Going for gold

When I lived in Tokyo I collected a lot of Japanese fabrics including kimonos and obis. The obi is the 'belt' that goes around the kimono and it often comes in bright colours and bold designs. They are perfect for making into clutch bags that make a statement and stand out from the crowd.

This clutch bag is made from a combination of obi fabrics that I bought whilst living in Tokyo. I love the combination of design - giant chrysanthemums mixed with an organic geometric in shades of red, white and gold.

The zipper pull has a white tassel attached to it.

The bag is fully lined with a red and white polka dot fabric and has a red zipper closure.

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Green goddesses

Check out these green goddesses that have recently been added to my store. Each one is an envelope clutch bag made from a selection of vintage Japanese obi fabrics from my collection. The obi is the 'belt' that goes around the kimono and they are often thick and heavily woven. These ones use a combination of greens, along with a good dose of metallic gold to give it some bling.

This gorgeous envelope clutch is made from two Japanese obi fabrics. The main body of the bag is a vibrant green satin, and the flap is made from a green and gold Japanese design. The lining is a turquoise blue cotton and the bag is held closed with a silver metallic snap.

This clutch bag is made from a decorative vintage obi fabric on one side and a vibrant green satin fabric on the other side. I gave it a bright yellow lining for a shot of colour.

The bag is held closed with a vintage button and elastic loop closure and then folded in half.

Unfold the bag and it also doubles up as an iPad case!

These bags use the same fabrics as the large clutch bags in my store. They are the smaller, cheaper option but have no less of a dramatic effect and are the perfect accompaniment to a night out.

You can find them in my store here.

Happy Monday

Happy Monday to all on this beautifully sunny, crisp day! My weekend was very productive, preparing for the up-coming International Bazaar at the Tokyo American Club, as well as creating three clutch bags to send to my aunt Judith in Australia.

Judith has been an amazing supporter of Cheeky Leoaprd and gives my clutch bags as presents to friends and family in Australia. The latest batch are all made from vintage Japanese obi fabrics. The obi is the 'belt' that goes around the kimono and they are often richly designed and intricately woven. They lend themselves very well to clutch bags, partly because the fabric is thick and holds its shape, but also because they are vibrantly coloured and often use gold thread.

The clutch bag below is made from a stylised chrysanthemum design that you often see in obi fabrics and kimonos. The outside has a hint of blue, so I decided to use blue for the lining.

The clutch bag below is made from a green and gold geometric obi fabric and I chose a fresh light green lining for this one.

The clutch below is made from two obi fabrics sewn together. One is a terracotta and gold, the other is all gold and makes quite a statement. This bag has a green taffeta lining.

The clutch bag below is being sent to the Tokyo American Club to be part of their display.

Vendors who sell at the International Bazaar can have one of their items displayed around the club a few weeks before the show to give customers a taster of what's on offer.

I always like to display one of my large clutch bags. This one is a stunning green and gold ribbon design and has a mustard lining.

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.

Happy Monday!

It's a beautiful day today and I have a lovely new addition to my store. Last week I mentioned a blue and white combo that I was working on. Over the weekend I made it up into a stunning clutch. And yes, I decided to add a hot pink lining!

You can find it in my store here.

French turquoise

My recent trip to the South of France was fab and a wonderfully relaxing time. I was inspired by the colours used there, especially on the shutters. My favourites were the varying shades of turquoise and blue and they were the inspiration for my latest clutch bag design. It is made from a teal and gold Indian sari fabric pieced together with a blue Japanese obi fabric, which is then trimmed with a turquoise French ribbon - you can't get more international than that!

You can find the clutch in my store here.

Three little gems

A lovely customer recently came to visit me at my studio as she wanted to commission three handbags as gifts for three of her friends. Each friend has a favourite colour and she wanted to find the right match for each friend. We spent a lovely afternoon sifting through my rather extensive fabric stash, looking for the perfect colour combination, as well as discovering items I'd forgotten I even had.

This is the result and I love them all! The great thing about doing custom work is that you often end up with combinations you never would have thought of. I'm so happy with them and love the fact that they are going off to good homes.

This includes chakra colours and we used a deep blue kimono fabric as the lining.

 This is made from a vibrant green obi fabric trimmed with a green ribbon. I love that hot pink lining!

This is made from a vintage kimono and has a stunningly bright yellow lining.

Fave fabric Friday

For this Friday's fabric choice, I couldn't decide on one fabric, so have gone for a colour theme instead! I realised that I have very few clutch bags in my collection that are made with green fabrics. After a good rummage through my Japanese obi fabrics and Indian sari fabrics, I have come up with quite a range of greens from vibrant lime greens to heavily ornamented deep green and gold.

Watch this space for some green additions to my store soon!

Another Indian gem

I think it's quite obvious from looking at my Etsy store that I like a bit of colour! This recent addition is no exception, using a combination of magenta pinks and turquoise shades combined to make a stunning clutch. The middle panel is made from Indian block printed cotton, the outer panels are made from a Japanese obi fabric, and the turquoise lace trim is French. I decided to use a deep turquoise cotton lining to compliment the trim.

You can find it in my store here.

Indian inspiration

Friday's favourite fabric consisted of a selection of pieces that I bought whist in India last year. I was quite productive over the weekend and here is the first little creation from that selection. It's a melange of items that I have picked up on my travels, using a vibrant purple and gold sari fabric from India, combined with a purple Japanese obi fabric. I decided to add a trim of terracotta gross grain ribbon from France to create an accent, which has also been picked up in the colour of the lining.

You can find it in my Etsy store here.

Some new handbags

When out and about, I've mastered the art of clamping my clutch bag under my arm, but many people prefer to have a bag with a handle. I have recently added a few chain handle handbags to my Etsy store, made form vibrant Japanese obi fabrics. The chains fit comfortably across the body or over the shoulder and makes juggling a glass of wine much easier! If you do want to make it into a clutch bag, the chain is easily detachable.

You can find more handbags 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