Kanzashi Red Flower Hairclip, Speckled Gem

 

A kanzashi flower hairclip made from cotton which has a lovely speckled red pattern all over it. These kanzashi are perfect for as a gift for someone who loves all things Japanese or maybe you are looking for something to brighten your everyday outfit. 

---Kanzashi Description---

* One of a kind
* Colour - red
* Size - 3cm (wide) by 5cm (height) by 1cm (depth)
* Mount - 3cm alligator clip
* Suitable for all hairtypes and hairstyles


If you have questions about this kanzashi, please feel free to contact me, I am happy help you

Did you like this kanzashi then why not have a look at my kanzashi hairbands http://www.etsy.com/shop/kittykanzashi?section_id=7338380

*** Tsumami Kanzashi ***

Once the pursuit of the royal maidservants, "tsumami kanzashi" or "pinching hair accessories" have long been worn for centuries by Japanese women to decorate their ornate hairstyles. Nowadays they are mainly worn on special occasions or by artists called maiko and geiko.

Each petal is made from one square of fabric carefully folded using tweezers and then delicately arranged onto a base to create the flower of choice. Precision is key with this tsumami technique and many hours of practice (and patience) is required to be able to produce these flowers. Howwever once mastered, this technique offers the artisan the freedom to create unique flowers which are as charming as the real object which will never wither away.

*** Other information ***

I accept custom orders for all sort of accessories (like fascinators, hairbands, brooches, etc), please convo me for requests

The little red box in the picture is for display purpose only and not for sale. If you would like the little red box with your purchase then convo me and I will give you my prices.

Wedding Dress - Aragon by Rosa Clara

Time to have a dress which has a bit more structure.

And Rosa Clara shown me something which is just what I am looking for.

Aragon by Rosa Clara

Why do I love this dress?

From the front it just looks like a plain white wedding dress but just you wait until you look at the back!

Isn't it cute!  Those two little bows are just delightful and the pleating for the train give the back of the dress a bustle look.

Truly it is a wedding dress fit for a princess.

The down points

You may have notice that this dress will show a lot of your back so if you have any blemish that you do not want to show then do not wear this dress!  However a day's worth of pamper wouldn't go amiss just to make sure things all look good.

This dress will also not be good for brides who are well endowed because that neckline and bodice will only just emphasis your assets even more.  Which might not be the attention you were hoping to draw.

Japanese Kanzashi Flower Hairclip - Indigo Dream

What kanzashi shall I show you now! 

How about this pair of tsumami kanzashi flower hairclips made from a navy-blue coloured cotton fabric? 

* One of a kind
* Colour - navy blue with blue streaks.
* Size - 3cm (wide) by 4cm (height) by 1cm (depth)
* Mount - alligator clip
* Suitable for all hairtypes and hairstyles

If you have questions about this kanzashi, please feel free to contact me, I am happy help you

Did you like this kanzashi then why not have a look at my kanzashi hairbands http://www.etsy.com/shop/kittykanzashi?section_id=7338380

*** Tsumami Kanzashi ***

Once the pursuit of the royal maidservants, "tsumami kanzashi" or "pinching hair accessories" have long been worn for centuries by Japanese women to decorate their ornament hairstyles. Nowadays they are mainly worn on special occasions or by artists called maiko and geiko.

Each petal is made from one square of fabric carefully folded using tweezers and then delicately arranged onto a base to create the flower of choice. Precision is key with this tsumami technique and many hours of practice (and patience) is required to be able to produce these flowers. Howwever once mastered, this technique offers the artisan the freedom to create unique flowers which are as charming as the real object which will never wither away.

*** Other information ***

I accept custom orders for all sort of accessories (like fascinators, hairbands, brooches, etc), please convo me for requests

The little red box in the picture is for display purpose only and not for sale. If you would like the little red box with your purchase then convo me and I will give you my prices.

Kanzashi Valentine Hairclip, Deep Red Hearts

Heart kanzashi hairclips that are perfect valentine gift for someone you love and cherish.

---Kanzashi Description---

* One of a kind
* Colour - deep red
* Size - 4cm (wide) by 3cm (height) by 2cm (depth)
* Mount - 3cm alligator clip
* Suitable for all hairtypes and hairstyles

As well as receiving a pair of heart kanzashi hairclips, if you order this before Valentines Day, you will receive a origami heart and it will be gift wrap just like in the pictures.

