Anchor purse

This adorable anchor purse is made from a soft cotton fabric and is great for keeping small items in.

Use it as a handbag organiser. It's big enough to keep phone and sunglasses in and means that smaller items in your bag can be kept in one place.

The bright colour means it's easy to locate in your bag. And the cute anchor print makes a great gift for a sailor or for a sea lover.

It's lightly padded and lined in a geometric indigo blue Japanese fabric. There's a navy blue zipper closure to keep everything safe.

This also makes a great little makeup bag. It's made from 100% cotton so easy to wash too!

 

Tropical toile

I designed this print for my Spoonflower shop a while ago and it includes zebras, leopards and tropical foliage in a sketched botanical style. The original colour was designed in green but I could resist trying some other colour palettes and am loving the results! The hot pink is probably my favourite.

It looks fabulous on this cotton sateen sheet set, which comes with a flat sheet, a fitted sheet and two pillow cases.

The yellow ochre colour palette was a bit of a gamble but I'm liking the outcome. It's a bit more subtle than the pink version and easier to use in the home.

It looks great on this table runner which comes in three different lengths.

The green version was the original version and it's lovely and fresh.

It looks great on napkins and brings an element of fun sophistication to the dining table.

The orange version was a bit of fun and adds a zing of colour to the home.

Keep it as an accent colour and use it on cushion covers like this one.

The turquoise blue colour is so pretty and fresh and feels very summery. It would work well for a garden party and comes in a variety of tableware options.

I love these placemats that come in a choice of fabrics.

Fabulous floral

 I originally designed this floral in a simple colour palette of blue and white, but I thought it would be interesting to try it in a bright colour palette and I'm really happy with the results! I chose a hot pink and bright orange and added yellow and turquoise. The cream background brings out the colours beautifully. This design was inspired by block printed florals that give it s stylised feel.

This floral print looks great as a cushion cover. It's a great way of adding colour to the home and can be mixed with other cushions in solid colours such as orange or hot pink to add variety to a living space.

This floral print can be bought by-the-metre and made into anything you want. There is a wide selection of fabrics on offer, but I especially love the linen cotton canvas.

The floral print is great for using in the home on tableware such as this table runner. It comes in three different lengths and would be great for decorating a table at a garden party.

Another way of adding colour to the living space is with throw blankets, such as this one. It comes in a velvet fabric but can also be bought in a minky fabric.

Sheet sets are a great way of adding colour to the bedroom and these are fabulous! They are made from a cotton sateen fabric and come with a flat sheet, a fitted sheet and two pillow covers.

 I often join in on drawing challenges that are hosted on Instagram and love to create stylised fashion drawings using a pleasing colour palette. Last week's drawing challenge from The Tuesday Collective on Instagram involved a very pleasing colour palette. I chose to draw this fashion illustration which includes a geometric floral coat and I used the orange and red for the floral print. The background uses the pinks.

The colour palette consists of corals and pinks that work really well together.

Indian block printed fabric

I have a great selection of fabric scraps for sale in my Etsy shop. Most of them have been bought on my travels and this fabulous selection of block printed cottons was bought on a trip to India. Each piece is a has been hand printed and I've combined a palette of oranges and yellows that work really well together.

Each fabric piece is large enough to use on a small crafting project and could go towards making a quilt or could be used on small sewing projects such as bags and purses, or even cushion covers.

I love this simple chevron design in orange and red. The block print style of it means the lines are uneven in places, which gives it more movement.

Stylised yellow ochre leaves sit on a burgundy background to create colour contrast.

A lovely geo print in shades of yellow and ochre.

These fabrics work well together, with the colours complimenting each other. It would make a fabulous quilt or cushion cover, with the pieces sewn together and then stitched with a kantha stitch (running stitch) on top.

All fabric pieces are packaged in a plastic envelope and gift wrapped in pink tissue paper. If you are sending it as a gift, it can be sent straight to its recipient with an optional gift message included.

