Kimono purse

 I have a lot of products in my Etsy shop that are made from vintage Japanese kimono fabrics. I lived in Tokyo for four years and during that time I collected a lot of fabrics, from fabulous stores around Tokyo but also from the many antique markets that I went to, that were often held in the grounds of shrines. I make scarves and clutch bags with these fabrics, but I inevitably have leftover pieces that I keep and make into fabulous little patchwork purses. Each purse is totally unique and uses kimono fabrics in a similar colour palette. This purse uses kimonos in shades of purple and pink.

The purse is lightly padded and has a purple cotton lining. It's perfect for using as a handbag organiser or as a mini travel bag to store all your essentials in.

It has a purple zipper closure and a purple tassel on the zipper pull.

The reverse side of the purse also includes two pretty pink kimono fabrics.

This purse could also be used as a mini makeup bag. The bright colour makes it was not find in your bag. This purse would make a great gift for a Japan lover.

You can find it in my Etsy shop here.

Kimono fabric scraps

 I have a wide selection of fabric scraps for sale in my Etsy shop. I've divided them up into colour stories and this one comes in shades of pink, purple and cream. Each one is a vintage kimono fabric piece, some are florals, some are geometric and some are plain. They are perfect for using sewing projects such as quilting or patchwork.

This burgundy kimono fabric has an ikat stripe running through it.

Two pretty floral kimono fabrics in complimentary colours.

A stunning rose motif using the kasuri weaving technique where the threads are dyed before they are woven.

Stunning geometric kimono fabric in a deep pink and white colour palette.

Sari fabric scraps

I have a great selection of fabric scraps in my Etsy shop and they are great for using in sewing projects such as quilting or dress making. This selection consists of three pretty sari fabrics in shades of pink, purple and terracotta. They are soft and fine and each has a unique border design. 

This purple and pink sari fabric is an ikat design which means that the threads are dyed with the design before they are woven. The main body of the fabric is a stunning purple colour with a geometric design running through it.

The border is a stunning hot pink colour that contrasts beautifully with the purple.

The terracotta sari fabric also has an ikat design, a simple cream geo motif with a stripe.

It also has a border, in the same colour with a simple geo edging on either side.

The hot pink sari fabric has a geometric design printed onto it in orange and purple colours.

The border to this sari fabric has touches of metallic gold.

This sari fabric selection makes a great gift for a sewing lover. The fabrics come sealed in a plastic sleeve and gift wrapped in pink tissue paper. It can be sent straight to its recipient with an optional gift message included.

Shop other fabric selections here

Pretty patchwork clutch

 I have a great selection of clutch bags in my Etsy shop and this one is so much fun. It's made from a combination of Japanese cotton fabrics that I have patchworked together, using shades of pink, purple, green and yellow.

I use this as a clutch bag but it could be used for so many other things. It's great as a makeup bag. It's made from 100% cotton so machine washable.

Look up close and you can see all the different patterns I've used in the patchwork.

The zipper bag is light padded and lined in a cream cotton fabric. This could also be used as an iPad case.

It's the perfect size for a pencil case and big enough to fit a sketch book or notebook in for when those creative justice are flowing.

This makes a great gift idea for someone special. All items are gift wrapped in pink tissue paper and can be sent straight to their recipient with an optional gift message included.

Golden

I recently designed this collection for Makower UK. It's called 'Golden' and is inspired by the work of Gustav Klimt. It includes swirls, textures and organic shapes in a rich colour palette with touches of metallic gold. This style of work is quite different to what I am used to designing but I enjoyed the challenge and think it came out quite well!

The main design is called Symphony and includes all sorts of elements that can be found in a Klimt painting such as circles, swirls, triangles and squares. I added texture to each of the shapes to give it a painterly feel as well as adding texture to the background to give it depth.

These textured triangles are designed in shades of red, orange and brown and make a great colour carrier for fabric projects such as quilting.

I scroll design is always pleasing to design and this one has a textured background with touches of red and orange that can be found in other designs and this makes it a great co-ordinate.

These loose squares create a mini patchwork effect.

This wavy stripe contains a lot of pattern, Some pattern is taken from other designs in the group as well as being mixed with new designs.

The Symphony pattern has been designed in three colours and this is a good mid-range tone.

This textured print is called 'Engraved' has been taken from the main print but created in a tonal colour palette.

The triangle design looks great in tones of green, yellow and brown.

Stripes are always a good addition to a collection and with this stripe I decided to make it wavy with added dots.

This decorative stripe looks great in green.

Decorative scroll in a tasty green colour.

 

Fabric Friday

Anyone who loves fabric, knows how therapeutic it can be. There is something very pleasing about choosing a selection of fabrics and piecing them together to create something new. A year ago I was going through a difficult time in my life. My parents were very supportive and I was staying their house at the time. After dinner, mum and I would sit in front of the TV (with a glass of wine of course!) and the sewing would come out. My mum was in the process of making fabric hexagon squares and so I decided to do the same, using fabric pieces I had in my stash.

Paper hexagons are cut out, and then the fabric hexagon is tacked onto the paper one, to give it shape. The hexagons are then whip-stitched together in batches of seven, to create a bigger hexagon.

From the back, it looks pretty messy! But the paper is a great way of keeping the shape of the hexagons as you sew them all together, and the paper, and tacked stitches will be taken out at the end of the process, for the grand reveal!

Once you have a good amount of larger hexagons, you can start sewing them together, which is what I am now doing.... a year later! I love the fact that sewing projects can be left for a while, but you can always come back to them and start where you left off.

The fabric selection includes, polka dots, bright solids, and a mandolin design! Now I just need to decide what to make my lovely hexagon project into. A funky clutch? Or a fun tote bag? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Fabric Friday

This Friday's fabric selection is showcasing what I have started making with some of the fabrics I bought at the Knitting and Stitching show a few weeks ago.

These fabrics were bought at the Eternal Maker stand and were bought as scrap bags. You never know what you are going to get in these surprise bags, but there is always a fun combination that you can piece together and they are the perfect size for my card cases.

I'm not sure about the headless bird, but I loved the colour combination of this Echino fabric and decided to mix it with a pink polka dot and a kettle fabric….

The frogs on this fabric are so sweet and remind me of emoticons.

Owls are still a popular motif and I'm mixing them with an apple fabric.

Elephants are always popular and why not put them with an aeroplane fabric?!

Last but not least, the be-spectacled stag fabric which is fab! This is another design by Echino, who do some gorgeous designs on thick cottons. This stag is being paired with a tree design.

All these fabrics are now waiting to be made up into card cases which you will be able to find in my store very soon! I love the mix of colours and each has a contrasting lining for a bit of fun when the case is opened. They can be used as credit card cases, business card cases or for travel cards.

Fave fabric Friday

Today's fave fabric is a quilt that I made when I was living in Tokyo. It took many years to complete, but I love the combination of blue and white indigo fabrics that I found on my meanderings round the city. I even managed to create some rather clunky sashiko stitching!

It has now found its new home at the top of the stairs leading to my studio, and sits rather nicely with the Japanese kokeshi doll collection and the Vietnamese wall hanging.

Indigo blue

I love the indigo blue and white fabrics you can find here in Japan and am always on the lookout for nice pieces. They tend to be expensive, so I don't get them very often, but I couldn't resist this beautiful stylised chrysanthemum design. I decided to piece it together with blue and white woven kimono fabrics and make it into a clutch bag. It has a bright magenta pink lining to add a flash of colour when  the bag is opened. 

You can find it on my Etsy store here.