Blossom season

Blossom season is nearly here, which I love! To me it means that spring is well and truly on its way. When we lived in Japan, the blossom season was a rather magical event, where everyone embraced the beauty of the soft pink cherry blossoms and came out to celebrate with hanami parties, or blossom viewing parties. Hundreds of people flocked to the parks around Tokyo and spread out their picnic rugs to eat good food and enjoy the flowers. Along the Meguro river, close to where we used to live, was especially magical as the river was lit up with lanterns at night time. In true Japanese fashion, blossom season is always predicted pretty accurately and this year the Tokyo area is predicted to be starting as early as 26th March, although I've read that some buds have already been seen at the Yasukuni Shrine. I'd love to head over there and get a little fix of it!

In celebration of the coming of spring, I have made two pretty little clutch bags out of vintage blossom kimono fabrics that I collected on my last trip to Tokyo in November.

You can find both clutch bags in my shop here.

Spring into spring

Spring into spring with this cute little blossom handbag!

It's made from a bright pink, red and turquoise vintage blossom kimono fabric and I couldn't resist it's pretty design and beautifully soft feel. I decided to use a different fabric for the flap of the bag. It's a softer pink, but still has a blossom design on it and matches so well. I decided to add my signature bright lining for a flash of colour on the inside and this time it's a bright red cotton. These handbag designs are relatively new to my shop, and I'm loving making them. My favourite part of the process is taking time to choose the perfect combination of fabrics, and finding a suitable co-ordinating strap that fits across the body. In this case it is neon pink!

The bag can be worn over the shoulder or across the body and has a very strong hidden magnet closure to keep the bag closed. You can find it in my store here.

I decided to team my handbag with an electric blue summer skirt.

I think it shows off the colours beautifully!

Kimono handbag

Last week I mentioned a new style of handbag that I'd added to my store and I've recently added another one! Each bag has been made from kimono pieces from my collection and consist of more than one fabric, to create a nice mix of prints. This one is made from one of my favourite kimono pieces. It is a pretty terracotta and cream blossom print on a black ground, and I decided to use a silhouette floral fabric on the flap of the bag, for a contrast. The lining is terracotta, picking out the colour of the blossom from the outer fabric. The strap is long enough to fit over the shoulder or across the body and is made from a Japanese obijime, which is the strap that goes around the obi.

You can find it in my store here.

Fave fabric Friday

This Friday's fabric is a very vibrant one! It's actually a piece that I have hanging on my wall, just outside my studio. It brightens my day whenever I see it. I love the bright red colour and touches of gold, but also the simple graphic style of the blossom.

Fave fabric Friday

This Friday's fabric is a stunning orange and cream Japanese kimono fabric that I bought in Tokyo. 

I love the simple blossom and chrysanthemum motifs, so characteristic of Japanese design, but although it's an antique, it's very modern-looking. It has definitely been well-loved and worn, and probably has a few stories to tell! The silk is beautifully soft and fine and I can imagine how lovely it would feel to wear.

I only have a small piece of this and am looking forward to making some coin purses out of it.

Fave fabric Friday

This Friday's fabric is a beautiful silk kimono piece I have in my stash. It's an orange and peach blossom print that has an ombre effect. It's difficult to sum it up in one photo as the print runs the length of the fabric, which is what makes it so stunning. The blossom runs from cream to peach to a deep orange colour. Juicy!

Purple blossom

I recently added this rather juicy purple clutch to my Etsy store. The outside is made from a pretty printed blossom kimono fabric and the lining is a vibrant green fabric that I bought on a trip to Vietnam.

You can find it in my store here.

Purple Passion

Earlier today I added this vibrant clutch bag to my Etsy store. It's made from a vintage kimono that I found on my wanderings round Tokyo and I bought it because I love the richness of the purple silk, mixed with the delicate blossom print. There is a touch of turquoise in some of the flowers in the print, so I decided to use that colour as the lining colour so that there is a flash of brightness when the clutch is opened.

You can find it in my store here.

Autumnal delights

My maple leaf clutch bag was recently featured in this lovely Japanese-inspired Etsy treasury by cuttlefishlove. 

Click on any image to find out more.

FancifulShop $5.99	happeemonkee $35.00	cheekyleopard $70.00	LuLuVintageFin... $16.00
LynnWatt $34.00	crabbychris $38.00	Legendof5 $50.00	Pamming $7.50
Goodthings88 $30.00	beadscraftz $16.00	TheOtherLifeVi... $21.00	SquishySushi $25.00
dimples211 $25.00	pearlsquiltedc... $19.00	colouredsquare... $7.00	VintageFromJap... $25.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house