Shades of Purple

Here are a few shades of purple from our garden. There's so much going on out there at the moment with buds swelling and flowers springing open...this is such a wonderful and hopeful time of the year. I caught a few of these beauties with the camera today and thought I'd share them with you!

Now we just have to wait for the lilacs, which are about 2-3 weeks away!
They are my all-time FAVORITE purple blooms!!

I've actually been in a kind of purple mood myself the past little while. Not much quilting or sewing happening, but I have put my knitting needles to work! Here is a little top knitted in the Onion Super Merino yarn. It's knit in size 6 months to one year, but the pattern goes all the way up to 6 years. It still needs blocking, but I think it turned out ok. I haven't knit a pattern that required so much concentration in some time, so I found it quite a challenge! But then again, it's always good to give yourself a few challenges, right?!

Hope you've all had a great weekend!
Cheers! Mary Ann

Dear Jane Bag in Bright Batiks!

Happy Sunday, everyone! Hope you've had a chance to do something special today!
I worked on a project which May Britt on Abyquilt inspired me to! I saw a picture on her blog of a bag made from Jane Stickle blocks and immediately thought of my box of lonely Swap Blocks! A few years back, I participated in an online exchange of Bright Batiks on Black blocks done in Jane Stickle's lovely style! I had always wondered how I would incorporate these little lovelies into a project! When I saw the pictures May Britt had taken at their annual quilt show in Norway, I knew what the future held in store for these joyful blocks! Now, my friends won't ever lose me amongst the maze of quilters at a show, with a colourful bag like this!!!

I machine-pieced the blocks together and machine-quilted them afterwards.
It was a change from just using a needle and thread like I usually do!

Here, I'm using a neat little attachment on my Pfaff.
It's a "Stitch In The Ditch" foot which makes this task very easy!
Anyways, I really love gadgets...in fact, I just very well may be the "Queen of Gadgets"....!!!!!

And here is the back-side of my bag! I used all but one of my
Bright Batik Blocks... I think I just might see a pin-cushion in the works here!

Thanks for sharing your pictures, May Britt!
As usual, you're a wealth of inspiration!
Now, I have my new bag ready for our Dear Jane get-together tomorrow evening!
Cheers!
Mary Ann