Typewriter Pad DIY

    Hello, I have just dived into the hobby of typewriters. I came this way from collecting and using fountain pens. While I've found that I really enjoy using my pens for writing out RPG ideas and taking reading notes I find that my hands still get quite fatigued when writing more than a few pages at a time. 

    I wanted to organize my unread books so I went to see if a local furniture shop had some modestly priced bookshelves (Spoiler, they did not. In fact, they charge Ikea prices for Ikea items that are used. If I wanted to get Ikea stuff for that prices I could go to Ikea on my way back home from work.) What did surprise me was the blue Smith-Corona that was working next to the store's front door. I INSTANTLY feel in love, and an hour later I knew that I wanted a typewriter. 

    Thankfully, I am near a city so I was able to find a typewriter shop. Two weeks later after some back and forth calls I was able to my very own used and serviced Smith-Corona Galaxie Twelve. 

    I haven't looked at the serial number, but the color and the shape ABSOLUTELY read as the 70s. I think that's very charming and cute, not cute in the typical sense, but cute nonetheless. 

    Now something that became readily apparent as I was typing on my TV tray was sliding. This sliding issue was would because, according Youtube, this machine is a medium weight portable so it doesn't have enough weight to stop the machine from moving when I type of the keys and as I use the carriage release lever at the end of every row. Now, the internet gave me two different solutions to this problem and I didn't like either of them as they were. 

• Solution 1: Get some non-slip drawer lining, cut to size, and you are set. There isn't anything wrong with this, but while workable I wanted something more aesthetically pleasing. 
• Solution 2: There are multiple people who sell typewriter pads on Etsy. I've no doubt that they are wonderful and that they do a lovely job, but I couldn't justify the expense. This is for a couple of reasons: 
• I have a friend who would ABSOLUTELY roast me for buying a cut piece of felt. 
• I very much have an attitude of "why buy things when I can do it for much more time and for more money?" This actually ends up being a care where it was ONLY more working time, I did indeed save money...if we aren't taking into account the charge for my own labor lol. 

Supplies: 

• 4 felt sheets, 12" x 8"
• I got these from Michael's, this gave me a 3/8" total thickness. I didn't have to do any cutting down. These sheets were a lovely size to fit on top of my tray table and under the typewriter with no problems. 
• Non-slip shelf lining
• This is usually sold by the roll at the store, lot of places sell it. I got mine at the hardware store, but pharmacies have it, big box stores, grocery stores, dollar stores. It's widely sold which is odd because I don't really know that many people use it in real life. 
• Sewing supplies, machine or hand sewing
• if you don't have sewing supplies there is a site called "This for That" (Glue advice) that tells you which adhesives you can use for what materials to be effective

Method:

• Line up all your felt and sew the layer together. The seam allowance isn't really critical on this. I didn't want to fuss to much about it so I used a 1/2" seam allowance.

• Note: I've no interest in freehanding a line on fabric, I draw them. I am really not fussed about guide lines showing up on the right side of a project unless it's apparel. I find that marking on felt is REALLY annoying and sharpie marker works best for me. Even chalk is a pain. If you are sewing by machine this step is less critical. You can use the seam line markers on the plate, a magnetic steam gauge, or place a piece of making tape, or washi tape on the seam allowance. Please be careful not to leave tape on your machine long term. I can't vouch that it will or won't have an interaction between the finish and the adhesive. 
• Note 2: You are going to be sewing through four layers of cloth. I thread basted these together, but please baste or pin so that you don't have to worry about the cloth moving itself while you are trying to sew. 
• Note 3: I didn't want to dig for my sewing machine so I did handsew this. I had no trouble using a size 9 milliner's needle. However, I found the 1/2" seam allowance to be to far for me to like the look of a blanket stitch. I elected to use the backstitch, but since this isn't really going through a lot of strain so a running or running backstitch is probably sufficient. Do take, I wasn't able to backstitch in the typical manner of moving my needle horizontally because of the bulk so I did end up sewing in the slower manner. In which case, use your nondominant hand as a guide to how wide you want the stitch when you are using the needle to come in from the wrong side to the right side of the project. This is faster than just stabbing to the right side until you are on your guide line. Your nondominant fingers will help you guide the needle to where you want it to come up.
• This is felt so you don't need to worry about encasing or protecting the raw edge with a seam finish. 
• Note: If the desire strikes you could do a decorative binding, rick rack, or even a crochet or tatted edging. Do whatever makes your typing space somewhere that you want too be and can use. Remember, you deserve to have nice things for yourself! If you do other crafts you are absolutely worthy of using the things that you make for yourself. They aren't too nice for you to keep for yourself, use on your own projects, or to adorn yourself. This is something I'm working to internalize for myself and I suppose that I am thinking things out loud. 
• Flip over to the wrong side. Cut your non-slip lining material to size and sew.

• if you don't want the stitching to be visible then you will break out the hand sewing needles and stitch the lining to the closest layer of felt. I did a whip stitch (width of the stitch doesn't matter, I used a larger stitch length so that I can seam rip and replace it down the road if needed.)(This is wide for me on a whip stitch, I do English Paper Piecing lol.) If you don't mind the stitching being visible then you will be sewing around the edges of the lining and all the felt layers. 

    You are all done! I'm not sure if it is strictly necessary to have the non-slip lining once you've got all the felt, but I liked the idea. Also, in truth, I went to the hardware store first and had zero intention of using felt. However, when running errands I was right next to Michael's and how could I ignore the siren song?

    I hope that this is useful to someone, take a partial day to make this DIY. I feel happy seeing my pad and knowing that it was something  I made all on my own.