I {heart} Buttercup Bags

So last week I came across this FREE Buttercup Bag sewing pattern at Made By Rae. And I fell in love with it immediately! So, I realize that this pattern was posted over a year & a half ago, but somehow (gotta love blog hopping) I just came across it! I have a ton of this fabric left over from when my cousin Leslie made my diaper bag last month so I thought this would be the perfect project to use some of it up. What is great about this pattern is that Rae made it with only a fat quarter of fabric for the outer plus a little less of another fabric for the lining. I still consider myself to be a beginning sewer & this was so easy to make! You can download the instructions & the pattern (for FREE) on Rae's blog which I think is just so very generous of her! It's hard to see the cute pleats on my bag because of the dark fabric, so you should definitely go check out the photos on Rae's blog-super cute!

I also decided not to add the button flap onto the front but to make a yo-yo flower instead. I have been wanting to make some yo-yo flowers for a while & found this easy tutorial at Studio Calico to walk me through it. Honestly, these are so easy to make too!

So I had my hubby take a picture of me holding the bag so you can see the size of it. Gosh, I guess I could have put some makeup on or smiled or something for ya! But anyway, at least you can see the size. It is a pretty small bag-the perfect size for a date night or running to the store where all you need is your wallet, cell phone, lipstick & keys!

And I'm embarrassed to show you this, but here's the inside of the bag. If I haven't told you before, I am a lazy crafter. If there is any way to cut corners & make my projects faster & easier, I will! Sometimes, however, I really kick myself later thinking that I should have taken the extra few minutes to make it "right." In this case, it was not wanting to change out the bobbin on my sewing machine. Hence the lovely black thread where I attached my interfacing for the snap. Oh and I had to sew it on because I didn't have any fusible interfacing left! Well, now I'm just rambling! So here's the inside & it even has a cute little pocket too:

Well, I had so much fun making this bag yesterday that I made another one today! Yes, it really is that easy! Rae has instructions on her blog for making the pattern larger for a bigger Buttercup Bag so I made that one today during the baby's nap time. I have to say that I love the bigger bag even more! I'll have to take some pics of that one tomorrow & post the details for you too. I have a feeling I'm soon going to have a different Buttercup Bag for every outfit!

And I am learning so much through my adventures in sewing! By making this bag I learned how to attach a metal snap, how to make a strap, how to make pleats, how to make a pocket & how much pinning & ironing really affect the quality of your project.

Thanks Rae!