Clutch bag

 I'm loving this clutch bag that was recently added to my Etsy shop! It's made from two vintage Japanese obi fabrics that have been pieced together. One of the fabrics is a bold, red and white stylised floral print which incorporates chrysanthemums and leaves with a scroll design. The other fabric is a geometric striped woven obi which works really well as the base of the bag.

This clutch bag is big enough to fit the essentials for a night out and adds a great accent to any outfit. It would be perfect as a wedding clutch or as an evening purse. It could also be used as a handbag organiser or as an iPad pouch.

This clutch bag is fully lined, lightly padded and has a red zipper closure to keep everything safe. This would make a great gift for a Japanophile.

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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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Yellow clutch bag

This rather fabulous satin clutch bag is made from the wild grasses print I created for my Spoonflower shop and once printed onto a satin fabric, it truly shines! The satin brings out the colour so well and I matched the acid green of the foliage with the lining and the tassel detailing. 

Look up close and you can see butterflies and bees fluttering amongst the foliage.

The lining fabric is just as rich as the outer fabric and adds a nice contrast.

This evening purse is big enough to fit all the essentials for a night out and would make a great wedding clutch.

If you'd rather make your own creations from this print, head to my Spoonflower shop where you can buy this on a variety of colours on a selection of different fabrics.

Happy Monday

What a beautiful weekend it was here in the UK! After days of grey skies and rainy weather, the sun came out and all was forgiven! I spent the weekend catching up with good friends, cooked good food and hung out in the garden. I also got busy with some sewing and came up with these three stunning gems, made from one of the saris that I bought from Bazaar a while ago.

Bazaar is run by my good friend Joanna Hall, who travels to India several times a year to source beautiful fabrics, jewellery, clothing etc to adorn yourself and your home. I went to one of her barn shows a while ago which you can read about here. While I was there, I stocked up on stunning fabrics, including an array of brightly coloured saris. I have finally started using them and this is the first attempt which I'm really happy with.

These three beauties are all made from the same sari. What I love about the saris, apart from the vibrant colours, is the fact that each one is about 5 yards long, so you get a lot of fabric to play with. They are all vintage saris, so have a story to tell. They have been carefully hand washed, and then cut out by me, incorporating the beautiful woven design into each clutch bag. You can find all three clutches in my store here.

The sari I used was mostly magenta pink, but had a green section at one end and this drew me to it.

I loved the teal green design against the pink so decided to give this clutch bag a teal lining.

The green of this clutch bag really makes me smile!

I couldn't resist adding a hot pink lining for a juicy flash of colour.

The original sari had a border edge to it, so I decided to incorporate that border into this clutch bag.

I carefully cut along each edge and then pieced it together with other magenta sections of the sari.

50 Shades of Grey?!

Anyone who knows Cheeky Leopard knows that I love a bit of colour and most of my bags are pretty vibrant in hue. This is partly due to the fact that I wear so much black -  I feel I have to counteract it with a bright accessory, and the black really makes the colours stand out. 

I also understand that brights aren't for everyone, and so I have recently been playing with softer colours. These are the first two in softer shades to hit my store and I'm very pleased with them. Both items are constructed using strips of fabrics pieced together to create a lovely striped effect. Each piece of fabric used has a special quality. It could be a pretty weave, a gorgeous print or a silky feel and both are lined with a handwoven Japanese cotton fabric which mirrors the blue fabrics on the outside of each bag.

You can find both clutches in my store here.

 Both bags have detachable chain handles to that they can be used as a handbag or a clutch.

 This clutch uses a stunning silver and grey tree motif which is woven into the cloth. I combined it with a navy blue silk and added a white and grey decorative silk on either side.

 You can find this clutch in my store here.

I prefer to use mine as a clutch rather than a handbag. 

I can tuck it neatly under my arm or hold it in my hand.

This clutch uses a pretty navy blue and white decorative woven silk, mixed with a blue and white chunky weave and a silver and white Japanese obi fabric.

You can find this clutch in my store here.

A juicy line up

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Mine was good, although Friday evening was spent trying to make fire! I'm embarrassed to say that this was my very first attempt at making a BBQ and it's surprisingly hard to do!

On top of drenching coals in lighter gel, I also managed to sew up a few new juicy items for my store, which I'm really happy with. They will gradually be added over the next few days.

 I call theses small clutches my 'Little Gems'.

I couldn't resist creating some iPad sleeves in these vibrant obi fabrics. Each has a shell button closure.

Vogue!

I'm proud to say that Cheeky Leopard has its first advert in British Vogue! You can find it on page 201 of the August edition, under the title of Arm Candy. My little clutches are nestled in with other fab items. Here's hoping for lots of sales!

A clutch of clutches

Here's a little clutch of clutches that I made at the weekend. The colours are more subdued than normal, but I love them!

I will be adding them to my Etsy store over the next few days.

One is just a clutch, two have short detachable chain handles, and one has a long detachable handle.

I love the simplicity of this black, red and cream kimono fabric. It fits across the body or over the shoulder.

This kimono fabric has a stunning stork motif. I gave it a mustard yellow kimono lining for a shot of colour.

I've used this pretty kimono fabric a few times and love it! I gave it a terracotta lining to match the blossom.

This one is a beautiful chrysanthemum design that was featured in a Fave Fabric Friday post a few weeks ago.

Magenta magic

I recently added these juicy magenta beauties to my Etsy store. One is made from Japanese obi fabric and one is made from a stunning pink satin I bought in Vietnam. Both of them have purple kimono fabric as lining.

You can find them on my store here.

Juicy juicy!

I've just added this rather stunning collection of clutch bags to my Etsy store. All the clutches are hand made by me and the fabrics used to make them were bought on my recent trip to Tokyo. They would make a fab christmas present for someone special, or a lovely little gift to yourself!

You can find them on my store here.

A growing clutch collection

Well, the stash is growing and here is the latest outcome! I have been busy sewing and glueing and am really happy with the results of my clutches and handbags, many of which come in juicy jewel tones. Their first viewing will be at the International Bazaar at the Tokyo American Club next week, followed by the Selvedge Winter Fair at the Chelsea Town Hall in London, at the end of November. 

I'm looking forward to showing them off!

Brightly coloured clutches

Jewel-toned handbags

Gift set

It's been a busy month since we moved back from Tokyo to London. There have been some ups and downs, but it's been a lot of fun and we are enjoying setting up our new home. The bag-making has waned slightly during that time, but I am now getting back on track and am loving rediscovering my varied selection of Japanese fabrics.

These three little gems are my latest creations. They are small clutch bags, each made from kimono fabrics that I collected whilst living in Tokyo. They can be bought individually on my Etsy store, or I can offer a 10% discount if they are bought as a set of three! If you are interested in buying the set, please contact me through my Etsy store and I can arrange the discount for you.