New kanzashi design!

So I have been toying with the idea of making a rose kanzashi for a long time and after a conversation with a good friend of mine, I have decided to make them.

Another reason why I made them was that fact that the weather has once again forced me to stay indoors.  It is raining cats and dogs right now!

Here were my trial ones.

The first one was one made using round petals and give a soft romantic rose.

Whereas this rose design is made using opened pointed petals.

Both are very cute especially the second design which has a modern feel to it but as I am making these for friend of mine who is into reenactment I went for the first design.

So the next stage is to make them with proper fabric.  I had some soft white cotton fabric leftover from a dressmaking project which I thought would be perfect as I wanted the kanzashi to fit in with her reenactment.

Now I need to get them into some hair to see how they look.

It has been so long since my last kanzashi post!

Hello my followers!

Things have been very hectic for me in the last couple of weeks.

If going home for Christmas was not stressful enough, I had to organise a tiny relocation.  Tiny being that I moved all the stuff from Sheffield to the lovely city of Belfast!

Yep everything had to be packed away and it was a bit sad moving away from Sheffield as I did love living there but my partner got a job here in Belfast which he couldn't refuse so off we went.

It has been just over a week since we got here and so far to good.  We have located all the shops which we need to survive and found the most efficient route to his new work place.

For me, I still need to re-organise my work table but it will slowly be done.

Anyway Kitty Kanzashi is back in business but now operating from Belfast!

Don't forget you can buy any of the following kanzashi from my etsy store.

Midnight Sparkle
https://www.etsy.com/listing/88859163/kanzashi-navy-blue-hairclip-midnight

Union Jack Kusudama
https://www.etsy.com/listing/96383555/tsumami-kanzashi-union-jack-kusudama

And as it is Valentine Day coming up how about some valentine day kanzashi?

Two Hearts
https://www.etsy.com/listing/92459099/kanzashi-red-fabric-flower-hairclip-two

Intertwine
https://www.etsy.com/listing/92459099/kanzashi-red-fabric-flower-hairclip-two

Side by Side
https://www.etsy.com/listing/91564668/red-heart-kanzashi-hairclip

Kanzashi bouquet - part 3

As soon as I have started a bouquet I get crafter's block!

Last week I had this in my hand.

It was pretty but it need something else.......maybe more flowers and made in a different colour as well.

Well I settled for teal because it is the one colour that went well with the dark navy blue that I had.  Then my mind went blank!

How was I going to decorate the bottom of the bouquet?  I didn't want to use lace as I didn't want to introduce another fabric into the bouquet and I really wanted to use the same white organza that I used to make the little dainty white flowers.  But how was I going to do it?

This sat in my mind for 3 days and it was very annoying.  I want it to be light and fluffy to contrast against the bold kiku that I made but everything I tried just didn't work for me.  Not fluffy and stiff enough for my liking but then yesterday it struck me!  Why not try some musubi folding techniques?

I spent so much time learning how to tie my obi that something must be suitable for finishing my bouquet and it came to me, make a series of round petal folds with the organza and voila!  

Well I am glad to report that it worked and here is the result.

I rearranged the original bouquet I found the rotational symmetry was not pleasing to the eye.  Normally a certain amount of symmetry is attractive but since all the flowers I made are all symmetric, I didn't want the bouquet arrangement to be the same.

A little bit of asymmetry adds a little bit of excitement.

I am also happy with the size as well, it is a nice round bouquet which will sit nicely in a bride's hands.

Here you can see how the organza round petals nestle the bouquet.  It makes the bouquet look softer.

And I can't resist a closeup of the flowers.  

This bouquet will be appearing in my etsy shop very soon and it is a truly one off piece. The chances of finding another scarf like this one is going to be impossible so whoever buys it will be acquiring a unique kanzashi bouquet.  I think I will be pricing it around the $300 if you are interested.

Kanzashi Bouquet

So tsumami kanzashi are synonymous with making flowers therefore the next stage in kanzashi making is always making bouquets.

Now this is not a new thing for me.  I made one for my own wedding just over a year ago.

Well I have been meaning to make another bouquet for a while because they are very pretty and I am a sucker for things that are pretty.

But what material to use?  

Then it dawned on me what to use.  A couple of years ago I went to a vintage kilo sale and brought 5-6 scarves for the purpose of making kanzashi from them.  How about making a unique bouquet from one of those scarves?  

So the scarf I choice a navy blue and cream dotty one.  

I was a little bit eager with the rotary blade so I forgot to take a picture of the original scarf but the black and white one shows you the size of the one I used.

Now I had to decided on the the type of flower to make.  Normally I make medium size five petal flowers but this time I wanted to go all out and make kiku or crysthanamum.  However not one large but seven little ones!

I had to find out what the seven kiku look like so I make a casually arranged them into a bouquet to see what they look like.  The look very pretty!

With some extra white flower and accents this will turn into a lovely unique bouquet!

Here is a closeup of one of the flowers.

You Sew Should...: Shake, Rattle n Roll Crafters!

I love making kanzashi and there is nothing better then making a kanzashi for a charity event!

So when one of the organisers of Shake, Rattle n Roll contacted me to see if I can help out with a prize for their raffle then how can I resist!

What did I donate then...............................well this little beauty!!!!

