Scrap Busting: Sun/Eyeglasses Case

For a while, my sunglasses and reading glasses had been neatly lined up on a table waiting for the day when I would have time to sew them soft cases to keep them protected. I knew that I wanted to use some of my scraps to make cases, and I had already found the perfect tutorial for the project, but I could not find the motivation to get the cases done. I had a couple of dresses on my sewing list, and they seemed a lot more exciting than sunglasses cases.

Then, I, like millions of other people in the US and around the world, found myself spending a lot of time at home due to social distancing measures. The neatly-arranged line of sunglasses and reading glasses on the table became one of many little things that had to—and could—be handled right away. After a day of being a librarian from home, I moved from my workspace to my sewing studio (full disclosure: my living room, on both accounts) and followed the Baby Lock video tutorial.

Pattern

There is no formal pattern for this project. The “pattern” for the case is a square or rectangle of fabric big enough to accommodate the glasses when the piece of fabric is folded in half. I created my patterns by placing a pair of glasses next to a piece of fabric, eye-balling the amount of fabric, and adding 1/4″ for seam allowances.

Fabric

This project is perfect for any fabric scraps you might have around. I had some large pieces of Halloween woven cotton fabric leftover from previous projects, but I am sure I could have used knit scraps. For the inside layer, I used some fleece I had from a couple of doggie vest I made for my friends’ furry babies.

Construction

I followed this Baby Lock tutorial. The whole project can be completed with only a serger, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. You can use a sewing machine and have the same result. I used both a sewing machine and a serger because the fleece made the whole thing quite shifty.

I started with two 10×10 pieces of muslin, one as the fashion fabric, and the other as the inside layer. Once the case was completed, it lacked structure. It was obvious that I would need to interface the outer layer.

I cut one piece of fashion fabric, one piece of interfacing, and one of fleece. This is the first time I used only steam to get the interfacing to stick to the fabric, and I had to ask myself why I did not try this sooner. Once the fabric had been interfaced, I placed the fabric and lining right sides together and sewed one of the sides—the will that will be the opening of the case.

If you are using fabric with a directional print, you will want to pay close attention to which side you choose to sew first. I decided that I was placing the top of the print as the opening of the case, so I used this side to create my first seam.

Once the first seam was done, I flipped the lining out and smoothed the sewn seam to get a crisp edge. I made the lining a tiny bit shorter than the fashion fabric so that when I lined up the bottom of both layers, the lining would be pulled inside. This makes for a very nice opening.

Because the fleece made the fabric burrito slippery, I used my sewing machine before I serged the edges. You can use only the sewing machine since no one will be peeking into the inside of your case. I like to know that everything looks finished even if the seams will forever be hidden from me.

Be careful not to sew the opening of the case! Once I had sewn the side and bottom edges, I flipped the whole thing inside out, and my case was done! I used a knitting needle to get the corners out, but if you don’t have one, you can use a chopstick or a pencil.

No more naked sunglasses in my purse! No more reading glasses exposed to the elements! This project is quick and easy—and it is a great way to use up a whole bunch of scraps. It is perfect for beginner sewists, and it might be a great way to keep kids and teens occupied for a while during these homeschooling times.