Spring arrived early in California this year. We had summer-like temperatures starting in February. After four years of a severe drought, we finally got some rain–not enough to solve our water problems, but more than we did in any of the previous four winters. The combination of warm weather and plentiful water did magic. My neighborhood suddenly transformed–from a depressing sprawl of brown gardens and dying trees it swiftly burst into colorful life. Lawns that looked dead for months suddenly resumed their original green. Plants that hardly dared bloom in previous years are now covered in red, yellow, pink, white or purple blossoms.
Here are some of the flowers that currently bloom in my garden:
I find this gush of life contagious. I’ve been taking long walks in my neighborhood amidst the plentiful blooms, finding inspiration close to home. All those colors probed me to choose bright, fresh colors for my upcoming spring bag collection. Instead of the usually dark, in-between colors I am often drawn to, I decided to go for bright pinks, magentas, purples and greens–the colors of spring.
These are some of my spring fabrics, in the colors of an awakening world:
I chose these fabrics a few weeks ago, but only this week finally found time to actually cut them:
I first cut these:
And, finally, I cut the rest. Here they are sprouting like a garden on my living-room floor:
