Green and black

 I've just added this green and black beauty to my store. It's a handbag made from a vintage decorative Japanese kimono fabric and you can find it in my store here.

The design has been created using the Japanese kasuri technique, where the fabric has been woven using threads that have been dyed with the design before the fabric is woven. This creates the blurred effect of the design, which I love.

The lining is also made from a green kasuri fabric, taken from an outer kimono.

The handbag can be held in the hand or worn over the arm and comes with a detachable chain handle which means it could also be used as a clutch bag.

This bag beautifully matches my summery green trousers, but it also looks just as good with a little black dress.

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Something fishy

Yesterday I mentioned some fishy little sweets I'd been given. These inspired me to make some fishy items for my store, and here they are! It's a coin purse and tissue holder combo, made from a gorgeous little Japanese cotton blue and white fish and bubbles design. I decided to give it a contrasting red and white spotty lining for a flash of colour.

Can you spot the little red fish amongst the bubbles?

I decided to give it a contrasting red and white spotty lining.

You can find them both in my store here.

Japanese sweeties

Last week my Japanese friend Tatsuya was in town and we met up for a drink in London. He is always very generous and brings something tasty and interesting from Japan. This time, he gave me this beautiful fish-inspired offering. At first it was difficult to work out what they were, but I soon realised they were fish encased in some sort of jelly mixture.

Each one is set in a little bed of blue tissue paper.

They were packaged beautifully, and even though I couldn't understand the label, I loved the little fish designs decorating it.

Even the cardboard underneath the jellies was decorated with a fish design.

Each jelly globe has two fish in, and the jelly makes them wobble around like they are alive!

Simply pull off the plastic base, and then you suck the jelly out!

A new addition

I've recently been playing around with the idea of making a glasses case that has a metal closure and here is the first addition to my store! It's lightly padded and made from a fun blue and white stylised flower design, with a metal kiss clasp closure to keep the glasses safe.

I've added a fun multi colour leaf lining.

This case is big enough to fit large sunglasses like the ones shown, but could also be used as a makeup case, pencil case or as a gadget pouch.

You can find it in my store here.

Birthday bash

My dad's birthday always falls around Father's Day, so each year it's a double celebration! This year we decided to go to The Ivy Cafe in Richmond which opened recently and we were interested to check it out. The restaurant is in an old bank building and was designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, who wanted to create a stylish yet laid-back atmosphere, using bespoke artwork created by Adam Ellis which is inspired by the natural landscapes of Richmond Hill and Richmond Park. The restaurant is a riot of colour and styles, but they all work to create a fun environment.

I love the combination of yellow bucket seats above and the bright orange leather booths below. With the inclusion of a patterned tiled floor and blue painted woodwork, there's a lot to take in.

 Whilst the artwork is funky Victoriana in style, the bar definitely has Art Deco influences, with the mirrored section above the bar and the bright orange leather bar stools.

The drinks menus had an Art Deco and Victoriana influence (left), whilst the food menu used the funky artwork of Adam Ellis (right).

I loved this green horse at the top of the stairs leading to the toilets.

And, last but not least, the food! I had a scrumptious pea and mint soup followed by salmon steak.

Green Goddess

Check out this green goddess that's just been added to my store. She's made from a stunning emerald green Indian silk, embroidered with a paisley design. You can find it in my store here.

I added a turquoise cotton lining for a fabulously contrasting, zingy colour when the bag is opened.

The handbag has a short, detachable chain handle that can be worn over the arm or shoulder, or can be held in the hand. Alternatively, remove the chain and use as a clutch bag.

If green is not your colour, you can find a grey version in my store here.

Tote-ally awesome!

I've just added this beauty to my store. It's made from a vintage Japanese obi fabric (the 'belt' that goes around the kimono) and is a woven fabric in stunning shades of red, green and metallic gold. It makes quite a statement! You can find it in my store here.

Mary Katrantzou

As a textile designer myself, Mary Katrantzou is a fashion designer who truly inspires me. She has been dubbed 'The Queen of Print' and incorporates stunning print and colour into all of her collections using digital printing, an eclectic mix of fabrics, and design inspiration from around the world. On Sunday I visited Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, the opulent home of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, where there is currently a temporary exhibition in the Stables, called Creatures and Creations. 

The exhibition includes some of the works of Mary Katrantzou and the exhibition shows an amalgamation of fashion, digital art and animal specimens inspired by Rothschild's collection of natural history.

Each of the three dresses were inspired by birds and butterflies and use stunning colour combined with digital print and layers of varying fabrics and beads to create beautiful items.

The Delias dress above is a triple-tiered and pleated lame corset dress with tulle underskirts and pleated lame and tulle butterfly on the breast.

The Alexandra dress above is printed crepe with a velvet neck insert, embroidered with Swarovski crystals, sequins and bugle beads using lurex thread, with heat-transferred crystal motifs.

The Papillon dress above is a printed tulle gown embroidered with sequins and bugle beads, with eleven layers of tulle underskirts.

Still going!

The Boston Terrier fabric is still going strong! Each time an item is sold, I replenish my stocks and the most recent addition is this card case which has a fab new lining, made of a fabulous grey and black cotton dog bone fabric! You can find it in my store here.

Purple beauty

This purple beauty has just been added to my store. It's a scarf made from a selection of vintage Japanese kimono fabrics in shades of purple, grey and white.

Each piece of fabric has been carefully selected and pieced together to create a stunning accessory.

The main fabric used is a pretty purple and grey floral kimono fabric.

The back uses a beautifully soft silk fabric pieced together with purple kimono fabrics at either end.

You can find this stunner in my store here.

New cuffs

Last week I mentioned some kimono cuffs I was working on. Well, they are now finished and in my store! I'm so happy with them and love their summery colours. Wear them with a cotton dress and pair with a kimono necklace or kimono clutch bag to finish off an outfit.

You can find them in my store here.

Fabric Friday

This Friday I'd like to showcase some fabrics I've been playing with as an idea for my next scarf design. They are all vintage kimono pieces and come in shades of rust, mustard, black and white.

The highlight of the scarf is this stunning floral piece below. I bought it in Tokyo last November and have been saving it for the right item.

It will match very nicely with this black and white butterfly fabric. I only have  small amount of it, so I will have to be careful how I use it.

To tie in more of the black, I've chosen this ikat-effect fabric below. It has touches of red and white in it which matches with the reds of the floral design.

The geometric design below is a classic Japanese design motif and even though it is very classic, still looks modern. It will act as a nice trim for the scarf.

Look out for this scarf in store soon.

In the meantime you can check out more scarves in my shop here.

Cuff bracelets

I'm in the process of making more cuff bracelets for my shop. Each one is made from vintage Japanese kimono fabric and I love to choose bright colours that make a statement.

I create a 'sleeve' and then feed canvas strap inside the sleeve to give it structure. One side of the sleeve has a kimono fabric, the other side uses a suitably bright cotton fabric that compliments the kimono fabric on the other side.

Once the sleeve has been sewn up, I add an elastic loop and button closure. I have a lot of buttons to choose from. Each one has been covered in kimono fabric.

You can find more cuff bracelets in my store here.

Twit woo hoo!

I've just added this cute little coin purse to my store. It's made from an owl fabric that I designed for Makower UK. I love the grey and cream colour combo, and decided to use a light grey and pink polka dot lining. This purse is big enough to fit small change and folded notes as well as credit cards and you can find it in my store here.

The owl fabric was designed for a collection called Papillon and included a folk-inspired butterfly design, as well as a paisley and a little bird design which you can see below.