My New Clutch

In May, Kevin and I attended Robert Burns Night at his Masonic Lodge. This is a rather fancy affair, with the men sporting tuxedos, smoking cigars and drinking Scotch.

Fancy but also fun, as you can see.

As someone who spent 5 years as an at-home mom, swiftly followed by a return to college, where coming to class in pajamas and flip flops is the norm*, my wardrobe wasn't really going to work for this affair.

*Note: I do not wear pajamas or flip flops to class, but considering the number of people who do, I sometimes feel overdressed in jeans.

As you can see, I was able to come up with a suitable dress, but I knew that my mini-messenger purse was not going to work. So I made this:

It's Amy Butler's Stash and Dash Bag pattern. I made the large size, and, as noted in the pattern, it makes a great clutch.

It is just big enough to fit my wallet, some lipstick and my little Canon PowerShot.

I think this would also be great for someone who usually travels with a diaper bag. I often wished I had a small purse that held the essentials that I could throw in the diaper bag when traveling with my sidekicks, or grab out of the diaper bag when venturing off on my own. It's such a pain to carry a purse and a diaper bag.

This was a really easy pattern and a quick sew. It took me a couple of hours, but I am a little crazy about pressing and the girls were keeping me company while I sewed. Amy Butler is such a genius!