap as a secondary closure

Combining a drawstring and a flap was something I really liked from the Pinterest inspo and not something I've seen elsewhere. Most camera cases only have one closure method and I wanted the extra security of both. My hubbys camera case only has a flap. One time I bent over and his camera fell out... thankfully he has a heavy duty cage on it... and my big toe caught the fall 🫠 So that's another reason I opted for a double closure!

Materials

Here's exactly what went into this case:

• Exterior: (2) 8" x 5.5"
• Lining: (2) 8" x 5.5"
• Inside closure (drawstring portion): (2) 8" x 5.5"
• Outside flap: (2) 5.25" x 5.5"
• Fusible foam: (2) 7.5" x 5"
• Fusible fleece: (1) 4.75" x 5"
• Drawstring: (2) 18" lengths (I estimated here, hehe. I cut my lengths after threading it through)
• Plastic snap: 1 set

Taking the Measurements

This is the part that trips people up most when they try to design their own bag or case from scratch, so I wanted to actually walk through the math instead of just handing over cut sizes. After measuring my camera I decided that I wanted my finished bag to measure 5" (L) x 2.5" (D) x 3.75" (H). From there we can figure our what our cut sizes should be.

The general formula I used for the main body pieces:

cut length = length + depth + (2 x seam allowance)

cut height = height + depth/2 + (2 x seam allowance)

For the fusible foam, I removed the seam allowance from the formula so it would be slightly smaller than the fabric panel. That extra space in your seam allowance helps to reduce bulk in the seam. It's a small detail, but it makes a noticeable difference in how clean the final bag look.

The flap length was measured from the back top edge, over the opening, down far enough to fully cover the front and leave room for the snap placement.

Putting It Together

Fusing: I fused fleece to one lid panel (curving the corners on one of the 4.75" edges) and fused foam to both exterior panels, centred, with the 1/4" of fabric overhang on all sides.

Lid construction: Sewed the lid pieces right sides together, trimmed the corners, clipped notches into the curves, and turned it right side out.

Drawstring casing: On each short end of the inside closure pieces, I found the middle and marked half an inch up and down from it. I sewed across the edge on both sides, leaving that middle section open, pressed the seams open, then edge-stitched on the right side of the fabric on both sides of the seam to keep everything in place. With wrong sides facing and side seams aligned, I sewed half an inch from the folded edge to create the actual drawstring casing.

Sides and bottom: Sewed across the sides and bottom of both the exterior and lining pieces (sides are the short measurement, bottom is the long one), leaving a turning hole in the lining (around 2-1/2" wide)

Box corners: I measured and sewed box corners at 1¼", though if you're cutting your corners before sewing rather than sewing then trimming, you'd cut at 1" instead. I'm planning to share a full breakdown on my favourite box corner method (where I draw the line, sew directly on it, then trim after) in a separate post soon, since it's a technique I use regularly. 

Snaps: Attached the snap to the lid, centred about 1" from the bottom, then basted the lid to the exterior (centred), and used that lid snap placement to figure out exactly where the exterior-side snap needed to go.

Final assembly: Attached the drawstring closure piece to the top raw hem, sewed the lining to the exterior right sides together around the top, turned everything right side out, closed up the bottom turning hole, and finished with an optional top stitch around the top hem for a cleaner look.

What's Next

Now that the design is finalized and it actually works the way I wanted, I'm considering turning this into a real, written pattern, possibly with a crossbody strap option, and potentially sized up for DSLR/mirrorless cameras too.

If that's something you'd want, let me know! Genuinely, your feedback is what decides what I build next.

You can watch the full design and sewing process, including all the measuring and a few mistakes along the way, on YouTube here.