 

Palm Springs

 A while ago I designed a print for one of the Spoonflower design challenges. The prompt for the challenge was 'Palm Springs' and I designed a 1950s/Mid Century modern print in shades of coral pink and turquoise. Since then, I have cerated a more simple version of the print where I have kept the main images and spaced them out.

The print includes a fabulous 1950s-inspired turquoise car as a well as a modern house, surrounded by cacti and palm trees. The coral pink bakckground gives it a fun, fresh vibe.

This would make a great print as a wallpaper. It comes in many different finishes and has easy-to-use options such as pre-pasted or peel-and-stick. The vinyl wallpaper is great for using in high traffic areas such as the kitchen or hallway.

This print would make great bedding and is a way of adding a splsh of colour to the bedroom. I love the Palm Springs duvet cover made from a cotton sateen fabric. Match it with a soft coral pink paint colour on the walls.

There is also a Palm Springs sheet set available that comes in a variety of sizes and includes a fitted sheet, a loose sheet and two pillow cases.

Another way of adding colour to the home is with this Palm Springs cushion cover. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and a cushion pad can be added if needed.

Vintage kimono scarf

I have a wide selection of scarves in my Etsy shop, most of which are made from vintage kimono fabrics that I bought when I lived in Japan. There are so many fabulous kimono designs and they look great reimagined as decorative scarves.

This kimono scarf is made from a stunning kimono made from a bold brown and gold print using Japanese icons such as blossoms, chrysanthemums and maple leaves.

The kimono scarf is double-sided and is combined with a solid black kimono fabric on the reverse.

The scarf looks dramatically different depending on how you wear it.

Look up close and you can see the gold detail and gold embroidery. This metallic addition brings out the richness of the browns and terracottas.

This would make a great gift for a Japan lover. Each item is wrapped in pink tissue paper and can be sent straight to its recipient with an optional gift message included.

You can buy this scarf here.

Tongoro

The latest theme for the The Tuesday Collective drawing challenge on Instagram is 'Tongoro', which is a high end African brand that was launched in 2016 by Sarah Diouf. Her style includes dramatic silhouettes in bold prints and her creations have been worn by celebrities such as Beyonce and Naomi Campbell. You can find more on Instagram here.

This is my interpretation of the Tongoro style. I chose a bold dress with a fabulous black and white design and used an orange background for drama.

The dress I chose to draw is called the Jana dress and is made from a black and white wavy printed fabric. It has oversize bell sleeves and a ruched bodice.

Obi clutch bag

 When I lived in Japan I spent a lot of time trawling the vintage markets and shops, discovering amazing fabrics to make bags with. I bought a lot of kimonos but I also bought obi fabrics. The obi is the 'belt' that goes around the kimono and they are often made of thick, woven fabrics in amazing designs and colours. The thick quality of the fabric lends itself perfectly to making clutch bags.

This clutch bag is made from an obi I bought in Japan. It has a bold stylised floral design and comes in shades of orange, yellow and gold.

The clutch bag has a cream zipper and is lined in a thick orange satin fabric. The size of the bag means it can be used as a clutch bag or as a tablet case. It's lightly padded to protect its contents.

Look closely and you can see the detail of the design. Metallic gold has been incorporated into the design which really gives it a special feel. Great for using as on a night out or as a wedding clutch.

This clutch bag makes a great gift for a Japan-lover. Each item is gift wrapped in pink tissue paper and can be sent straight to its recipient with an optional gift message included.

Honeysuckle

 Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines with tubular flowers that typically have a sweet-smelling fragrance and come in two colours or shades. They represent happiness, romantic love, good fortune and sweetness towards one another.

I recently created this honeysuckle design for my Spoonflower shop. I chose to use pinks and yellows for the flowers and added a soft cream background with a mini leaf motif. This print looks great on tableware, from napkins and placemats to tablecloths and table runners. It's the perfect print for a summer feast.

The honeysuckle napkins come in a variety of fabric choices.

The honeysuckle placemats come as a set of two and are available in three different fabric types.

The honeysuckle tablecloths come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from square and rectangle to round and oval.

The honeysuckle table runner is a lovely way of adding a splash of colour down the centre of the dining table. It's made from a cotton sateen fabric.