Sari fabric scraps

I have a great selection of fabric scraps in my Etsy shop and they are great for using in sewing projects such as quilting or dress making. This selection consists of three pretty sari fabrics in shades of pink, purple and terracotta. They are soft and fine and each has a unique border design. 

This purple and pink sari fabric is an ikat design which means that the threads are dyed with the design before they are woven. The main body of the fabric is a stunning purple colour with a geometric design running through it.

The border is a stunning hot pink colour that contrasts beautifully with the purple.

The terracotta sari fabric also has an ikat design, a simple cream geo motif with a stripe.

It also has a border, in the same colour with a simple geo edging on either side.

The hot pink sari fabric has a geometric design printed onto it in orange and purple colours.

The border to this sari fabric has touches of metallic gold.

This sari fabric selection makes a great gift for a sewing lover. The fabrics come sealed in a plastic sleeve and gift wrapped in pink tissue paper. It can be sent straight to its recipient with an optional gift message included.

Shop other fabric selections here

Kimono fabric love

When I lived in Japan I collected a lot of amazing kimonos and kimono fabric pieces. They come in such stunning colours and are great for using in sewing projects, or just for looking at and enjoying. I now sell these fabric pieces as a selection of scrap fabric bags and each bag contains a selection of fabrics that are similar in colour.

This kimono scrap bag contains fabrics in a selection of reds, pinks, oranges and browns. There is a variety of sizes and weights of fabric, but they are all vintage kimono pieces.

This is one of the larger pieces of fabric in the collection and uses a pretty ikat-style design on a brown background.

I love this bold geometric design that is often seen in Japanese motifs. The bold red and white colour palette is very pleasing.

It's great to include softer colours too and this fabric is very fine, taken from the lining of a kimono. I love the soft pink watercolour-effect.

I love this bright orange colour and the 1930s style flowers randomly scattered on it. It has a very painterly feel and the colour makes it very bold and modern.

Stunning flower on a bright red background. This kimono fabric is cotton and includes a small geometric print around the flower.

Stunning chrysanthemum in a painterly feel. I love the antique cream ground colour.

This is such a sweet stork print, almost abstract in feel. It's a very small piece of silk but adorable! It would make a great piece in a small crafting project and I love the antique pink and cream colour palette. Some customers have used these fabrics to make doll's dresses.

Often the lining fabrics are more interesting than the outer kimono fabrics. This orange and cream fabric was taken from the lining of a kimono.

Pretty ombre flowers on a pink and yellow background. Although this fabric is obviously a vintage piece, it has touches of modernity with the bright green leaves and I love that injection of bright orangey red in the background.

 

Splendid sari fabrics

I sell a wide selection of fabric scraps in my Etsy shop, mostly consisting of vintage Japanese kimono fabrics and vintage Indian sari fabrics and I love it when I get feedback from a happy customer. These gorgeous sari fabrics were bought from a customer in Enfield, London recently and this is what she had to say:

"Exactly as seen, lovely colours and in mint condition.

Arrived safely and well packaged. Thank you."

With each of my fabric scraps packs, I carefully choose the colours and combinations so that they complement each other. In this pack I combined vintage sari fabrics in tones of pink and purple. Each one has a bold design and a decorative border. 

I'm loving this bold purple sari with a contrasting orange border. It could be used for craft projects such as quilting and patchwork or for making into cushion covers.

This pink sari uses a geometric motif made up of dots. The green border adds a lovely contrast to the pink of the main design.

This hot pink is a fabulous colour. Some of my customers have used these fabric scraps to make into dolls dresses.

Each collection of fabrics is sent in a plastic envelope and gift wrapped in pink tissue paper. It would make a great gift for a crafter of for someone who loves sewing.

You can find more fabric scraps in my Etsy shop here.

 

Shell we dance?

The other day I mentioned some fabrics that I bought from a shop in Tickhill called From Rags to Stitches. I've been a bit busy since then, sewing and gluing, and now have some fab items to show for it. The first to be added to my store are these two little shell cuties made from fabric that I designed for Makower UK.

This card case is perfect for storing business cards or credit cards and has a fun red and white polka dot lining.

This shell design was part of a nautical collection I designed for Makower UK that included boats, starfish and crabs in a fresh red, white and blue colour palette.

The coin purse is the perfect size for small change or for storing headphones in. It also has a red and white polka dot lining.

You can find them both in my store here.

Fabric Friday

Last weekend I went on a little trip up North to visit my dear friend Cherry. She lives in a village called Tickhill, just outside Doncaster, and is a fellow fabric addict! There is a lovely little shop in Tickhill called From Rags to Stitches and we made a pilgrimage there to pick up some inspiration. Needless to say, I came out with quite an addition to my fabric stash and a very light wallet!

Horse designs are popular and this one is pretty in pink and navy blue, with the odd white one scattered around. It will have a pink and white polka dot lining.

