Obi clutch bag

 This pretty clutch bag is made from a stunning Japanese obi fabric. The obi is the 'belt' that goes around the kimono and is often made from woven fabric and comes in vibrant colours and bold designs which lend themselves perfectly to making clutch bags. With this evening purse I matched the lining and tassel to the green of the leaves in the outer design. The purse is also lightly padded to protect its contents. This is a limited edition purse and makes a great gift for someone special.

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Japanese cosmetic bag

 I designed this Japanese-inspired fabric for Makower a while ago and I’m so proud of it! It was designed as part of a collection called Michiko, inspired by the kimono fabrics of Japan and this particular fabric includes chrysanthemums, blossom, bamboo and cranes on a rich blue background. I have now made it up into a really pleasing cosmetic bag.

This bag would be great as a travel bag. Use it in your carry-on bag to store passport, sunglasses, money etc or use it to store delicate items such as jewellery in your suitcase.

The bag is lightly padded and has a blue zipper closure to keep everything safe.

I love the contrasting polka dot lining for a flash of red when the bag is opened.

I like to use mine as a gadget pouch or handbag organiser.

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 I now have matching face masks and key fob wristlets in my store. This set is made from a pretty purple and blue cotton floral fabric.

This floral print uses a pretty summery colour palette and makes a great gift for mum.

The face masks are reversible so you can choose which side you want depending on your mood. They are machine washable too!

The key fobs are a great way of carrying keys and fit easily around the wrist, in your pocket or in your handbag.

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Satin scarf

 I recently designed a print for one of the Spoonflower design challenges which was called Wild Grasses. I was inspired by the delicate grasses found in the countryside and included butterflies, dragonflies and bees amongst the foliage.

For this print, I used a background colour of teal with lighter tones of green and turquoise for the foliage and insects.

I've since had this design printed up onto a lovely satin fabric, perfect for making into decorative scarves.

The satin is lovely and soft and really brings out the colour of the print.

This scarf makes a great gift for someone special - it comes gift wrapped in pink tissue paper and an optional gift message can be added at the checkout. It can also be sent straight to its recipient.

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Key fob wristlets

 I'm always looking for new product ideas for my store and the latest additions are these fabric key fob wristlets. They are made from Japanese-inspired cottons and come in bright colours that make them easy to find.

The interior of each wristlet uses an iron-on interfacing which means that they keep their shape and fit easily around the wrist.

Perfect for carrying around your wrist or could easily fit in your pocket. Their bright colours also mean that they are easy to find in your handbag.

This makes a great birthday present for a friend. Team it with other Cheeky Leopard items in similar fabrics. These key fobs have matching face masks.

Each wristlet has been top stitched and uses a good quality silver D-ring and key ring loop.

You'll never lose your keys with his bright accessory!

Each wristlet uses a Japanese motif, such as a pretty blossom print or maple leaves and bamboo.

This turquoise background has a lovely fresh feel to it.

Pretty in pink

Times are rather strange at the mo! And during strange times, sewing is a great distraction and a wonderfully therapeutic pastime. I feel very lucky to have a business where I get to play with fabrics and to sew on a regular basis. My latest sewing project and new addition to my store is this pretty pink and red scarf.

This scarf is made from a selection of vintage cotton kimono pieces from my extensive kimono collection. I chose to combine a red and white chrysanthemum fabric with a pink ikat floral fabric.

Each of my scarves are long enough to wrap once or twice around the neck and makes a great addition to any outfit. Each of my scarves is a complete original, an individual and a one-off piece.

All fabrics used in my scarf designs are vintage pieces that were bought from shrine sales and antique markets whilst living in Tokyo. I lived in Tokyo for four years and spent many happy days trawling antique markets and kimono shops for the perfect motif and colour combination.

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Mother's Day gift ideas

Mother's Day is fast approaching (31st March in the UK) and I'm always thinking of new ideas for Mother's Day gifts in my store. When I went to the Knitting and Stitching show on Sunday, I picked up some rather scrumptious Chinese satin damask fabric and thought it would make the perfect fabric for one of my clutch bags. I love these fabrics as the colours are so vibrant and they sit next to my kimono fabrics rather nicely!

I gravitated towards the butterfly motif which is a symbol of long life in China, as well as representing young, undying love. If two butterflies are seen flying together they are regarded as the perfect emblem of love.

The fabric will be made up into clutch bags rather like the one below.

I love the vibrant pink of this clutch bag and used a lovely turquoise lining to contrast with the outer fabric.

Each clutch bag has a detachable chain strap that can be removed or simply tucked inside the bag.

The clutch is big enough to fit all the essentials for a night out and makes the perfect gift for Mother's Day.

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