Purse Frame Project

My friend E had a purse frame she wanted to make into the top of a case for her sunglasses.  I'd never worked with a purse frame, but I had seen them in craft stores and I was intrigued.  I had to try working with one myself!  So, inspired by E's project, I've made a sunglasses case.

I think that the ball-topped purse frames are adorably old-fashioned.  I wanted to use a sweet stitch that would add to the nostalgia for this project, so I've used a shell stitch.  (also, I'm on a shell stitch kick...)
This pattern would make a terrible coin purse.  The stitch is too loose and the coins would stretch it out horribly.  If you want to make a purse that would hold your crochet hooks or scissors, you need to line it.  Lining this bag would be super simple, since it's essentially a big rectangle.  I found it unnecessary, since I'm just going to use it for my sunglasses which I wrap with a microfiber cloth anyway.  If you've got sunglasses with small, pokey ear pieces I think I'd go ahead and line it.

I need to get on my soap box for a mome, if you'll bear with me, and snark at the Everything Mary company that sells the purse components at craft stores.  There is so little information on the packaging that I've had to measure the frame myself, all the package says is "silver purse frame." Lame.  Also, the website sucks.  There is a pitifully small amount of information on how to use their products (none in the packaging, btw) so I had to search for information from the crafty-blogger world.  Thank God for crafty bloggers.  Amen.  Okay, back to the post...

Old-Fashioned Spectacle Case (aka: The Purse-Frame Sunglasses Case)
Supplies:
Approx. 55 yards of worsted weight yarn (I used Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller's Full O' Sheep in Aquamarine and Thyme)
Size G hook
3 1/2" Purse Frame (I used an Everything Mary purse frame I picked up at Joann's)
Embroidery thread to match yarn
Yarn needle, tapestry needle

ch 14
R1: sc in back loop of 2nd ch from hook, sc in the back loop of each ch across (13 st)

R2: ch 1, sc in first st, (skip 2 st, 5 dc in next st, skip 2 st, sc in next st) 2 times (13 st)

R3: ch 3 (counts as first dc), 2 dc in first st, skip 2 st, sc in next st, skip 2 st, 5 dc in next st, skip 2 st, sc in next st, skip 2 st, 3 dc in last st (13 st)

R4-28: repeat rows 2-3, ending on a row 2 row (13 st)
R29: ch 1, sc in each st across (13 st)

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

** If you would like a color blocked case, do R1-11 in main color, R12-18 in contrast color, and R19-29 in main color.

There is more than one way to sew your case into the frame, but this is the method that I used:
I fit one of the short ends of my finished strip into the purse frame.  I loaded my tapestry needle with embroidery floss and pulled it through the 2nd hole of the frame.

I then sewed in through the first hole, and came back out through the 3rd hole...

Then I sewed in to the 2nd hole, in a backstitch-type sewing pattern.  I followed this pattern all the way to the end of the purse frame.

This is what it looked like when I finished.  I wove the floss ends in, and then stitched in the other side the same way.

After both ends were sewn into the purse frame, I whipstitched the sides of my case together, using yarn and the yarn needle.  I matched the yarn colors when the colors changed on the bag.

I designed this case for my (currently misplaced) smaller sunglasses.  The sunglasses in the picture are a HUGE pair... I'm not so crazy about how they fit in the case...

The purse frame edges poking out like that really, really bothered me.  I wasn't sure if my normal, smaller glasses would cause the same sharp pokey edges, but since it bothered me so much, I thought I would just tack them to the sides of the bag.

I just put a couple of stitches with the yarn through the hinges of the frame and attached them to the bag.  I am much happier with how this looks!

I hope this was helpful!  It was super quick to make, and it was fun to try something new.  Have a Happy Friday Dynamos!

xoxo

update 8.7.12:  Mucho mucho thanks to E for pattern testing and finding 2(!) mistakes on R3.  The pattern is correct now... xo