I have a problem. It's not a full-blown addiction, yet, but I know it's only a matter of time. My name is PhysicsGirl, and I like pretty, shiny things.
Earrings, mostly. Some women have a shoe thing; I have an earring thing. Ever since I finally talked Aged P into letting me get my ears pierced at age thirteen, I've been collecting dangly ear baubles. I have decided that my major souvenirs from this trip will be earrings. Which means I have another problem.
My usual method of packing, tossing all my jewels into a bag and hoping for the best, doesn't work for me. The necklaces and chandelier earrings get tangled up, I have to dig to find the pair I want, and I can't see what I have. The logical conclusion was that I need an honest-to-goodness jewellery organizer for Europe. I've been looking in travel stores and on the internet, but I was underwhelmed by the choices. They don't really seem to understand my earring addiction and overestimate my love of rings. Check this one out, for example. It's gorgeous, but six pairs of earrings? And where am I supposed to put my chunky necklaces?
My main concern is that most of these organizers are not intended for long-term travel and don't really solve the tangling problem. Even those hideous plastic organizers are too limiting. I decided to make my own, but I still didn't know how to store the earrings. Then I came across the Bazaar jewellery case from eBags and bought it. While it doesn't have enough room for all my earrings and won't really solve the tangled necklace problem, it does have something that resolved my earring-storage issue.
Mesh. Brilliant!
It just so happens that I have a bunch of cat-claw-proof screening. And fabric. And ribbon and snaps to create tangle-free necklace holders. I love projects that don't cost me a red cent.
This is one project that I actually didn't wait until the last minute to do. I mean, I did, but I had to wait until Aged P came back with the eBags organizer to see how big it was, how it was constructed, and whether I'd need to make extra pockets for my chunky necklaces.
The eBags organizer was a bit smaller than I expected, and it was lined with some really soft material to protect the baubles. I decided to add an extra pocket for my chunkier necklaces to the one I was making and use an old scarf (100% Acrylic! cashmere-feel!) for the lining. I used some left-over red satin from my Hallowe'en dress for the outside. To make the necklace holders, I used those ribbons they put on tops so you can hang them on a hanger but which just end up sticking out of the armholes -- those are handy for projects -- you can sew little loops to dishtowels that don't have them so you can hang them up. Yes, I used to watch Martha Stewart. Anyway...
First step was sewing the snaps on the mesh strips.
I thought about just attaching a large sheet of mesh to the lining, but it would be too hard to get behind it. I made four strips: three hold my current collection and the fourth is for future additions.
I spaced out the earring holders to accommodate small, medium, and long earrings. Notice, as I did not, that the mesh is upside-down: the short side should be underneath. The white loops are for the necklace-holders -- I'll attach snaps to the loops on one side. At the bottom is a large pocket -- I just folded the bottom of the scarf up.
I added an extra piece of scarf tokeep the jewels warm protect the jewellery when it's all rolled up.
I next attached half a grosgrain ribbon shoelace to tie it -- I thought I had two of these, but I guess not -- and the red satin backing (good sides together, if you're following along at home)
and stitched around the sides and top. 
Of course, that's when I noticed that the mesh was upside-down. 
It worked out OK -- I just picked out the seams by each strip and flipped the strips -- they were too long, anyway.
I sewed snaps onto the left-hand necklace loops and the bottom pocket and cut the length of the backing so that I could pull it up over the bottom of the pocket. That was hand-stitched.
And here it is filled:
In hindsight, I should have alternated the snaps on the necklace holders. And no, I'm not actually bringing all my earrings.
Rolled up:
See that necklace bit sticking out? I have to figure out a way to attach the protection layer to the bottom so that stuff doesn't fall out the sides. I do have some stick-on velcro tabs, but I've only got four of them and I don't think that will be enough. I have magnetic tape, but that will involve unpicking the bottom stitching and creating new side seams on the cover layer to cover the magnets. Not sure I have time to do it now.
My two jewellery organizers. These will fit neatly into my purse.
Earrings, mostly. Some women have a shoe thing; I have an earring thing. Ever since I finally talked Aged P into letting me get my ears pierced at age thirteen, I've been collecting dangly ear baubles. I have decided that my major souvenirs from this trip will be earrings. Which means I have another problem.
My usual method of packing, tossing all my jewels into a bag and hoping for the best, doesn't work for me. The necklaces and chandelier earrings get tangled up, I have to dig to find the pair I want, and I can't see what I have. The logical conclusion was that I need an honest-to-goodness jewellery organizer for Europe. I've been looking in travel stores and on the internet, but I was underwhelmed by the choices. They don't really seem to understand my earring addiction and overestimate my love of rings. Check this one out, for example. It's gorgeous, but six pairs of earrings? And where am I supposed to put my chunky necklaces?
My main concern is that most of these organizers are not intended for long-term travel and don't really solve the tangling problem. Even those hideous plastic organizers are too limiting. I decided to make my own, but I still didn't know how to store the earrings. Then I came across the Bazaar jewellery case from eBags and bought it. While it doesn't have enough room for all my earrings and won't really solve the tangled necklace problem, it does have something that resolved my earring-storage issue.
Mesh. Brilliant!
It just so happens that I have a bunch of cat-claw-proof screening. And fabric. And ribbon and snaps to create tangle-free necklace holders. I love projects that don't cost me a red cent.
This is one project that I actually didn't wait until the last minute to do. I mean, I did, but I had to wait until Aged P came back with the eBags organizer to see how big it was, how it was constructed, and whether I'd need to make extra pockets for my chunky necklaces.
The eBags organizer was a bit smaller than I expected, and it was lined with some really soft material to protect the baubles. I decided to add an extra pocket for my chunkier necklaces to the one I was making and use an old scarf (100% Acrylic! cashmere-feel!) for the lining. I used some left-over red satin from my Hallowe'en dress for the outside. To make the necklace holders, I used those ribbons they put on tops so you can hang them on a hanger but which just end up sticking out of the armholes -- those are handy for projects -- you can sew little loops to dishtowels that don't have them so you can hang them up. Yes, I used to watch Martha Stewart. Anyway...
First step was sewing the snaps on the mesh strips.
I thought about just attaching a large sheet of mesh to the lining, but it would be too hard to get behind it. I made four strips: three hold my current collection and the fourth is for future additions.
I spaced out the earring holders to accommodate small, medium, and long earrings. Notice, as I did not, that the mesh is upside-down: the short side should be underneath. The white loops are for the necklace-holders -- I'll attach snaps to the loops on one side. At the bottom is a large pocket -- I just folded the bottom of the scarf up.
I added an extra piece of scarf to
I next attached half a grosgrain ribbon shoelace to tie it -- I thought I had two of these, but I guess not -- and the red satin backing (good sides together, if you're following along at home)
and stitched around the sides and top. Of course, that's when I noticed that the mesh was upside-down. It worked out OK -- I just picked out the seams by each strip and flipped the strips -- they were too long, anyway.I sewed snaps onto the left-hand necklace loops and the bottom pocket and cut the length of the backing so that I could pull it up over the bottom of the pocket. That was hand-stitched.
And here it is filled:
In hindsight, I should have alternated the snaps on the necklace holders. And no, I'm not actually bringing all my earrings.
Rolled up:
See that necklace bit sticking out? I have to figure out a way to attach the protection layer to the bottom so that stuff doesn't fall out the sides. I do have some stick-on velcro tabs, but I've only got four of them and I don't think that will be enough. I have magnetic tape, but that will involve unpicking the bottom stitching and creating new side seams on the cover layer to cover the magnets. Not sure I have time to do it now.
My two jewellery organizers. These will fit neatly into my purse.
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