I am happy to say that one of my newest designs was inspired by the flowers in my garden.



I would like to introduce you to the "Cottage Garden Handbag".  This bag is designed with spring colors and is inspired by the columbines, clematis and poppies in my yard.  It was a challenge to make the flowers look as realistic as possible, and have the purse be functional as well.  I used Manos del Uruguay yarn for the body of the bag.  This yarn comes in a beautiful teal, violet and yellow colorway, and was the perfect compliment to the colors I chose for the flowers.  When I first saw the Manos yarn in this colorway, it made me think of a Monet painting! 

The colors of the early spring blooms are fleeting.  I wanted to capture their color and fragile beauty.  When I look at this bag, it makes me feel like I am right in my garden.

I have always admired the lovely gardens in the United Kingdom.  There are charming pictures of little English cottages in the country, each with it's quaint garden, overflowing with beautiful flowers.  Every window has a flower box, every walkway is lined with blooms in these cottages.  I have tried to emulate this kind of ambiance in my own gardens and in my art.

The pattern for the Cottage Garden Handbag is in the newest issue of CROCHET! magazine, coming out in June.

In the photograph in the magazine, it isn't easy to see the loops at the top of the bag where the handles are attached.  I want to provide a close up so you can see exactly how they are joined.