---Other information---

If you have questions about this kanzashi, please feel free to contact me, I am happy help you

Like this kanzashi then why not visit the rest of my storehttp://www.etsy.com/shop/kittykanzashi

I accept custom orders for all sort of accessories (like fascinators, hairbands, brooches, etc), please convo me for requests

Kanzashi Floral Hairclip, Green flower with Pearl

Flower kanzashi hairclips that are perfect for someone who wishes to brighten their look effortlessly.

---Kanzashi Description---

* One of a kind
* Colour - emerald green
* Size - 3cm (wide) by 4cm (height) by 1cm (depth)
* Mount - 3cm alligator clip
* Suitable for all hairtypes and hairstyles

The little red box in the picture is for display purpose only and not for sale. If you would like the little red box with your purchase then convo me and I will give you my prices.

---Other information---

If you have questions about this kanzashi, please feel free to contact me, I am happy help you

Like this kanzashi then why not visit the rest of my store http://www.etsy.com/shop/kittykanzashi

I accept custom orders for all sort of accessories (like fascinators, hairbands, brooches, etc), please convo me for requests

Kanzashi Hairclip, Blushing Bloom

Kanzashi Hairclip, Blushing Bloom

Kanzashi hairclips that are ready to add a touch of quirkiness into your outfit.

---Kanzashi Description---

* One of a kind
* Colour - black with muted colours
* Size - 3cm (wide) by 5cm (height) by 1cm (depth)
* Mount - 3cm alligator clip
* Suitable for all hairtypes and hairstyles

The little red box in the picture is for display purpose only and not for sale. If you would like the little red box with your purchase then convo me and I will give you my prices.

---Other information---

If you have questions about this kanzashi, please feel free to contact me, I am happy help you

Like this kanzashi then why not visit the rest of my store http://www.etsy.com/shop/kittykanzashi

I accept custom orders for all sort of accessories (like fascinators, hairbands, brooches, etc), please convo me for requests

Wedding dress - Georgina by Joanne Fleming

Since it became fashionable to go vintage, I have seen a increase in very cute cocktail style wedding dresses.  And I can see why they are becoming popular!

Cocktail dresses conjures up an image of an era where all women were very feminine and that there was no such thing as an unattractive lady (just a lazy one!).   And if you love dresses then at some point in your life you must have wanted to spin round wearing a full circle dress.  I know I have!

Here is a perfect example from Joanne Flemming Design.

Georgina by Joanne Flemming

Why I love it?

It is a dress full of messages.  It is a refined dress which would not look out of place at a lovely church while at the same time shows off the bride's eccentric personality.

The best thing about cocktail dresses is the fact they are cocktail dresses so you can wear it again for a fancy party!  I know there are people out there who would shout abuse at me for saying that but I don't care.  If you are going to spend that amount of money on a dress then why not wear it again, it just makes sense in my eyes.

Hmmm problems.

Cocktail dresses will pretty much fit any body shape and size.  So long as you buy the right length petticoat which is one problem.  Unless it has a built in petticoat, you will need to make sure that you get one or your dress will be very flat.

And while you are wearing the dress, just be careful that you are in control of your skirt and petticoat because a gust of wind will blow your dress up and you do not want to reveal everything to your guest.

Kanzashi Hairclip, Pale Blue with Red accent

Kanzashi Hairclip, Pale Blue with Red accent

A dainty blue kanzashi hairclip which will add a unique and quirky touch to your everyday style.

---Product Description---

* One of a kind
* Colour - pale blue with red cracked glass bead
* Size - 4cm (wide) by 4cm (height) by 1cm (depth)
* Mount - 3cm alligator clip
* Suitable for all hairtypes and hairstyles

The little red box in the picture is for display purpose only and not for sale. If you would like the little red box with your purchase then convo me and I will give you my prices.

---Other information---

If you have questions about this kanzashi, please feel free to contact me, I am happy help you

Like this kanzashi then why not visit the rest of my store http://www.etsy.com/shop/kittykanzashi


I accept custom orders for all sort of accessories (like fascinators, hairbands, brooches, etc), please convo me for requests

Commence hanfu project.

Finally I have got round to making a hanfu!

