Dressed-up Buttercup

My latest project is a Buttercup Bag from made by rae's free pattern. (how awesome of rae to provide such a great pattern??) I decided to dress-up the handbag by using a piece of dupioni silk I had on-hand. I initially bought the silk to make a clutch to carry to a wedding. (I didn't get around to making a clutch, and instead finished the edges of the piece with a narrow rolled-hem to make a scarf to cover my shoulders during the chilly outdoor wedding.) The lining is a mustard, gray and white paisley quilting cotton found at the local Hancock. I saw the fabric, loved it and bought 3 yards (at $1.99 per yard, why not?) not knowing what I would make with it. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well it coordinated with the gold silk. The silk made for nice sharp pleats and was not too difficult to work with, although it frays quickly.

The handbag was a gift for my mother-in-law who generally carries much larger bags. I hope that the small size and silk fabric will make it a nice option as a special occasion bag for a dinner or church outing. Since I wanted it to be almost clutch-like, I kept the handle very short, so it can be held daintily (not sure that's a word, but you get my vision, right?) during a night out!