Wednesday, December 12, 2012

A trip to Nippori!

So, why Lino hasn't been around in the past two weeks? She just got a two weeks "holiday" to the land of the rising sun. And even though her task was to be a "tour guide" for her lovely aunt and her friends, she still got a chance to visit the Nippori textile town.

So what's Nippori textile town? It's actually an area in Tokyo that sells textile/fabrics/craft equipment. I am sure there are heaps of blogs and websites that gave details about Nippori such as this, this, this, and this (basically, just google it). I won't go through details on how to reach the area. Just ride a JR Yamanote sen to Nippori, then you'll easily found the map and the direction to the textile area.

Now, I decided to visit ALL fabric stores along the road. I planned to went through all the stores on the right side of the road until the end of the road, then went back to the direction to the station and visit all the stores on the opposite direction of the stores that I visited before. I didn't really pay attention to stores that sell knit fabric only, since I don't wear knits (I live in a tropical country, remember?).

There are soo many stores selling knit fabrics at the moment, probably because it's winter? I visited a store called Pakira Knit. There are soo many people flocked that knit store. It seems Pakira Knit had a bargain. I'm not really sure how much since I never bought knit fabrics before.



The next store that really caught my attention is Yamayo, simply because of the rolls of cotton - linen blend fabrics that lined in front of the store.

 

In this store, I bought two half metre bundles of cotton-linen blend fabric, which cost me 700 yen (350 yen each, for 110x50cm fabric cut).


Yamayo also sold various plain cotton fabric and Japanese traditional print fabrics inside. However, the stuff that really attracted me was painted wood button, the small one is 40 yen each, while the big circle one is 100 yen each (don't mind the cat and the lamb, I bough that at Tomato Notion).



Then I found the first Tomato. Lots of people recommended Tomato, which is highly understandable. Tomato has four different stores. The first Tomato is Tomato Selection. I'm not really sure but I found some Lecien, Japanese designer fabrics (it was very pricey), some knits and rayons/light weight fabrics. I think Tomato Selection is for special selection and mid-upper price range fabrics, even though they also have some bargains.

Then after I went out Tomato Selection, I saw something interesting across the road. I crossed the road and found the shop of my dream, called Mihama. It was on the left side of the road, just before Tomato Notion. This store is the best one. It has a very wide selection of Echino and Japanese traditional print fabrics with a very great price! However, they already precut all their fabrics in 50cm, 1m, 2 m, and sometimes fat quarter cut. They already fold the fabrics and put it inside a clear plastic bag. I spent around 1 hour to choose which fabrics that I would love to buy. I decided to bought these fabrics:

Traditional Japanese fabrics. The middle one is 2 metre cotton fabric that's superbly beautiful. Can be used as Yukata or kimono. Price per meter? Only 440 yen aka 6 AUD!




Cotton - linen blend. How do I know it's cotton - linen blend? The words, of course. Linen's kanji is 麻 (asa), while cotton's kanji is 綿 (men) or the katakana コットン (kotton). The matryoshka is actually a cotton canvas fabric.




Going to Japan will not be completed without buying Kokka fabrics. I bought some Echino fabrics because, it's Echino, a very famous line worldwide. I would love to buy more (since it cost me 24AUD per metre in Australia), but what can I say, I'm broke already!


I finally decided to buy this print cotton fabric. I can't help it, the pattern is just too cute ><


So yeah, Mihama rob my wallet like crazy. But wait, I haven't been to Tomato! The next store that I visited was Tomato Notion. Here you can find lots of buttons/ribbons/laces/zippers, basically all those non-fabric things. My eyes was stuck to this rainbow coloured dot zipper. I fell in love at the first sight!


Next to Tomato Notion is Tomato Arch that sold fabrics like towel, denim, suede, etc. I didn't pay too much attention for that store. Next, the legendary five storey Tomato! It was packed like hell. I just found out that they had a week of sale at NIppori. No wonder I got 10% discount at Mihama too. Unfortunately for me, the only one who can get the discount is the one who got the Tomato card, which I don't have. 

Tomato's first floor was packed with 150yens fabrics, cotton print, linen, cotton-linen blend, and Japanese prints. I forgot what was on the second and third floors, probably silk/rayons/denims? But the fourth and the fifth, that's the best part of the store. Fourth was packed with cotton linen blends and cotton prints, while you can find US cotton/fat quarter, patchwork stuffs, some buttons, laminated fabrics and other cottons on fifth floor. I found the prices on Tomato is higher than other stores that I visited. For example, the wood button that I bought for 100 yen in Yamayo cost me 120 yen in Tomato. The Echino fabrics also higher in Tomato than in Mihama.

These are what I got from Tomato.

First floor:



And this is what I got from the fourth floor. I fell in love at the first sight when I look at this fabric: a train pattern cotton fabric!!! I LOVE trains, and this is superbly cute <3


After I realised that I only had 5000 yen left on my wallet (that I had to keep for my survival until the next day), I knew it's time for me to stop my spending. I went out Tomato and cross the road again to the right part of the road. I visited the store across Tomato Interior, if I'm not mistaken, Tsukiyasu. They offer a fat quarter and fat eighth, something that rarely offered by other stores in Nippori. I bought fat quarters there. The shop lady was very nice <3


After that, I visited an old and recycle Kimono shop on the corner of the road (I didn't remember the name of the store, probably Yamasei Shoten?), visited some leather stores (I was fascinated with the animal shaped leather ornaments), then visited the rest of the store on the road. I visited a small shop that sold US fat quarter, but it was very pricey, the same price with fabric stores in Australia. So the point is, nothing really caught my attention, probably because I already spent a lot before. However, the rest of the store also sold similar fabrics with stores that I visited before, so no wonder I didn't have enough interest.

