Geometric headband

Each of my headbands comes with a removable bow detail so that you can change its look depending on your mood. This geometric headband is made from a fabulous orange and blue cotton geometric fabric with an orange and white polka dot lining.

The bow detail adds extra volume to the headband.

Each headband has a rigid plastic inner frame to give it shape.

This is your chance to 'meet the maker'! Here I am doing the headband.

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Tracheostomy covers

 I never thought I'd say this, but I have a great line of tracheostomy covers in my store! I first started making them when a customer approached me and asked if I could make some custom covers for her. I'd never heard of them before, but after a bit of research I realised they were pretty simple to make.

I made three for this particular customer and since then I have been adding more to my store.

I try to make the covers quite subtle and tend to use unisex fabrics that are not too bright.

This selection of covers are all made from blue Japanese cotton fabrics.

Each cover has a button and elastic loop closure and each is double sided, with top-stitching to finish it off and keep it neat.

You can find more tracheotomy covers in my store here.

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.

Some metallics to add to the mix

In my last post I mentioned the work of Roksanda. I love her use of colour but I also love her use of geometric shapes. I've recently created my own geometric clutch bags as a nod to her work, using vintage Japanese obi fabrics. Each one has a flash of metallic, or in some cases, more than a flash!  In fact they are quite blingy. But what a fab statement piece and quite a nice accompaniment to a little black dress.

The obi is the belt that goes around a Japanese kimono and they come in many different sizes and designs. A lot of them are perfect for bag-making as they are quite thick and keep their shape well. I love the way that Japanese women use their obis, often mixing them with very contrasting kimonos to create a stunning effect. The obi can also be tied in many different ways. I had my own experience of trying on an obi when I lived in Japan and you can read about it here.

I'm now trying to decide whether to list these bags on my store, or whether to save them for the International Bazaar which I'll be selling at in November at the Tokyo American Club in Tokyo. Decisions, decisions!