The swans are quite quirky and I loved the colour combination. They are going to have a hot pink lining to match the waves in the design.

Pineapple designs are still popular and I thought the lemon slice lining was a great match.

From Rags to Stitches has quite a selection of fabrics that I designed for Makower UK, including these two nautical inspired pieces - blue starfish on cream and cream shells on blue. Both prints will have a fun polka dot lining.

I love a lobster print and just had to have this one that I found at Doncaster market. He will have a red and white polka dot lining for a bit of fun.

The pandas below were also picked up at Doncaster market and I couldn't resist them! They are so sweet and will look fab with a black and white polka dot lining.

Watch this space for some new items to be landing in store soon!

Fabric Friday

Anyone who loves fabric, knows how therapeutic a fabric shopping trip can be and a few weeks ago I made a pilgrimage to Rolls & Rems in Lewisham to do just that. I often enter a fabric shop treating it like an Aladdin's cave. You never know what you're going to find and if you're even going to find anything suitable, but there's always something good to forage through. Rolls & Rems was no disappointment and I came out with four fab new fabrics to add to my stash!

I love these swallow silhouettes on a grey ground and am looking forward to giving it a nice bright lining to counteract the grey and to give it a flash of colour when the bag is opened.

Everyone loves a dog fabric and this one shows a variety of breeds in a white silhouette. I love the cream linen fabric it's printed onto and it will perfect for making sturdy tote bags.

I love a bold geo and this one comes in a vibrant orange and navy combination. It makes quite a statement!

I love the hit of bright green in this unisex bike fabric and I'm thinking of using a green polka dot for the lining. This fabric would make great gadget pouches to store puncture kit etc.

Fabric Friday

Anyone who loves fabric, knows how therapeutic it can be. There is something very pleasing about choosing a selection of fabrics and piecing them together to create something new. A year ago I was going through a difficult time in my life. My parents were very supportive and I was staying their house at the time. After dinner, mum and I would sit in front of the TV (with a glass of wine of course!) and the sewing would come out. My mum was in the process of making fabric hexagon squares and so I decided to do the same, using fabric pieces I had in my stash.

Paper hexagons are cut out, and then the fabric hexagon is tacked onto the paper one, to give it shape. The hexagons are then whip-stitched together in batches of seven, to create a bigger hexagon.

From the back, it looks pretty messy! But the paper is a great way of keeping the shape of the hexagons as you sew them all together, and the paper, and tacked stitches will be taken out at the end of the process, for the grand reveal!

Once you have a good amount of larger hexagons, you can start sewing them together, which is what I am now doing.... a year later! I love the fact that sewing projects can be left for a while, but you can always come back to them and start where you left off.

The fabric selection includes, polka dots, bright solids, and a mandolin design! Now I just need to decide what to make my lovely hexagon project into. A funky clutch? Or a fun tote bag? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Ikats from Istanbul

This time a year ago I was in the beautiful city of Istanbul. I loved its vibrancy, its food, the locals and of course, the choice of stunning fabrics. I spent a great afternoon in the bazaar choosing fabrics and drinking tea with the stall holders, and I came home with some stunning fabrics which I made some beautiful clutch bags from.

The three bags below are some that I made a while ago.

I love the bright colours and each has a vibrant lining.

I now have two new additions to my store.

The clutch bag below is made from a stunning blue and grey ikat design.

It has a turquoise lining to match the outside.

The clutch bag below is made from a simple green and cream chevron stripe.

It has a stunning hot pink lining for a flash of colour when the bag is opened.

An afternoon at Alexandra Palace

Yesterday I trotted off to the stunning Alexandra Palace to check out the Knitting and Stitching show. I'm embarrassed to say I had never been to Alexandra Palace before and I was impressed by its size and location - a rather awesome Victorian building sitting on a hill in North London, with stunning views of the city below. It was a lovely warm and sunny autumn day yesterday and I felt like I was in a foreign city!

Of course the main reason for going to the show was to pick up some inspiring fabric pieces as well as to see what other fabrics trends were around and to touch base with some customers. I saw quite a few of the fabric designs I have worked on for Makower UK, and it was great to see some of the fabrics I'd designed made up into quilts and hangings.

I bought these fabrics from The African Fabric Shop, who sell a stunning variety of items from Africa. I homed in on the brighter colours and came away with a collection of pink and blue fabrics that use a combination of resist and screen printed techniques.

Selvedge had a stall there, displaying beautifully delicate crocheted items. 

The Silk Route stall was a ablaze with colour and I came home with a stunning selection of pinks, yellows and turquoises.

The ribbons below would make a perfect match with the silks I bought.

I love the fabrics from KSDP and the money raised from the sales goes to a very good cause.

My lovely friend Jo had a stall there called Bazaar, selling an amazing array of items from India. I gravitated towards the embroidered ribbons.

  Such a lovely selection of woodblocks!