How to make a trading card case

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one case, 59 × 86 mm card)

• Main fabric (light cotton or Oxford cloth) — about 90 cm wide × 30 cm
• Clear vinyl (0.3 mm) — about 10 × 12 cm
• Lightweight fusible interfacing — about 25 × 15 cm
• Size 9 needle and fine thread
• Clips instead of pins

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Fandom” → “Trading card case” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the card width and height, the ease, the frame width and the strap length. Presets cover standard 59 × 86 mm cards and others.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Measure the card
   Width and height. The Japanese standard is 59 × 86 mm.
2. Trace the pattern
   The frame is a rectangle. Mark the window opening too.
3. Cut the pieces
   Two frames (front and back), one vinyl window, and a strap if you want one.
4. Fuse the interfacing
   To the frames, so the case keeps its shape.

4. Sewing

4-1. Cut the window

1. Cut the marked opening out of the front frame only.
2. Clip the four corners and press the allowance to the wrong side.
3. Only the front gets cut. The back stays whole.

4-2. Fit the vinyl

1. Clip the vinyl behind the window opening.
2. Topstitch round the window to hold it.
3. Use a long stitch — about 3 mm. Fine stitching perforates the vinyl and it tears.

4-3. Baste the strap

1. Fold the strap in four and topstitch.
2. Baste the ends to the top edge of the back frame.

4-4. Sew front to back

1. Place the two frames right sides together and sew, leaving the top edge open.
2. The top is where the card goes in.
3. Turn, shape and topstitch the top edge.

✏️ Only the front frame gets the window cut out. Cut both and you have no pocket. It sounds obvious, but with two pieces stacked it is easy to cut through both — mark the front before you start.

5. Tips & variations

• 6 mm of ease: exact and the card will not go in, generous and it slides about.
• Sleeved cards: allow 1 cm of ease if the card stays in its sleeve.
• Strap length: 70 cm sits at chest height. Measure if it is going round a neck.