A book from my favorite fabric shop in Kamakura

One of my favorite fabric shops is SWANY, in Kamakura, a little far from Tokyo.
They have beautiful fabrics and in their shop, they put many samples made with their fabrics.
We can get one pattern per purchases of 1000 yen (Approx. 10 dollars).
Their patterns are always beautiful and very useful.
Here you can find the patterns they have in their shop.
Swany patterns

Yesterday, when I was walking with my boyfriend, I found their first bag sewing book and I cannot help without buying it.

This is the book!

When I came back home, I began to make this bag with a little arranged pattern.

Their way to make bags is very simple and easy to make.

I want to make these also.



They also have kits for all the bags in the book. (But a little expensive...)


Their fabrics are not so cheap, so I like to shop in a floor full of their outlet fabrics (* v *).

I wanted to show you my favorite shop. Thank you!

How to make a pen case

Today I write my way to make a zipper pen case. It is what I wrote previous post, but this is without sarubobo.


You need,
the outer fabric, the inner fabric and the zipper(of 20 cm).

The pattern is like the picture.

Put 7 mm allowance for the upper side(to attach the zipper), and 5 mm for the others.(The pattern doesn't include the allowances).

At first, cut the fabrics as the pattern, 2 pieces for the outside and 2 pieces for the inside.


If you want to decorate the outside fabrics, do it now or after you put the zipper.
I put a piece of tape on the front.



Then sew the zipper. Put the inner fabric, the zipper and the outer fabric in piles, like the picture below (the right side inside).



Take care of the zipper, in this case, put the right side upper.
Put some pins and sew 7 mm inside from the edge.


The picture shows after I sewed it.

Then put the fabrics for the other side and sew as the same way.
After you sew it, it comes like the picture below.



Then open the zipper(it's important!) and turn the fabric like this picture, put the right side inside.

Sew leaving the space to turn it out on the bottom of the inner fabrics.

When you sew it, take care to fold the allowance of the zipper to the outside fabric(to the right side in the picture). It's to put the zipper in good way.

Then open the allowance like the picture for the good looking.


Make the gusset. Take the corner of the outside and the inside like the picture making triangle.


Pile them and put the pin 2 cm from the corner and sew there.

Do the same on the other side and cut the corner leaving 5 mm allowance.


Then turn it out from the space and close the space.


You did it!
I put a sarubobo as a charm (* v *).


I think this is an easy way to make a zipper pouch.
Please try it and if you find some difficulties, please write me!
maimairuru (at) gmail (dot) com

See you !

Sarubobo pen case and card holder

I made new versions of Sarubobo, on pouches.


The one is the pen case.
I attached a sarubobo on the edge.
I made the sarubobo with the same fabric as the inside.



Now I'm working on writing the how to make this pen case.
Please wait for a while.


The second one is the card holder.
It closes with a sarubobo. I put snap on the hand.

For the outside fabric, I used Japanese printed cotton which my mother gave me.
I like this flower print one very much.




Thank you very much for seeing them.
Umm, can I find more variations???

Sarubobo variation 3 !!!!!

I make sarubobo only these days!
Today I made more three patterns. All of them came up in my head while I was sleeping last night.
The first one is with bananas.

But the bananas don't look like bananas... I couldn't make a good pattern.


And the second one is a family. I wanted to stack them.

Father, mother and a baby.


I like this gingham check fabrics very much. It costs only 6-7 dollars per meter but really good fabric.

Cute hips!

The last one is a pouch.

I wanted to put a sarubobo on the code.

The bag is reversible, because I used my favorite fabric for the inside.


I hope you enjoy these three sarubobo like previous post.

Thank you!

Sarubobo variation 2!!!!!

Still going my sarubobo days.

From yesterday, I made more two sarubobo items.


The first one is a treasure box. Six sarubobo are saving it and I put batting, so it's very safe place to put your treasures.


Today, I got a package from my mother. She put some beautiful fabrics.

So I made these sarubobo.

They are playing at a tug of war.
When I made up these sarubobo, I asked my boyfriend, "What do you want them to play?". His answer is this.


It's fun to make lots of them! From yesterday, I made 13 sarubobo!!!!

Sarubobo variation

I made some styles of Sarubobo these days.

The first ones are hanging dolls.
I made nine sarubobo, and put them on the rope.

They are detachable from the rope.

They are in different poses.

I sewed their hands to catch the rope. Some of them catch the rope with their legs.


The other ones are with flowers.
I thought they wanted to have a flower in their hands.

The flowers are also detachable.


I like this flower, because I made it with the fabric from Ravenhill.
I love this flower print.

I think if I can give you some ideas.
Thank you for reading!