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.

Seeing red

It's countdown time to christmas day and time is running out! There's still time to pick up one of these beautifully festive clutch bags though. Each one is made from a vibrant red or orange fabric with a flash of metallic gold to really celebrate the season.

The clutch bag below is made from a vintage Japanese obi fabric and has a bright red cotton lining.

The clutch bag below is made from a modern cotton fabric with a stylised chrysanthemum design.

The clutch bag below is also made from a vintage Japanese obi fabric.

It has a stunning turquoise lining.

Happy Monday

Happy Monday to all on this beautifully sunny, crisp day! My weekend was very productive, preparing for the up-coming International Bazaar at the Tokyo American Club, as well as creating three clutch bags to send to my aunt Judith in Australia.

Judith has been an amazing supporter of Cheeky Leoaprd and gives my clutch bags as presents to friends and family in Australia. The latest batch are all made from vintage Japanese obi fabrics. The obi is the 'belt' that goes around the kimono and they are often richly designed and intricately woven. They lend themselves very well to clutch bags, partly because the fabric is thick and holds its shape, but also because they are vibrantly coloured and often use gold thread.

The clutch bag below is made from a stylised chrysanthemum design that you often see in obi fabrics and kimonos. The outside has a hint of blue, so I decided to use blue for the lining.

The clutch bag below is made from a green and gold geometric obi fabric and I chose a fresh light green lining for this one.

The clutch below is made from two obi fabrics sewn together. One is a terracotta and gold, the other is all gold and makes quite a statement. This bag has a green taffeta lining.

The clutch bag below is being sent to the Tokyo American Club to be part of their display.

Vendors who sell at the International Bazaar can have one of their items displayed around the club a few weeks before the show to give customers a taster of what's on offer.

I always like to display one of my large clutch bags. This one is a stunning green and gold ribbon design and has a mustard lining.