Fall Purse covers!

Well, the double eye glass case, for which I did a wee tutorial, didn't work out quite as I wanted as the mater can't open it with her arthritis! So .... made another one this time with a Velcro closure. Now it works, but while giving her the new and improved eye glass case I was asked for a new purse cover, you know, something with red and silver in it, something for winter ....
So, yup I'm a softie ... I made 3 more purse covers (these are becoming addictive!) Two are the same, a nice grey/black/white/red Haida print and a red/with/black circular reversed side. The third one is for me - the same grey/black/white/red Haida print and a black/white/gold reversible side. Woohoo - we are ready for winter!
Now it's time to get cutting - onto a wedding quilt for my niece.
The pile on the left are the "chosen" ones, and the fabric on the bottom is the backing. Each colour is supposed to have a light, medium and dark. The pile on the right are the rejects - not yet put away in other boxes as I might yet change my mind and use them. I have chosen to go "scrappy" in this quilt so I have several dark/medium/light for each colour. In the reject pile you can see the swatch card I used while shopping. I found it sooo much easier to cut a swatch, label it and staple to a card, then underneath the fabric I wrote how much I needed. Maybe too anal for some, but I found this organization quite helpful!
TTFN

Double Eye Glass Case tut!

So, I was frivolous this week and purchased a cat tree for the furry ones ... Iris has been encouraged (cat nip and a "Cat Ease" spray) to sit and relax in it, but Simone has yet to recognize it's existence. Maybe they'll get the hang of it this winter...? I finally got to this project - the finale from my earlier purse project to make a double eye glass case for the Mater's reading and sun glasses. I purchased purse frames a couple of years ago in the states. I think they are meant for coin purses, but hey what the heck, they work for this project as well! I traced around an existing cloth eye glass case to get the basic pattern - so I have not supplied the actual pattern - just directions. If you don't already have a cloth eye glass case to trace, just take a pair of your reading glasses and trace around them to get a pattern. I'm using brown Haida print for the lining and divider, and white, black and beige geometric linen for the outside of the case. These fabrics match the purse I already made mother this summer. I'm also using Pellon peltex interfacing, the same kind of stuff you use for fabric postcards or purses. First, cut two brown and one peltex for the divider. Since the peltex is thick and quite stiff I recommend cutting it actual size with no seam allowance. With right sides facing (RSF) and the peltex in between sew along three sides, leaving the bottom open. Machine quilt as desired. Insert the divider between the two case linings. Sew around the outside and bottom, leaving the upper open.
Next make the eye glass outer case, with RSF sew around the sides and bottom of the eye glass outer. Turn right side out and iron. Insert the lining wrong sides facing, and a peltex piece on both sides between the lining and the outer case. Next, turn under the liner top and the outer top and iron. I find this step makes it makes it easier to hand sew the opening closed. Hope you can see from the pic, the divider is inside, it should not come too far up past the "hip" of the eye glass case. Did I forget to tell you there is hand sewing involved in this project? Sorry!

Next is more hand sewing. The purse frame has a line of small holes at the bottom to use for attaching the purse. Using heavy duty thread I attach the lining first, then move to the front and sew through the front and through the holes to the lining so all is secure (hopefully)! And, Voila you have a fabric eye glass case - for two pairs of glasses than matches the fabric purse you made this summer. Ohhhhh la la - how matchy matchy!