Heading into (we hope) our hottest holiday month, the time is right for totally tropical prints. Most of the year you might think twice about popping out with an air of Hawaiian style, but when the sun shines, bright colour and pattern just feels right.

Free Spirit designer Alfred Shaheen’s Hawaiian prints are perfect for summer’s tropical trend. Try these retro Hawaiian style prints for clothing or accessories and you have the tropical and the retro trends tied up in one.

Tropical prints look great sewn into cute and simple gathered skirts for a 50s look, as tiny hotpants for the brave, or make them into bright and beautiful fabric bags. They’re perfect for kids too, make Hawaiian surf shirts for the little dudes in your life – nothing looks cuter, we guarantee!

We've picked out a selection of sewing projects which would look great accessorising you or your home - all of which would be perfect with a touch of tropical fabric. See our related links on the right.