I decided to hand-sew a sunglass case for the first project. This week was my first time sewing, and I enjoyed it considering my lack of experience. I decided to go with the sunglass case to push myself and see if I could create a functional pouch. I did so by following instructions from various online resources, such as YouTube and Blogs, and I was able to make a working case. However, it is not the most aesthetic; it does the job. This blog post contains documentation of how I started my project and the final product, including all the successes and failures, and a final breakdown of the cost of materials and manual labor.

First, I commenced by cutting off the two pieces of fabric. With the dimensions of 7×7 inches.

Next, I proceeded to sew both pieces into small pouches. I employed a running stitch for all steps of this project. I also decided to trim the top portion of both cloths to resemble a semi-circle.

Following this, I sewed the upper edge of the semicircle of each fabric together so that I could connect the pouches. Then I turned them inside out to conceal all the stitches and closures of the thread. Then I stuffed one of the pouches into the other, leaving a space to fill in the gap between the pouches with a thin layer of cotton, to ensure the case has some form of protection.

Next, I closed the gap by folding the allowances both of fabrics and sewing them together.

Then I decided to sew the simple button pieces.

Here is a picture of my work station after completion.

Cost Breakdown

Labor – $25.38

3.5 hours at $7.25 per hour (Based-off  of Texas minimum wage).

Raw Materials – $0.30

Red Fabric – 7×7 inch piece: $0.06

Black Fabric – a 7×7 inch piece: $0.06

Cotton – For a 7×7 inch piece: $0.18

Tools – $9.34

1 sewing needle – (1/5 pack of 16): $0.16

5 sewing pins – (pack of 30): $0.19

1 fabric scissors– $8.99

Total cost is $35.02

Though this project was completed to the best of my ability, I encountered a few mishaps. The first was the uneven trimming of the semicircle flaps on both pieces. I also could not close the space of the corners connecting both fabrics correctly towards the end of the process. Finally, another notable mistake was the selection of fabric. I selected two fabrics with different thread counts and material composition, resulting in a weak stitch with the button. As a result, my bottom button is extremely sewn together to help prevent a tear in the fabric and thus does not look as appealing as it should.