Totes great!

I've been thinking of making a specific shower tote for a while. 

On our last trip I used a small bag received when I attended my last mammogram.  It was a good colour to co-ordinate with my vanity case but a bit small.  (I carry all my shower and skincare products in my vanity case but still need to take a towel and clean clothes etc to the amenities block).  

I haven't posted them here but in recent years I've made quite a few shopping bags.  I did a test with one of those to see whether it would hold my towel, spare clothes and any other possible needs.  It was better than the free mammogram bag but I decided a bit more room was necessary.

Based on that quick test, I was able to rummage in my fabric stash and craft a custom sized shower tote.  I had enough of the bright, funky floral to feature that on the outside of the bag.  It will match my bathmat, hair towel and face-cloth - not that anyone other than me will see them!

I had waterproof PUL fabric from another project, so used that to line the bag.  I included a loop in the side seam and will put a small clip through to hold keys.  (I found a little torch when looking for something else and thought that might be a good addition, too).

Once finished the bag was a lot larger than I had envisaged but it held all my belongings nicely and I was very chuffed with my work.

I showed Nick and suggested he might like a custom shower bag also.  His features rather dapper foxes on the outside and has the same waterproof lining.

We went to Bunnings today and bought a pack of carabiner clips.  We'll each have one of those attached to the inner fabric loops.  Nick suggested an over-door hook might be useful, for those shower cubicles with limited hangers - so we purchased some of those as well.  

I'll put a spare glasses case in each bag, to keep our specs safe and I might even shout Nick a $2.00 Kmart torch!

Collaring the jewellery storage - part 2!

I did a lot of YouTube research when I was pondering my collar box conversion.  One idea was to create a layer of rollers, similar to DIY frames for ring display.  I'd gone into Kmart to source hair rollers for that idea but realised it wouldn't work as hoped. 

Another thought was to use the layers of a bamboo steamer inside the collar box - but again, that plan didn't go ahead as the diameter of the steamer was a smidge too large.

Some brooch collectors store their pieces in plastic stationery drawers, lined with non-slip matting.  I decided to see if I could find something circular that would fit the collar box and adapt the stationery drawer idea.  

I'd measured the collar box before heading to the local shopping centre and took a tape measure with me.  The Reject Shop had these pot saucers that were just the right size for $3.00 each.

That $6.00 was the only outlay for this project.  All other materials were already on hand.  I wanted a dividing layer between the two saucers.  I cut circles from one of my custom calendars.  Four or five circles were glued to create a firm divider.

While rummaging for possible handles, I found these two opal cufflinks and a single collar stud - which seemed appropriate!

I cut two leather circles.  I already had two circles of brown blanket, that were surplus from another project - and I cut another two circles from purple polar fleece.  I layered these into two sets with a smaller leather circle to space the layers along the length of a cufflink.  

I'd considered leaving the layers open but decided to sew around the perimeter instead.  I did that very carefully this afternoon, using my machine.  I was going to use a contrasting thread colour but I'm glad I changed my mind!  

The weight of the leather covers should hold the brooches firmly in place against the non-slip matting, though the theory is yet to be tested.  Stay tuned!

Collaring the jewellery storage - part 1!

Nick and I restored a $5.00 leather hat box at the beginning of 2021 and then took it with us on our anniversary splurge. It's a beautiful piece and only cost $10.00 in total!

I saw a leather collar box on FaceBook marketplace around that time but missed out on buying it.  I found another one later in the year, during our Byron Bay trip and purchased it for $50.00, which seemed a good price given my quick research - and we can't always nab $5.00 bargains!

Some projects require a fair bit of pondering, so the collar box has sat in our dining room since May, awaiting inspiration and motivation.  I had thought of using it for jewellery storage (particularly brooches) but wasn't sure how I would go about the transformation.

I have a small jewellery case, purchased during an overnight trip to Dalby in 2020.  It was a $20.00 find at a second-hand shop in Oakey.  I like the design more than the colour but it's not really intended for brooches - and there was a fair bit of overflow on a recent trip. 

I've been working on the collar box these past few days.  I do a bit, then wander off for other missions while I think about the next step.  There's no rush and I'm enjoying the slow pace.

Collar boxes were used to store men's collars, back in the days when those detached from shirts (held in pace by collar studs).  I googled and found one very similar to mine, described as being an early 20th century piece (with 1910 mentioned).  

Given it's age, there are some flaws.  The strap was broken and the buckle piece barely hanging on.  I decided not to replace those, so removed both.  At some stage a dodgy repair had been effected to the bottom band, using too much glue - and I took that off, also.

A spa treatment was long overdue.  I did a gentle saddle soap clean and  followed that with some deep conditioning.  I then applied shoe polish to even out the colour on the outside of the box.  

The lip of the bottom section was very dry (with some damage) and I gave the interior several coats of neatsfoot oil, which were rapidly soaked in.  As expected, the oil darkened the leather but little of the interior will be seen when the box is in use.