Sewing in Fashion and Design: 5 fun sewing inspired ideas seen in Italy

It's time for a post with some fun stuff to show how much sewing is influencing fashion and design...

Have you seen these flip flops? Don't they remind you of a thread plait, like the ones you find in emergency sewing kits? I can assure you they are super comfortable and resistant. If they can stand how I use them, they can resist anyone!

Reef Mallory Scrunch Flip Flops (that's a mouth full... Not an affiliate link, by the way. None of the links in this post are affiliate links, just stuff I like!)

Second up: I have fallen in love with this fabric tape. The patchwork effect and the colours are perfect. It doesn't fray and looks so pretty when closing all those swap and bee envelopes you're posting off! Rayher Fabric Tape:

There are lots of tutorials for making your own fabric tape. The last one I found is by The Red Thread Blog:

I tried making some myself BEFORE thinking of looking for a tutorial! The good news is you can use any fabric you like (I used Carolyn Friedlander's Architextures), the bad news is that the fabric tape tends to fray. The threads sticking out can add an extra texture to the handmade fabric tape though, so who cares!

Is it just me or have you seen hexies cropping up everywhere? I even found one as a kitchen accessory:

I couldn't resist buying myself this hexie hot pad. It's made up of lots of tiny hexies, isn't that cool?! It cost less than 2 euro (about $2.5), is very flexy, resists heat (of course it does, it's a hot pad!) and is in one of my favourite colours, so how was I supposed to resist?

If you like reading about fun design ideas then check out this post and this one too on our blog, featuring: 

(photo from Il Centimetro)

(photo from Seletti)

Sewing in Fashion and Design: embroidery hoop clocks, zip bracelets, buttons and more

Some time ago I wrote a post about how everything "sewing" (and craft in general) was inspiring fashion and design. In Italy this trend seems to be growing and here are a few products that I thought you might be curious to see.

Starting from these fun embroidery hoop inspired clocks by MIHO Unexpected:

Happy Hour

Take Your Time

Tea at Five

Il Centimetro has developed their tape measure bracelet concept into other products: watches, keyrings, wallets and bags, all made in Italy:

Photos from Il Centimetro

Seletti has also come up with a clever product called Philo that is a coloured electric cable wound up on what looks like a thread reel:

 

Photo from Seletti

Photo from Seletti

There are also some super fun products for children that are very popular at the moment: Zip bracelets by Shokkybandz

Photo from Loook

and Sbottonati, a collection of 120 buttons you can sew or stick on to decorate (Preziosi Collection):

This is the only photo I managed to take before the buttons disappeared into Ella's school bag!

Sewing in Fashion and Design

I expect you have noticed that lately sewing (and craft in general) is inspiring Fashion and Design. Here are a few products that have caught my eye, I think they're great.

I'll start with an Italian product: Il Centimetro

A really fun bracelet that reminds you of... a tape measure of course. From the vintage yellow tape measure colour to all sorts of different colours, the leather is really thick. My Italian half has to say that Italians really know how to work leather! The quality is very high and the price is low! When are they going to make a ring?

Another Italian product I just read about in Molly Makes Issue n. 25 is this super modern version of the super old sewing box: Sewing the world by Seletti

I have always loved my Mum's wooden sewing box. I think it belonged to my Grandma Ella, I have to ask Mum. Nonna Clara had one too, who didn't have one then?! It has always fascinated me: how it all opens up and the treasures hidden inside. The funny thing is, I was admiring it last week then a few days later I saw this one Seletti is producing. It's a brilliant idea, the design is a little bit on the dark side, but why not? I really like Seletti products anyway, I have a weak spot for their design ideas.

My third favourite sewing inspired product is this: Disaster Designs' Needle and Thread Overnight bag

and this is the Needle & Thread purse

 Not bad at all... They have a lot more in the series but these are definitely my favourite two. So what do you think?


(photos one and two from producer's websites, Disaster Design photos from littlewhitegloves.com and thealternativestore.net)