Pleasing plaid

 I recently joined the weekly drawing challenge from @thetuesdaycollective on Instagram. The prompt word for that week was 'plaid' so I chose to draw this fabulous 'Grand Plaid' wool coat from Kate Spade. I was inspired by the oversize design of the plaid but also to the amazing colours. It almost has a patchwork feel to it, with one side using shades of green and blue and the other side using shades of red, pink and orange. You can find it on my Instagram here.

This is the original Grand Plaid coat, which looks amazingly warm as well as stylish - quite a statement piece. Not surprisingly, all sizes have sold out on the Kate Spade website!

Merry Christmas!

 Sorry for the late delivery of this, it's been a bit busy!

Sending festive wishes to you all and a very Happy New Year.

Cat lover gifts

 Anyone who knows me, know that I'm a cat lover and I couldn't resist making these cute cat gifts.

A cosmetic bag and matching glasses case come in this fabulous lime background with mini blue cats.

The cosmetic bag is lightly padded and has a blue zipper closure. Check out that cute blue and white paw print lining! This purse could also be used as a gadget pouch or as a pencil case.

The glasses case is also lightly padded and perfect for storing sunglasses in.

Alternatively use it as a phone case to store your smart phone in.

Silk scarf

I've just added another scarf to my store. This one is made from vintage Japanese kimono pieces sewn together and comes in vibrant shades of red and cream. It has some stunning patterns in the mix and is long enough to wear around the neck a few times. You can find it in my store here.

Blue and gold

I bought this luscious blue and gold fabric a while ago and have been wondering what to do with it. I love the combination of the indigo blue, mixed with the cream and gold of the bold, stylised chrysanthemums.

 This floral design is a classic Japanese motif, but it has been modernised using scale and colour. I love the colour combination and the touches of teal outline here and there.

 Of course, I knew pretty early on that this fabric would be perfect for making into one of my clutch bags. It fits beautifully with the rest of my collection and really is stunning!

This bag needed a stunning lining to match the exterior and I found the perfect match, a bright acid green cotton that adds a flash of colour when the bag is opened.

This clutch bag can be worn with a little black dress for a glamorous night out or dress it down and wear it with a pair of jeans and a smart jacket.

You can find it in my store here.

Scarlet stunner

I've just added this double sided scarlet stunner to my store. It's a decorative scarf made from vintage Japanese kimono fabrics in a colour palette of reds and creams. On one side I have pieced together a variety of patterns and designs. On the other side I have used a red and cream kimono fabric that incorporates maple leaves, houses and a stream. It is mentioned in another post here.

The scarf is very decorative and bright and looks great draped around the neck.

It's 204 cm long which means it's long enough to go around the neck twice. Because it's double-sided, it looks great however you decide to drape it.

I love the vibrant red colour and have used a few fabrics that add some extra colour, such as yellow and green. You can see this in the chrysanthemum design and in the backing fabric.

Up close, you can see the delicacy of the design. The flowers below have a very light tint of pink, yellow and blue, but it's only been added in certain sections so as not to overwhelm the design with colour.

I love the stylised design of the chrysanthemums below, and the fact that some of them are coloured and some are just left as an outline.

You can find this beauty in my store here.

Greetings

I've been busy creating more kimono card sets for my store and here is the latest addition. Each card uses a pretty swatch of vintage Japanese kimono fabric and this set uses a colour palette of reds and pinks.

The card below combines two different fabrics in pink and red. I love the stylised flying storks that seems like an abstract design until you look closer.

 I love the colour combination of the red and orange below and the beautiful stylised blossom designs.

I sell them in sets of three and each one comes with an envelope. You can find them in my store here.

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Citrus sensation!

Check out this summery little duo that has just been added to my store. It's made from a fabulous yellow and white lemon slice fabric that I bought in Tokyo.

The duo consists of a coin purse and tissue holder.

Both items have a lovely contrasting orange and white polka dot lining.

The coin purse is great for small change, but is also big enough to fit credit cards.

The tissue holder is a nice way to hold tissues in your bag.

The bright colours make it easy to find in times of need!

You can find both items in my store here.

