Melissa is rocking’ it today with a project she made just for herself. I know, right? Don’t forget to sew for YOU! – Betz

I’m so excited to be back sharing another fantastic project! I decided to add something luxurious and lovely to my purse this summer….something just for me. So much of what I make is either directly made for my two (fantastic) sons or it is modified to be mom-friendly meaning it’s durable, stain-proof, and utilitarian. In a flash of nostalgia for my carefree twenties, I decided to make Betz’s eyeglasses case for myself in leather and linen.

 

 

This pattern is from Betz’s book Present Perfect : 25 Gifts to Sew and Bestow and it’s a nice, easy-to-accomplish project (I’m also smitten with it’s cheeky name).

 

 

I’ve had glasses since I was a kid and have recently started wearing daily disposable contact lenses but sometimes, by the end of the day, my eyes are tired. It’s super handy to have my glasses on hand so I can pop out the lenses and give my eyes a break. This little case is going to make that mundane act so much more fun, It’s so pretty too, don’t you think? Oh, and useful….totally useful as well. Ahem.

 

 

One of the best things about the pattern is that it uses very little fabric and that made it possible for me to use small scraps of leather I had on hand and precious pieces from a fabric scrap pack from one of my favorite independent fabric designers, the amazing Umbrella Prints. The lining is also an Umbrella Prints scrap.

 

 

I pretty much followed the pattern exactly for this one, something I rarely do. It comes together in a really novel way and I like that. The only change I made was to omit a final topstitch around the perimeter.

 

 

The reason I skipped the topstitch is because the yellow leather is really supple and it kind of stretched while I stitched; I worried attempting a topstitch could turn out really sloppy looking with such uncooperative fabric. Otherwise, my sewing was just the same as regular sewing with two exceptions: 1. I used a sewing machine needle made specifically for working with leather and 2. I used Wonderclips instead of pins so that I wouldn’t puncture the leather. That’s the only difference! Otherwise I stitched just like I normally would and it worked just fine.

 

 

Yay for a few more happy-me moments while I jaunt around town!

 

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This post is part of the Betz White Sewing Collective series. Content is written by compensated contributors expressing their own views and opinions.