As promised, I've assembled our first Furoshiki Handbag Kits and I'm pretty excited about them and our future ideas for them as well. First of all there's the concept that you can have a nifty and spacious carryall with a few folds, tucks, and knots of a piece of fabric - a different fabric every time the mood strikes you! Then there is the idea of having a versatile finished cloth to use for so many other things too: wrapping, spreading, covering. It's a nice thing to get into. That's where the furoshiki term comes in. Here's a wikipedia excerpt on furoshiki:
Furoshiki (風呂敷) are traditional Japanese wrapping cloths traditionally used to wrap and/or to transport goods. Unlike tenugui, greater consideration is placed on the aesthetics of furoshiki, which may feature hemmed edges, thicker and more expensive materials, and hand-painted designs. While they come in a variety of sizes, they are typically square. Traditional materials include silk or cotton, but modern furoshiki are available in synthetic materials like rayon, nylon, or polyester. [1]
In our Cool Stitches Furoshiki Handbag Kits, the Miyako leather bag handles are the centerpiece of your kit. These French-made leather accessories come in two styles - the Miyako and Kyoto. Each one is used to make Furoshiki-style handbags in a few seconds from your squares of fabric (furoshiki) you can finish with a hem, or leave unfinished if you choose.
Each Furoshiki Handbag Kit includes one Miyako or Kyoto handle and a generous 105cm / 42" of quality woven fabric for you to hem and then create your furoshiki handbag! Our email subscribers always receive discount codes. If you didn't get it, head over to Instagram and look in the hashtags where you'll find it! Be sure to like and comment so I know you found it.
Each kit includes the following:
- Miyako or Kyoto Leather Bag Handle
- 105cm/42" Woven Fabric Ready to Hem
- Instruction Booklet for Three Furoshiki Handbag Styles
- Schmetz Sewing Machine Needle
- Coordinating Gutermann Thread - 110yds Spool
We are already looking at our next fabric options and will build our inventory of great colors, prints, and pair them with the ideal Miyako handles. Do you have any ideas you'd like to see? Let me know! Stay tuned.
I've been assembling these bags and they're not too much to do once you get the hang of it. The first thing you may notice is the instructions are written with the Miyako handle featured. The Kyoto handle with the two rings on each end works the same way using the rings instead of the slits in the leather. It's very sharp looking and gives you the opportunity for bag accessories too.
We have more handles coming so you can swap those out too. Additionally, we are sourcing some very interesting bag accessories that will work with any of your bags but especially with your new Furoshiki style. All these will be announced in the newsletter emails so you get first pick at what we introduce!
Well, just a quick post to let you know these have launched. I'll follow up with more photos and some of the ideas we have moving forward. Be sure to send your photos to me when you've assembled your Furoshiki Handbag!
Thanks for visiting the blog today! Hope your day is a great one.