I’m joining in with Sarah’s Japanese Charm Swap because I am rather addicted to Japanese import fabrics of the kawaii variety…
Kawaii means means ‘cute’, and it’s a pretty huge concept in Japan (here’s a really interesting blog post about it) – including in Japanese crafting, which is so influential, of course.
It’s been brilliant to spend time looking around for a gorgeous piece of kitsch fabric to chop up into 5″ squares to share with my fellow swappers. If I had organised myself in time I might have bought from my one of my favourite overseas shops – Stefanie Style on Etsy.
I made this cute little pouch (last year – feels like about 5000 years ago!) with some gorgeous linen mix from Stefanie Style:
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But I have not been in the slightest bit organised (no surprise there…), so I’ve been looking round the best UK shops for Japanese imports. I was really tempted by this little number at Fabric Inspirations (you can find their Japanese cottons here and Japanese linens just here).
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The Eternal Maker should also be top of your list if you are in search of Japanese imports – just go to their Fabric by Manufacturer section and check out Kokka, Cosmo, Sevenberry, Lecien… I am most tempted by this colourful bit of fluff:
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Fancy Moon also have Japanese imports – their choices are often more kitsch than kawaii (nothing wrong with that, but not so good for this swap I think), but they do have this wonderful matryoshka cartoon strip fabric just now. But I can’t bring myself to get it because there’s no way I could cut it up!
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Finally to Celtic Fusion Fabrics… I have been dithering over getting this fab print from Kokka for ages. But it’s more retro than kawaii I think:
This one is just gorgeous and definitely fits the kawaii remit, but the print is a bit too spaced out to cut up for 5″ squares – some poor soul would end up with a green square!
So my favourite at the moment is this:
Utterly ridiculous, but I do love it. There’s rabbits! And ducks! Lollipops! The Eiffel Tower! Tutus! Chess pieces (where are they going with this??)! Teapots! Flowers! Chandeliers! Cats! Cakes!
So it’s barmy… shall I inflict it on my fellow swappers or is it a bit much??
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Guides to buying felt, linen, haberdashery, Liberty Lawn & organic/fair trade fabrics.
Yay! I purchased the postage fabric you featured from Eternal Maker (although not from EM even though they are my favorite). Reallly great post..so many gorgeous prints.
the fabrics are all completly mad- I am so looking forward to getting the charm swaps through the post as they all look so brillinat.
I just got a piece of that last one with the dolls on it from Celtic Fusions in a bundle. It’s really sweet. Elly
Brilliant! I should have a huge piece of it coming today… and new rotary cutter blades so that I can chop it all up!!
You should have written this post before I ordered my fabric. Oh I love all of them, but the girls are so gorgeous! Oder them!
Lovely post! I think you should inflict it on us… I also think that any swapee reading who hasnt shopped yet should pop over and get that retro appliances one… ooooh and that fabby pink stamps one you’ve found in Eternal Maker… lol
One of the things that appeals to me most about Japanese fabrics is they look like they’ve been designed by a 6 year old on a sugar rush!
hahaha! that is totally barmy! It’s fab! I think the bonkersness is my favourite thing about Japanese fabrics. I had some goats posting letters on fabric once. Well, why not?
Inflict away, its bonkers, but fun, isn’t that the point?? Angela
Please do nflict it on us. I will be expecting it now.
Well I wouldn’t mind a bit… especially if it has a rabbit on it
) It’s so cute!
what a great swap! do you think it would be a bit mad making a quilt out of all the fabrics!