Really after rediscovering them 4 years ago, I have been pondering how to make one and since I am still looking for a job what better way to keep myself sane then to actually make one!

My plan is to make something like this.

So I got my thinking hat on and drafted a pattern.

It took me a couple of days to figure out the curves and then how to cut the pattern on the fabric because there is no way I was going to find fabric wide enough to cut the bottom part of the shirt in one piece.

However it was only now that I realised I made a tad mistake!

The top part is not too bad because I used the hanfu that I brought 4 years ago as my pattern but the wraparound skirt is wrong.  

It doesn't wrap around enough times.  In my reference picture it appears to wrap around three and half times whereas my one is only two and half times.  But I have looked at other pictures since and it might not be as wrong as I thought so PHEW!

Since then I have sewed it all together but I still need to buy some more fabric that will be used as a border for the hems and collar.  I am thinking of emerald green but I'm up for suggestions!

Wedding Dress - Tallulah by Stephanie Allin

Sometime the past offers up lovely little design gems and from Stephanie Allin "Jazz Age Collection" we have Tallulah!.

What drew my attention is the feather skirt.  Doesn't it remind you of the fringe dress of the flapper?  I can just picture the photos of the bride wearing this dress when there is a slight breeze in the air.

Tallulah by Stephanie Allin

Why I love this!


Don't you just love the contrast between the plain fabric and the feathers on the skirt?  It just looks so much fun to look at.

This dress will be perfect for those brides who have a short upper body because fabric on the bodice carries on into the skirt which will give the illusion of a longer body.

Also for you brides who can't decide whether to have hair up or down then I think this dress will work with both.  Have it up using finger waves/victory rolls or down where you brush out your pin curls for the more relax look.  Either vintage look would be great.

Hmmmm second thoughts

It is not the most forgiving of dresses!  I think a few hours in the gym and maybe some supportive underwear maybe in order to achieve the smooth look around the belly area.

Also it is not good for petite brides like myself.  The skirt will just overwhelm us and probably make us look shorter.

How to make a Tsuke Obi

Someone asked for a tutorial on how I made my tsuke obi so here it is!

Here is the list of things you will need.

Two lots of 2 metres of fabric your choice (for reversible obi)
2 metres of stiff interface
4 metres of ribbon
Sewing Machine
Thread
Pins

Of course if you do not want to make a reversible obi then you just need 4 metres of one type of fabric.

Instructions

Step one
Take your fabric and place it so the right sides are touching.  Now we need to mark the pieces!

Here is the basis pattern that I used.

To lay out the pattern I would recommend the following.

This way you are using the fabric economically so you can use the remaining fabric for other projects like making more obi!

As the pattern is basically rectangles you can lay the pieces so they are edge to edge.

Step two

For the interface, you will need to cut the same shapes as above except the measurements are as follows.

Again lay them out on your interface like the fabric.

Step three

You now have all your pieces at hand.  If you have not ironed the fabric and interface beforehand, give them a quick once over.

Step Four

We will sew the tare part first.

Take your tare fabric pieces and line them up with the right side facing each other and sew.

Snip the corners like below and then turn it inside out.

Now iron your tare and then insert your interface. 

You have not completed your first part!

Step five

Take your ribbon and cut it into 1 metre lengths and then singe the edges if you have synthetic ribbon.  If you have natural ribbon then turn the end of each piece on one end only leaving the other end raw.

Now take your waist pieces and two ribbon pieces and lay out as follows.

  Making sure that the long edge of the ribbon is 1cm away from the edge of the fabric.

Now pin the edge or baste the fabric together and sew!

Make sure you don't catch the ribbon when you sew the thing together and also don't forget to leave a gap of 30cm to allow you to turn the waist band inside out.

Snip the 4 corners just like you did for the tare, turn it inside out and iron flat.

Time to insert your interface, this can be a little tricky but if you have left a 30cm gap there should be enough space for you to push your arm into the waist band and position the interface correct.

Once you are happy the interface is in the correct position, sew the opening closed as neat and as close to the edge as possible.  If you are worried that your ribbons will rip off from all the tugging then you can sew over the fabric and ribbon to give it extra strength.

 Your waist band of your tsuke obi is complete.

Step Six

I left the otaiko part the last because it is the trickiest if you are a beginner.

