In like a lion

I love our house - it's part of a much larger mill owner's house which was added to over the years to create a marvellous Georgian / Victorian hodgepodge. Our bit is the oddest shaped (very tall and narrow) and quirky with a tower room which, the estate agent told us, was built so the owner could look across the village to the churchyard where his young wife was buried.  Nothing like a story of doomed romance to entrance a buyer. Rather more prosaically (and probably), it also has an excellent view of the entrance to the mill yard and any dilatory workers!

There is a price to pay for character though and the blocked up doorways and rickety floor boards all make for quite a draughty home.  Our living room door, in particular, would never stay shut so I had a play and now we have a furoshiki doorstop!

 
The wraps shown here are the basic furoshiki gift wrap - which has the advantage of creating a handle for when you want to move the doorstop - and a more dramatic looking wrap created by putting all the corners up above the centre, then knotting one around the others to hold them in place. The furoshiki themselves are about 1 metre square and made from remnants so tying them in different ways creates different patterns.

The inside is a calico bag with a velcro fastening which can be filled with sand or rice or beans or whatever you have to hand.

And there you have it - a quick, easy and flexible solution to doors with a mind of their own!  Available soon from the myfuroshiki folksy and etsy shops.

Ethical community

In essence selling online is easy; all you need is a computer and a camera and you're away.  But how best to reach the people who'd be mostly likely to appreciate your particular product? Setting aside the tricky subject of online marketing and social networking, one of the most important things it seems to me is to find an online market place which caters for like minded folk.  That is why I was so pleased to find Ethical Community, a site which combines interesting and wide ranging articles, interviews and news with a marketplace for eco products.  Perfect for myfuroshiki and we're even featured in a seller's interview! I can see this is somewhere I'll be spending a lot more time.

Ta da!

Time for a little bit of furoshiki-ing in a day packed full of sport (cricket, cross country - well done, Thomas! :) - and rugby to come).  Just thought I'd sneak in a couple of pictures of our new style wrapping instructions, which form a wrap in themselves.  Perhaps a little fancifully I was thinking of kimono belts - with the paper folded to show two different layers and everything held in place by a recycled offcut of fabric, left from when I hemmed the furoshiki.  Must dash to watch the rugby and wrap some more...

 

Pretty Party Bags

My social life has gone completely to pot, but Lily and George are the veritable party animals. George's 1st birthday party is coming up this month and I was wondering if there was a more eco friendly alternative to the conventional plastic party bags. Here are some of the furoshiki party wraps that I've been working on which are available on Etsy. Each has a pretty fabric tie attached, so you simply fill the centre of the wrap with goodies and then scoop them up inside and make a bow around the top to form cute little party treat bundles. Pretty, original and reusable!

Recycle, recycle

A special piece of recycling for today - a return visit to a previous post on how we recycle when making furoshiki and their accessories.

We try to recycle in various ways, using recycled fabric (such as ex-display curtains) for furoshiki bags and using fabric remnants for patchwork, ties and pom poms. My favourite though are Oli's card creations, made from left over fabric and old packaging. The cards are in themselves reusable - simply replace the paper insert - and come with their own message for the recipient:

"Please reuse me again & again. A gift for the planet, as well as a friend."

A selection of cards is available on Etsy - with free shipping!

See Jane go green

Very appropriately for Recycling Week, here's a blog I just came across which is well worth a read. Written by someone who describes herself as an 'average Jane', it covers a range of environmental issues and actions we can all take to go that little bit greener.

The author likes Kathy Reichs and furoshiki - and even mentions us - she should be good and she is!

Recycle week: 21 - 27 June

We try to recycle where we can and it's very easy to do with those items which crop up on a regular basis - paper, glass and tins in the recycling bin; vegetable stuff on the compost; plastic and card to the local recycling centre and, when it's available, fabric into furoshiki :)

Other things though tend to accumulate and so inspired by Recycle Week, I'm going to do what I've been meaning to do for ages (ever since the sun starting shining in on all those dark corners of clutter!) and start a big clear out! My son's outgrown bike is going to his cousin and I'm finally going to find out what best to do with various unused electrical goods. Unfortunately I'm not near a BHF Furniture & Electrical store but if you are (there are more than 90 across the UK), you can donate old electrical items in your home that are in good working order and help them raise money for their charity. To find your nearest BHF Furniture and Electrical store or for more information please visit www.bhf.org.uk/recycle

My flexible furoshiki summer grocery bag

And here are the links to the instructions for the other bags shown: two handled bag, loop handled bag, ring handled bag, summer purse and the drop bag, plus some ideas on different fabrics to use. Happy wrapping!

