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.

 

Jaipur fabrics

 I'm really pleased with the collection I did recently for Makower UK. It's called 'Jaipur' and takes inspiration from the designs and colours of India, using a colour palette of teals, purples and pinks.

Elephants are a popular motif in Indian design and are a symbol of wisdom, prosperity and strength. This elephant print also comes in a turquoise colour palette and a pink colour palette.

This decorative scenic print includes elephants, peacocks, parrots and a wide range of decorative foliage. This design also comes on a cream background.

This mandala print consists of a variety of highly decorative, overlapping mandalas in shades of teal, green and pink. The mandala is a spiritual symbol that is a visual representation of the universe. You can also find this design in a pink, purple and cream colour palette.

This pretty floral print uses the rich pinks, purples and teals of the other designs. By putting it on a cream background it brings out the colours of the flowers. This design also comes on a pink background and a teal background.

The collection also includes an Indian panel design. This consists of eight 10 inch squares that could be cut ups nd used as cushion panels for templates for bags.

Up close, you can see the detail involved in each 10 inch square. The elephant has highly decorated ears and embellishment.

The peacocks are surrounded by stylised foliage.

Indian architectural features have also been included.

Cheklc out the Makower UK website for more fabulous designs.

Fabric Friday

I had a fab day in London today, taking in the Georgia O'Keefe exhibition at Tate Modern, and then doing a spot of shopping at Liberty. I also managed to dip into the beautiful Cloth House shop on Berwick street, an Aladdin's cave full of stunning fabrics from around the world. I could have come home with a lot of fabrics, but I was quite restrained and chose just two Indian block-printed cottons.

The two black and cream fabrics go so well together.

I'm thinking of piecing them together to use on the outside of a clutch bag, with a hot pink lining.

The fabric below could also be used as a lining for a bag.

Luckily I have enough fabric to play with both options.

Fabric Friday

The other day I bought a beautiful modern printed fabric from my local fabric store. It depicts a pretty pink elephant motif on a natural linen ground. Of course it called out my name and I had to buy it! Each elephant is slightly different in design and I love the combination of the hot pink on natural linen. I'm thinking of mixing it with one of my Indian block printed fabrics, either as an outer patched idea, or as a flash of colour to the lining.

The pink of the elephants matches perfectly with the Indian cotton block prints.

Which do you prefer, the one above or below? I love them both!

Indian beauties

Here's a sneak peek at some Indian beauties I finished last Friday.

They are three large clutch bags made from stunning Indian sari fabrics that I bought in Pune a while ago when we went there for a friend's wedding. I was drawn to the vibrant colours and metallic motifs and, in true Cheeky Leopard fashion, each clutch has a vibrant lining for a flash of colour when the bag is opened.

I'm afraid this is just a preview. The bags will be uploaded onto my store in the next few days.

Please contact me if you are interested in any of the bags before then.

You can see the bags on my stall at the Summer Shopping event below.

Fabric Friday

This Friday's fabric choice is a rather special one as it features fabrics that I bought from Joanna Hall, a dear friend of mine who I've known since college.

She runs a business called Bazaar which sells a range of women's clothing, textiles, jewellery, gifts and home furnishings sourced mostly from Rajasthan, India. Jo is from Kent, but has been working alongside crafts people in India for more than 19 years, and travels there twice a year to work closely with the artisans to create a beautiful range of items that she sells at her extravagant shows held in various locations in the UK.

The event I went to today was the Summer Chapel Sale held in a beautiful chapel in West Malling in Kent and will be open until Sunday 7th June. It's not to be missed!

Needless to say, I came back with a wide variety of beautiful fabrics, mostly stunning sari fabrics in shades of hot pink, purple and emerald. I can't wait to get creative with them....

Jo and her team spend four days decorating the chapel with stunning sari fabrics and wall hangings.

The fabrics below are a sample of what I bought.

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday! I hope a good weekend was had by all. Mine was a fun packed one.

On Friday evening I met up with my friend Audrey in Notting Hill. It's always great to head over there and soak up the atmosphere. We started the evening with a pamper session at Privet, a garden-themed spa that calls its beauty team 'expert gardeners' who believe that personal pruning should be an enjoyable affair! They offer all sorts of hair removal as well as massage, facial and other therapies in the surrounds of a garden shed and all things related to gardening. We went for the luxury pedicure which meant we had the full treatment on our tired feet whilst we also got the chance to catch up.

Each room has a different name, such as the Potting Shed, the Tool Shed (just for men) and the Writers Shed - kitted out with a typewriter in case you feel the need to get creative.

We had our pedicure in the Manicured Garden.

With refreshed feet and a hungry belly, we trotted to Honest Burger to fuel up, before heading to  Trailer Happiness for a cocktail or two. It was a fab and funky place and reminded me of many a bar I used to frequent when I lived in the East Village in New York.

On Saturday I took my nieces to see Matilda in the West End and it was fab! The sets were amazing and Tim Minchin's songs and lyrics clever and evocative. My favourite scene was when the children sang When I Grow Up, a song about wishing to be older so that they could do whatever they wanted (eat as many sweets as they want) without being told off. It's actually a very poignant piece and reminds you of how quickly childhood goes, as well as showing that there are times when we don't always feel grown up, even if we are! It brought a tear to my eye....

Much of Sunday was spent sewing and here is an example of a few of the bags I made. They are made out of stunning sari fabrics I bought when I was last in India and I love the vibrant colours, mixed with metallic gold. They are now waiting to have their frames glued on....

Fabric Friday

I just rediscovered these gorgeous fabrics that I bought in India a while ago. I bought them in Pune when we went there for a friend's wedding and I'd forgotten how stunning they are. Anyone who knows Cheeky Leopard knows that I love a bit of colour and these jewel tones mixed with gold embellishment sang out to me! India is such an inspiring and vibrant place and I love the fact that I have brought a little piece of that back to the more subdued climes of the UK.

I made a few clutches with the fabrics a while ago, but will be making more over the next few days, adding a suitably vibrant lining to each one. Watch this space!

New gems

At the weekend there was steam coming out of my sewing machine as I ploughed through lots of new bag designs. I have so many ideas and just not enough time to do them all. I did produce some juicy new gems though! These handbags are such stunning colours and I love to add a brazen lining for a flash of colour when the bag is opened. You can find them in my store here.

This stunning green handbag is made from an embroidered Indian silk.

I gave it a turquoise lining.

This handbag is also made from Indian embroidered silk and is magenta pink and blue.

These handbags have short chain handles but I can change them to long chains if preferred.

This turquoise bag is also Indian embroidered silk and has a hot pink lining.

I love the decorative paisley design embroidered onto it.

The colours and design of the kimono fabric I used for this handbag are so modern.

It has a magenta pink satin lining to match the outer colour.

Another shade of grey

A while ago I mentioned on my blog that I had been using shades of grey with some of my bags and creating items that were a bit softer in colour. 

I recently made this clutch bag which is also in shades of grey and combines an Indian fabric with a Japanese obi fabric, bought at an antique market in Tokyo. The obi is modern in feel, but I'm pretty sure it's vintage and I love the flash of orange, green and pink down the centre. The Indian fabric is an embroidered silk shantung that I bought at Joel and Son a while ago. I've been waiting for a while to find the right fabric to team it with and when I came across the obi fabric in my collection, it was a match made in heaven! 

The fabrics work beautifully together and I decided to add an orange lining that is a perfect match to the orange on the outside of the bag. You can find it in my store here.