Made from a vintage scarf which has seen better days, I thought I would give it a new life as a kanzashi.

It is perfect for any occasion.  Whether it is for a party or you just feel like wearing something pretty to go shopping.  You can win this at the raffle.

The link below is from one of the organisers blog if you want to read more about the event and find out what other prizes are available.

You Sew Should...: Shake, Rattle n Roll Crafters!:   Gosh, time flies. It's already the 9th of October, that means there's only 3 days until Shake Rattle n' Roll, the charity event we're h...

I Love Kanzashi - Mother Nature

I enjoy mixing vintage with modern fabric when I am making kanzashi.

Mother Nature by Kitty Kanzashi

Why?  Because I like using the bright vibrant coloured modern fabrics with the muted colours of the vintage fabric.

UK kanzashi maker

 Of course not all vintage fabric are muted in colour, some are quite stunning but that is for a later date.

Kanzashi by Kitty Kanzashi, UK

 These ones are a little bit bigger then my standard pair hairclips at 5cm in diameter but they are perfect to wear for all occasions.

You can wear then as an everyday clip to brighten up your outfit or maybe as an accent piece for a special occasion.  And if you are the suit of person who is not comfortable with wearing floral accessories then these would be perfect because they do not attract too much attention.

So if you are interested in these one then you can buy them here!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/88859339/kanzashi-green-and-gold-hairclip-mother

I Love Kanzashi - Ivy Love Kanzashi Hairclip

Time to show you some kanzashi which I call my everyday kanzashi.

Ivy Love by Kitty Kanzashi

My friend a couple of years ago gave me a whole load of quilting fabric which were gorgeous but in small squares.

Well I was not about to let those fabric go to waste so I made tiny pairs of kanzashi hairclips.

This fabric has a light green leaf print all over it and in the above photo you can clearly see it.

Rather then leave it as that I added some falls on each flower so that when you walk they will swing.

Each kanzashi is only 3cm in diameter and with the falls the height of them is 6cm.

So what do you think?  Would these pair of hairclips make a lovely present for yourself or how about a friend?

Well whoever you buy these for, you can find them here.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/72489772/green-tsumami-kanzashi-flower-ivy-love

Kanzashi Valentine Fabric Heart Hairclip - Intertwine

Kanzashi Valentine Fabric Heart Hairclip - Intertwine


These kanzashi heart hairclips are made with a lot of love and care so they will make the perfect valentine gift for your loved one.

*** Kanzashi Description ***

* One of a kind
* Colour - deep red with black leaf.
* Size - 2.5cm (wide) by 2.5cm (height) by 1.5cm (depth)
* Mount - 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.

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 haircomb http://www.etsy.com/shop/kittykanzashi?section_id=7360560

*** 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

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.

Custom kanzashi order.

There is nothing better then creating a kanzashi for a bride and last week a bride contacted me to ask me to create a kanzashi for her special day!

Cherry Blossom was her chosen kanzashi however she wanted it completely white!

I couldn't disappoint her so here is the same kanzashi in white.

I have to say it is lovely but I'm bias ;)

Wedding Kanzashi all finished.

And now I can relax (a bit) from thinking about my wedding and concentrate on EMS!

My bouquet is made from the same flower designs as the rest of the boutonneire and hair pins because I wanted all the elements to co-ordinate with each other.

The only addition I made are the 3 lace roses which were included because I wanted lace roses and they helped with the arrangement.  In previous bouquet, I would find odd gaps which were unattractive and it dawned on my that I could eliminate them if I had a flower which could be slotted in.

Like with my other bouquets, I used a lot of floral tape which creates a stable handle which is covered with white satin ribbon and with the remaining lace I create a double tier covering for the back of the bouquet.

And here is the wonderful bouquet being held by my partner like as if he is about to bludgeon someone with it.  I think at the time we were talking about the bouquet making a lovely hand guard for a sword so we spent a couple of minutes thinking what it would look like with a blade sticking out in the middle.

(We have been playing Dragon Age 2 so killing evil darkspawn and assassins with swords is the first thing we are thinking about)

Question to my readers, would you people be interested in buying such a bridal sets?  And if so, what price would you pay for it?

Wedding Kanzashi - Part 5

So I have been toiling away with my flowers and I have my buttonhole flowers complete!

Three purple ones for the the groom's family.

And three ivory ones for the bride's (i.e my side) family.

One of the ivory one is for my maid of honour as has been attached to a hairclip for her to wear on the day.

Now I just need more fabric to make my bouquet which is on the way!

Today's kanzashi - Ivy Love

“I never thought I'd cry for the love of Ivy”

Green is not the most obvious kanzashi colour you would choose but green is actually a lovely colour. These tiny plum flowers are made from a dark green cotton fabric and have a short fall on each flower to give them the cute factor.

Ivy Love is a one of a kind pair of hairclips as I no longer have any more of this lovely fabric. Each hairclip measures 3 cm wide by 6 cm height by 1 cm depth and the clips are alligator style so will be 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.

Although I do not have the fabric anymore, I have many other fabrics available for you to choose from so if you found a kanzashi that you like but would like to customise it to your needs, taste or occasion then let me know. I am sure I will be able to create a kanzashi that will meet your expectation.