The day was completed with a bowl of Tendon at Tenya, near Nippori station. It cost me 500 yen, yet it was very good and fulfilling.

So, I think that's my short review for my trip in Nippori. To sum up, Nippori is a heaven on earth for me, but not for my wallet. I definitely would love to come back there and hunt more fabrics. But before that, I have to make Fili&Lino a success before I am able to visit Japan again.

Much love!

Fili&Lino


Thursday, December 6, 2012

Custom order : Purple Stripes Bag

This is the purple version of the stripes tote bag :)
our customer want a set of tote bag and a purse



 
More tight kanzashi petals to prevent shape changes




That's it, see you later :)

Fili&Lino

Monday, December 3, 2012

Custom order: Recycled Jeans Bag

Hello everyone :D

I received a custom order to recycle my friend's old jeans. She had the jeans since her primary school era.


She wanted to keep the details on the knee for the bag.
Detail on the knee
 And this is the result!



I kept the detail for the flap.


That's it for today :D


See you later,

Fili&Lino

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

(Updated) Wanshan Ronpin Doll

Hello, Fili here :)


Let's greet this little guy, his name is Maruyama Ryuhei, one of the member of Kanjani8, my favorite group :)
He's in his Wanshan Ronpin costume, one of his solo song. I  was inspired to make this doll when I had lots of scrap jersey fabrics. I really like the costume and after a while, I finally had a chance to make it!



Firstly, I made a sketch of his costume. I simplified some parts of the costume because of the materials limitation and my limited skill that can't reach some of the details. I started this project about two months ago. It took quite a long time because I couldn't get all the parts and materials in the same time. Not to mention I had other projects while completing this.

Unfortunately there is some problems occurred: his left leg joint is perforated. I misplaced the leg, it sewn it higher than where it should be, so it had a small hole when I turn it outside.



(Ps: Sorry for the crappy images, my pocket camera can't handle close up shoot very well)

I didn't remake the body part because every time I redo something, there's always a change in it, even though I use the same pattern! Fortunately, after almost two months, the hole is not getting bigger, it stays like that.

Details:

'Maru' Kanji in his back




Without his cap
I really enjoy my time making this doll. His unique costume is really worth to try :)

UPDATED :

His measures:
length (w/o his cap) = 20"
width (body w/o hands) = 6"
hand lenght = 6"

aaand he have a healthy leg now! no more holes in it :D
I get a suggestion to fix it with hidden stitch from Maye, after I try it turns out too tight because the stuff recessive, I must take out some of the stuff. While doing that the idea to sew it come, honestly my hidden stitch skill is still poor, the stitch was exposed and not so neat. His height reduced about 2 cm after that




For Maye, thank you so much you really give me a courage ;)


Cheers,

Fili&Lino

Friday, November 23, 2012

Custom Order : Book Cover

Hello everyone, we are back with a collaboration project :D

We received an order to make a book cover this time. The fabric is a combination between a very soft burlap and cotton.

Front

Our customers designed it by themselves for their birthday friend, cute isn't it? :)  It's always a pleasure  to receive a custom order, especially when the customer designed it by themselves. We became a team and discussed the project together to get the best result.

Back



We hope the birthday friend will love it :)


See you next time,

Fili&Lino

Monday, November 12, 2012

Recycled: Father old vest

Hello it's Fili again :)


I posted this on my private journal but since it was friends-locked, I'll post it again here. I recycled my father old vest into a teddy bear one year ago. I was a *little* bad girl at that time: I didn't ask his permission, so when I started cut the vest, my father saw. He was sighing so deeply, he said "I had a lot of memories in it". After this incident, I got a lesson to not cut someone's clothes before asking their permission.

I love the colours and the stripe pattern. Since the vest was no longer worn by us *it was inherited from my father to his son and daughter, including me*, so I decided to make a teddy bear from it. It wasn't very neat. It was one of my earliest teddy bear that I made it's not that I'm already good at it now but at least it's neater now than before   ^^;





Sorry there was no picture of the vest. I rarely took any picture of the process at that time. Because the vest is not really big so I added other fabric to complete the parts. I think I choose the wrong colour because it's not really matched with the vest.


Jointed hands and legs.


For the final touch, I added a ribbon to the bear.

That's it :)v

Fili&Lino

Giveaway Competition Part 2: The Winners

Finally we got the result!

We got one name using http://andrew.hedges.name/experiments/random/  from total 33 entries :)

and the winner is...

*drumroll*

Sally Salsabila aka @sally_salsabila

Congrats for Sally who win a set of a yellow stripe bag, purse and mobile phone case :D

And the winner for the special prize, for promoted us in wittiest, funniest, coolest promotional ad words/tag lines is...

*drumroll*

Almaida Rangkuti aka @almaidaaa

Congrats for Alma who win a mini plaid teddy bear :D

Congratulations for the winners *throws confetti* :D
and don't forget to contact us for the most convenient ways to collect your prizes.

Thank you so much for all friends who participated in this competition and help us promote Fili&Lino :)

See you next time :D

Lots of love,

Fili&Lino


Saturday, November 10, 2012

Custom Order : Miss Rabbit Plushie

Hello, it's Fili here!

About a week ago I received a custom order from my friend. She ordered a rabbit plushie for her friend's birthday :)

She is in love with flowery fabric that I used for the recycled jeans bag. She requested to add the fabric for this plushie.

Close up! Cheese :Dv



The tail.


I already sent Miss rabbit this morning. I hope the birthday friend will love it. Please love and take care of her :')

See you later :)

Fili&Lino