Purple passion

 This stunner is made from a selection of kimono fabrics I collected whilst living in Japan. I lived there for four years and amassed an amazing collection of kimono fabrics that I picked up from the shrine sales around Tokyo. It was so much fun to forage through the array of kimonos the vendors had on offer at these sales and I got to know my favourite sellers. I usually homed in on the kimonos that came in bright colours with bold motifs and these patterns and colours lend themselves to creating stunning accessories such as clutch bags and scarves. This is the latest addition to my Etsy shop.

This scarf incorporates at least six different kimono fabrics in varying shades of purple. Some are quite simple in design, others are more intricate and have touches of metallic gold.

Each fabric piece has been carefully considered in its placement - this is the part I really enjoy! Top stitching helps to keep the pieces lying neat and flat.

I love the fact that the scarf changes significantly in look depending on how you wear it and how it is draped around the neck.

The reverse of this scarf has a dramatic magenta butterfly fabric.

This kimono scarf is double sided.

My favourite motif on this silk scarf is this beautifully big chrysanthemum design. I love the vibrant red centre and the touches of metallic gold.

Shop scarves here

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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Kimono scrunchies

I have so many lovely kimono fabrics in my collection and I often find myself sorting through them and getting inspired by new ideas for my store. The most recent find were these stunning kimono belts that come in shades of red and white.

I love the stylised butterfly design and modern chrysanthemum motif and realised they would make the perfect selection for the next set of scrunchies to hit my store.

The scrunchies come in sets of two and I love to use colours and designs that compliment each other.

The butterfly design has butterflies fluttering randomly across the fabric.

Both fabrics are vintage but look very modern in their colour and design. I love the contemporary feel of this chrysanthemum print.

They are great for using on ponytails and top knots but also make perfect wrist decorations.

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Purple passion

Purple is the colour of passion and mystery and is often associated with royalty, luxury and power. It's one of my favourite colours and I decided to revisit some purple items in my store.

This clutch bag is made from a stunning outer kimono which has a delicate chrysanthemum motif on it. Chrysanthemums are often used in Japanese design and I love the way that this motif becomes abstract due to its scale and placement. This clutch has a detachable chain handle which fits over the shoulder or across the body.

I love to give each of my items an interesting lining so that the user has a little surprise when they open it up. This bag was crying out for a hot pink lining. I love that flash of colour when the bag is opened.

In my store I also have a selection of silk scarves made from vintage kimono fabrics. This one has a pretty maple leaf design on it and looks great tied in a loose knot around the neck.

The cuff bracelets are a popular item in my store and make a nice addition to an outfit. This one is made from a purple and black vintage kimono fabric and has a kimono fabric button to hold it closed.

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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.

Golden delicious

While I was in Switzerland recently I dipped into a lovely little fabric shop and came out with this delicious gold and cream cotton fabric. It uses a traditional Japanese geometric motif which I think will work really well with some of my vintage Japanese obi fabrics.

I've been foraging through my extensive collection and I've found a few obi fabrics that contain gold and will match perfectly with the fabric I bought. This will be the ideal combination for making an evening purse or clutch bag.

Many of the obi designs use stylised motifs. The design of the orange and gold obi above is based on a chrysanthemum flower which has been incorporated into a diamond shape.

I love the black and gold cotton obi above. It's a vintage piece but looks so modern.

I love the stunning orange of the obi above. Now I just need to decide which colour I'm going to use for the lining.

I will probably combine the two fabrics to create a bag like the clutch bag above, where the obi fabric becomes a central insert and the gold and cream fabric will be on either side. Watch this space!

Fabric Friday

Today I'd like to share with you some fabric swatches that I've been playing with. As you may know, I'm a bit of a fabric-lover and am always playing with the fabrics in my collection and thinking of new ways to use it. After living in Tokyo for four years I have a rather extensive kimono collection and I love to spend time sifting through the fabrics and drooling over their designs and colours.

When I play with the fabrics I am always thinking of what would be the best use for it and either thinking of applying it to a product I already have in my store or for devising a new one.

Sometimes I only have small amounts of fabric and these are perfect for making the cuff bracelets, button brooches and necklaces that I sell in my store. I have to make sure that the design on the fabric is small enough to show on the finished piece.

The smaller kimono fabric pieces are also great for using in my silk scarves as I tend to patchwork them together to create one long piece.

So far I have selected a few colour schemes which you can see in the photos above. I love the vibrancy of the orange and red colour ways, but the black and white, and blue and white colours are very pleasing too. Look out for some new scarves in store soon.

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Silken beauty

This silken beauty has just been added to my store. It's a double-sided silk scarf made out of kimono pieces from my collection which have been sewn together. I started with a stunning orange and cream floral kimono as my inspiration and then created the scarf around that, piecing it together with a black and white stylised chrysanthemum fabric. The other side of the scarf is made from a black silk fabric pieced together with a black and white geometric kimono fabric.

You can find it 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.

Greetings!

I recently added some more greetings cards to my store! Each pack contains three cards that have been decorated with pretty vintage Japanese kimono fabrics. My favourites are the cards that use kimonos with chrysanthemum, blossom and butterfly fabrics in shades of black, white and orange. They have all been mixed up so that each pack contains a variety of colours and designs.

You can find them in my store here.