Happy Monday

I hope a good weekend was had by all! Mine was fab, and after filling up on a hearty ramen meal at Shoryu on Friday night I headed down to Frome in Somerset on Saturday to catch up with my dear friend Roz. We've known each other for a long time, through the college years and into our time living in New York, and there was a lot of reminiscing to do over cups of tea and glasses of cocktails.

I also managed to rustle up another clutch bag made from the ikat fabric I bought in Istanbul. This one is made from a stunning silk pink and purple combination.

The colours are so fresh and vibrant and I decided to give the bag a deep pink cotton lining to match.

 This bag has a detachable chain handle which can be worn over the shoulder or across the body. If you'd rather use it as a clutch bag, simply remove the chain or just drop the chain inside the bag.

You can find this stunner in my store here.

Kimono scarf

Here's a little something to brighten your day! It's a stunning silk scarf made from vintage kimono pieces stitched together. For this scarf I chose gorgeous shades of pink, red and cream and the images include stylised chrysanthemums and striking storks. This scarf can be draped around the neck or used as a wrap around the shoulders and is the perfect accessory for a little black dress. Pair it with a Cheeky Leopard clutch bag or a funky kimono cuff bracelet and you're good to go!

You can find it in my store here.

Undressed

On Sunday afternoon I went along to the Victoria and Albert Museum to check out 'Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear'. It's a temporary exhibition which follows the evolution of underwear design from the 18th century to the present day, with over 200 examples of everything from everyday items, to the luxurious and custom-made. The exhibition covers the notions of the ideal body through the ages. The beautiful corset below shows how tiny the waists were expected to be!

The exhibition also highlighted how lingerie still influences the fashions of today. London Fashion Week is in full swing and several of the collections use underwear influences with a new twist.

Preen uses corsets in their Autumn/Winter '17 collection, but layer them over chunky-knit sweaters.

This beautiful camisole top from the V & A collection uses soft silk and delicate lace trim.

The Christopher Kane Autumn/Winter '17 collection also uses delicate lace as shirts and dresses, but pairs them with an oversize knit in pastel pink, or layers it with a dramatic white fur-lined coat.

 The silk and lace negligee from the exhibition, below, is just stunning in its delicacy and attention to detail. I love the v-shape that the lace creates.

Erdem used a similar type of lace and bias cut-style to create flowing dresses in shades of lilac in his Autumn/Winter '17 collection.

The example on the below right shows how large knickers have also been a part of underwear history, great for holding in the stomach area and contouring the body.

Large knickers were also represented at London Fashion Week, at the Anya Hindmarch Autumn/Winter '17 show, but they were more like baggy bloomers than body con fashion. She also included knitted play suits, all in a fabulous Alpine style.

The Undressed exhibition closes soon, and I recommend going along there before it goes.

Happy Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm celebrating with these lovely little padded heart decorations which make pretty ornaments for a loved one. Each one is made from vintage kimono fabric and has a message of love on the front.

Happy Monday

The Japanese obi is the 'belt' that goes around the kimono and they are often found in heavily woven, brightly coloured designs. They lend themselves beautifully to bag making as they have a natural stiffness to them, on top of the fact that they are stunning! I recently made some obi fabrics up into practical tote bags that make a statement. Each one has a complimentary lining, two strong canvas straps that fit over the shoulder and a magnetic snap to keep the bag closed. Here's a selection below which you can find in my store.

The green and gold tote bag above has a turquoise cotton lining and matching turquoise straps.

The beautiful tote bag above has an orange lining that matches the orange in the obi design.

The tote bag above is made from a stunning green and gold decorative obi and the lining is a rich green satin.

The stunning obi fabric above will be my next tote bag project. It will have a bright red lining and red canvas straps. Watch this space....

Jaws

I couldn't resist sharing this cute shark fabric that I just bought from Creative Quilting!

These happy fellas have a textured grey body and a big red toothy smile and will be the perfect addition to my Cheeky Leopard store.

I'm going to make them up into cosmetic bags, coin purses and card cases and will use a fab contrasting red and white polka dot fabric for the lining. Watch this space!