My flexible furoshiki loop handled bag

And here are the links to the instructions for the other bags shown: two handled bag, grocery bag, ring handled bag, summer purse and the drop bag, plus some ideas on different fabrics to use. Happy wrapping!

My flexible furoshiki ring handled bag

Made for smart sauntering!

And here are the links to the instructions for the other bags shown: two handled bag, grocery bag, loop handled bag, summer purse and the drop bag, plus some ideas on different fabrics to use. Happy wrapping!

My flexible furoshiki summer purse bag

And here are the links to the instructions for the other bags shown: two handled bag, grocery bag, loop handled bag, ring handled bag and the drop bag, plus some ideas on different fabrics to use. Happy wrapping!

Super cute kawaii

Super cute kawaii is the place to go for a daily dose of handmade cuteness and Japanese kawaii so I was really pleased to see that myfuroshiki been featured there.

Thank you, Claire & mar-c et merci Monsieur Le Bun!

Pretty Pocket Furoshiki

Today's creation just listed on Etsy:

This pretty pocket furoshiki is a gorgeous gift in itself, with three pockets to organise your bits and bobs - lingerie, scarves, haberdashery, napery, children's treasures........

Simply place your things in each of the three pockets, knot the tops, then turn the fourth lined pocket inside out, so that it forms an ingenious pouch with everything beautifully stored within.

*FREE SHIPPING*.

summer in a bag

Why carry lots of bags and rugs when a furoshiki will do? Just fold and knot the furoshiki to create the bag you need:

- A shoulder bag to carry your things to the beach - then undo the knots and you have beachmat
- Basket style for your picnic, and unwrap for a picnic cloth
- A variety of handbags to carry all those essentials whether you're out in the evening, or in the day
- or even for the slender, a sarong!


See them now in our Coriandr, Dawanda and Folksy shops.

Ilkley Arts Market

Another nice day at an Ilkley Arts Market, great company, beautiful crafts and lovely food.
Many thanks to Jo & Rifat from KAF for organising it and to all who came along!

Ilkley Arts Market

I'm having a great day pottering around getting ready for the KAF Ilkley Arts Market tomorrow. Here's one of the furoshiki and cards I've been making.


If you'd like to see more and plus a great selection of jewellery, ceramics, textiles, wood, photography and painting from other makers, come along between 10am and 4pm to Riddings Hall, Riddings Hall, Christchurch, The Grove, Ilkley. Hope to see you there!

First fair of the year; first fair in Leeds

Only a week to go to our first fair of the year and our first craft fair in Leeds. Organised by the lovely Kirsten and Deborah from Made-it, there'll be a great range of quality crafts, all handmade and perfect for gifts or to treat yourself.

Come along for some bright and colourful spring furoshiki and learn some novel, eco-friendly ways to wrap your Easter eggs.

Saturday, 27 March, 10:30-16:00

St Margaret's Church Hall

Church Road
HorsforthLeeds
West Yorkshire
LS18 5LQ

Hope to see you there!

Spring is sprung!

After almost 3 months of on and off snow, the snowdrops are out and the sun is shining. And, here to celebrate, are some fresh, bright furoshiki. All available on Folksy and Coriandr.

easy peasy lemon squeezy

Am off to a 1st birthday party with Lily & George, so thought I'd show the wrapped presents that we're taking along. A little something for birthday boy's older brother - a dinky toy car wrapped in a mini fish furoshiki, using a 1 knot basic wrap. For the main man's present - a book, a Thomas the Tank Engine toy & a card wrapped up in a medium lime crinkle furoshiki, using the 2 knot four leaf wrap. Total wrapping time about 2mins - no sticky tape, no tearing, no scissors, no waste. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!!

Looking forward to tea & cakes.

Olivia :)

New Year, new furoshiki

Having had a long and relaxing break, cocooned with family, we've got lots of ideas for new furoshiki. Here are a couple, both of which would be ideal for wrapping Valentine's presents.

I've been collecting pieces of silk and other luxurious fabrics and some beautiful trims to add to our "fabulous furoshiki" set. Here's a pink, cream, brown and gold silk furoshiki - simple but striking?


I've also raided my stash of fabrics to make this shabby chic gingham and floral hearts furoshiki and reusable felt gift tag. The hearts are made from Cath Kidston Rosali fabric which is just so pretty.

Both of these furoshiki are available in our Folksy and Coriandr shops.