Stunning scarf

 I have a wide selection of scarves in my Etsy shop and many of them are made from vintage Japanese kimono fabrics, like this one. I love to play with colour and I often combine several kimono fabrics within each scarf. This one uses fabrics from three different kimonos but all within the same colour palette.

The fabrics are pieced together in a patchwork effect. I spend a lot of time deciding which fabrics are going to go together. This kimono scarf uses a simple butterfly motif fabric, combined with a deep pink and white geometric fabric and a plain light purple fabric.

The scarf changes dramatically depending on which way you wear it. It looks great draped around the neck.

The colours are so vibrant and would make a great addition to any outfit.

This kimono scarf would make 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.

Self portrait

Last week's drawing challenge from The Tuesday Collective on Instagram was 'Self Portraits' which I found quite hard to do. I decided to choose recent photo of me as my inspiration, taken last weekend on a sunny day in Windsor. I'm wearing a hot pink scarf, my favourite colour (see my Cheeky Leopard logo) and my big green cosy Uniqlo coat. I'm also wearing my signature green sunnies, that come everywhere with me!

I love the colour palette I used for this drawing challenge. The teal background really sets off the green of the coat and the pink of the scarf.

 

Japanese kimono gifts

 Having lived in Tokyo for four years, I have a massive appreciation for all things Japanese and during that time I also amassed a rather extensive collection of vintage kimonos. I love recreating these kimonos into new items and the latest pieces to hit my store are these lovely accessories in shades of red and pink.

This scarf is made from two different vintage kimono fabrics that have been pieced together.

I love this bold red maple leaf motif on a soft pink ground. In Japan the maple leaf is often used in art and design and is seen as a symbol of elegance, beauty and grace.

In Japan the colour red denotes strength and passion and is a colour that is often worn at important ceremonies such as weddings and birthdays.

The vibrant red of this vintage kimono works perfectly for this summer headband. It has a bow detail which can be detached depending on your mood.

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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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