Obi clutch bag

 When I lived in Japan I spent a lot of time trawling the vintage markets and shops, discovering amazing fabrics to make bags with. I bought a lot of kimonos but I also bought obi fabrics. The obi is the 'belt' that goes around the kimono and they are often made of thick, woven fabrics in amazing designs and colours. The thick quality of the fabric lends itself perfectly to making clutch bags.

This clutch bag is made from an obi I bought in Japan. It has a bold stylised floral design and comes in shades of orange, yellow and gold.

The clutch bag has a cream zipper and is lined in a thick orange satin fabric. The size of the bag means it can be used as a clutch bag or as a tablet case. It's lightly padded to protect its contents.

Look closely and you can see the detail of the design. Metallic gold has been incorporated into the design which really gives it a special feel. Great for using as on a night out or as a wedding clutch.

This clutch bag makes a great gift for a Japan-lover. Each item is gift wrapped in pink tissue paper and can be sent straight to its recipient with an optional gift message included.

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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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.

Cute couple

Check out this cute couple! They're pretty stunning aren't they? The combo consists of a large clutch bag and a small clutch bag, both made from stunning vintage Japanese fabrics that I bought in Tokyo last year. They've just been added to my store and you can find them both here.

The small clutch bag is made from a gorgeous red and cream vintage floral Japanese kimono fabric.

I decided to give it nice turquoise blue lining for a flash of colour.

The large clutch bag is made from a vintage obi fabric in vibrant shades of green, orange and lilac with a lot of metallic gold thrown in.

This clutch has a bright red cotton lining. Wow!

If you're looking for something a bit more casual and roomier, it also has a matching tote bag, made from the same stunning obi fabric.

 The sturdy red canvas straps and red cotton lining add a nice flash of colour.

You can find all these items in my store here.

Millinery Monday

Happy Monday to all! I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was fab, helped by the fact that the weather was gorgeous here in London. On Saturday afternoon we headed to Sadlers Wells theatre to see the fabulous Car Man ballet by Mathew Bourne, based loosely on the opera Carmen and with a score that was inspired by Bizet's music. It was a wonderful performance.

On our way to the theatre we happened to pop down a side street and came across the lovely shop of Alexandra Harper, a London-based milliner who designs and produces stunning statement hats and headpieces. I was immediately taken by her 'Rhopalocera' creation in the window (shown below), which has a tiny swarm of delicate red metal butterflies on it. My immediate thought was how well her hats would go with some of my Cheeky Leopard clutch bags, so I decided to pair some of them up!

The stunning red of this 'Rhopalocera' hat would work very well with the stork clutch bag below, made from delicate red and cream Japanese kimono silk.

I love the stunning orange colour of her 'Hespera' hat and it would make a great match with the orange, gold and black clutch bag below, made from a combination of Japanese obi fabrics.

This dramatic 'Dreams of Sioux' hat above uses a combination of stunning turquoise feathers and flowers and is the perfect match for the Indian sari and Japanese obi fabric clutch bag.

I couldn't resist this hat which is called 'In a mood New York'.

I picked out the purple of the hat to match the purple Cheeky Leopard handbag below.

Alexandra Harper creates bespoke hats and headpieces. Each item is a one-off creation and pieces can be custom-made to meet any price point, style, function and time requirement. You can visit her store at 25 Arlington Way by appointment from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm.

A new home

It's always lovely to see my bags go off to a new home. The latest is this turquoise and magenta pink clutch which went to the home of the lovely Ali Howard. She was drawn to its hot pink lining.

Look how beautiful she is here (on the left) with her friend Maddy at her husband's recent birthday bash. The clutch is a fab accompaniment to the little black dress.

A little gem

At the weekend I had a play with a new style of clutch bag. It's like a mini me version of the large clutches I normally make, but half the size and just over half the price! This is the first attempt and I'm very happy with the result. It is just wide enough to fit an iPhone, as well as the essentials for a night out. The fabric I chose is a stunning red and gold floral Japanese obi fabric and the lining is a mustard yellow.

You can find it in my store here.

At the

Alisha's addiction

I regularly follow Alisha's blog 'Felt so Cute' and am always interested to hear what she has to say, from crafting and decorating ideas, to her life in Japan, or her travels to interesting places. 

I was chuffed to wake up this morning and find her latest blog post which was all about her collection of Cheeky Leopard bags! Here is a selection of what she has, and I love the fact that she has such a great use for each one. I also love her description of the insides of the bags - like the underside of a can can skirt!

I feel so honoured to have been mentioned on her lovely blog. Thanks Alisha! 

You can find her blog here.

A clutch of green clutches

Last Friday's fave fabric was a selection of green fabrics that I have in my collection. I have now made some of that fabric into stunning clutch bags that I am adding to my store over the next few days. Here they are! Each one is different and has a vibrant lining to compliment the outer fabric. I think my fave is the light green one with the hot pink kimono lining.

You can find them on my Etsy 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.