Take one piece of your otaiko and lay it out so the right side is facing up.

Now take your completed tare piece and your two remaining pieces of ribbon and layout as follow.  You will want the open end of the tare to be on the left hand side.

To make sure you have place the tare piece the correct way round, the matching colours should be touching.

Fold up the ribbon and tare piece so they are within the fabric boundary and lay the second fabric piece of otaiko on top.  Pin/baste the pieces together and sew.

Snip the top two corners, turn it inside out and iron it flat.

Now insert your interface and sew the opening closed.

And volia you have a tsuke obi.

Wonder of the day! Golden Cape.

A lot of the time I go wow for no reason but this time it is different!  Just look at this!

Here is the pattern closeup!

And would you believe me if I said it was made from spider's silk?  No I am not joking this cape and the accompanying scarf was entirely made using the silk from the golden orb spider.

It does sound creepy but if you think about it, it is no more creepy then silk from the silkworm and this by the way is the natural colour of the silk that is produced by the spider.

If you want to see this wonderful piece of textile then it is on display in V&A museum from 25 January to 5 June 2012 and admission is free.  I must find some time to see it!

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/g/golden-spider-silk/

New kanzashi for you to enjoy.

For the past two years I have been purchasing vintage kimono fabric because I thought they would make perfect kanzashi.  However it has only been recently that I have decided to actually use the fabric.

So today I have listed three new kanzashi!

First one is called Midnight Sparkle.

It was so hard to capture the true colour of this kanzashi because it was a dark blue/purple silk with hints of red but I think the pictures does it justice.  There is even a little bit of sparkle to give your kanzashi something to shout about.

Second one is called Checkered Past.

This used a lovely checkered piece of kimono which I wish I owned because I lack a nice beige kimono.  It is set against black petals so you can see the true beauty of the fabric.

And thirdly, we have Mother Nature.

Using as dusky green/brown kimono fabric, it just shouts Mother Nature so adding a bit more green just helps the whole piece.

Lace kimono tryout!

So I made my first kimono!

But I could not stop and this time I decided to challenge myself by making a lace kimono.  I saw this lovely lace which had a scalloped edge which I thought would make a lovely edging on the kimono.

Lucky the scalloping was on both edges but it wasn't until I received the fabric that I realised that the pattern on the edge was not copied on the other side.  Not a problem really but it would have looked good.

I followed the pattern of my previous kimono and cut 36 cm strip pieces and then draped the pieces on my Miffy to see how it might looked.

It looked promising I have to say from the draping.

Collar will need a bit of tidying to reduce the number of layers of fabric.

And the back with the non fancy scalloping didn't look bad either.  Things are looking up!

Now the sewing.  

I started with the sleeves and what made this easy was the fact I didn't have to create the curve.  However hemming the edge was not easy because the lace was very light and stiff as it was synthetic and it occasional stretched because of the holes in the lace.

Anyway fast forwarding 4 days and I have reached this point!

The front didn't look as tidy as I hoped because of the vertical folds from joining the okumi panels and I am not sure I the stitching is straight or not as the lace as a slight stretch.

Time to sew on the sleeves which is were I decided to go freehand.  I just sewed them on very simply rather then follow the method I used previously because I didn't want to have layers of fabric around the shoulder.  I thought about french hemming but since the lace does not fray I thought why bother.  

So after a couple of my hours of sewing this is the finished result!  This lace kimono does not need to have an ohashiori because I used the scalloped edge to create the illusion of that fold.

You can see it more clearly on the back shot here!

The collar still looks a little bit messy but cutting of the excess lace helped with the appearance.

The front isn't as tidy as I hoped but the next time I make a kimono using lace, I will need to get some that is heavier because it was a pain not knowing if the stitching was straight.

Here is a closeup of the sleeves.  They are 70 cm in length so they will be hang lower then all of my kimono sleeves which are around the 50 cm mark.  I think I will wear it with my teal ro kimono or my green wool kimono however it doesn't look to bad on my pale green kimono. 

I am going to have a break from making kimono now and start on another one of my to do things!  

My next project will be a hanfu of this style!

I'll be using a pale yellow fabric with blue/green gridlines and it will hopefully be a wearable piece.  I will probably need to make a plain top to calm the outfit but but first I need to make it! 

Wish me luck!