A New Purse for me - and an announcement

I can't remember the last time I actually sewed something new for myself - I kept looking at those purse handles and this black linen with polka dots I saw at work - they were both on sale this past weekend, so, well, you know...















I have made many purses and totes in the past, so I chose not to use a pattern. Everything has worked out so far, except when it came to inserting a zipper on top, and figuring out how to put the lining in - so a little trial and error never hurts, right? I inserted a pocket on the outside, and made gussets on the bottom. Since the linen was not very stable, I used fusible fleece on the wrong side to give the purse some body to it - very happy with it so far...

















Here's a closeup to the lining with 2 pockets: I thought about adding more pockets and maybe a secret compartment, but whenever I done that, I never use all of them, and I can't find anything. I guess I'm just a "dig through the purse" gal...















Embellishment, you say? These are white ceramic beads that I've painted with Sharpie markers - tba (to be attached)

Making this purse was a side step from my current creative endeavor:
I am excited to announce that I am writing an article for Cloth Paper Scissors®
I'm making small sampler pieces with a cool technique that I have been working on this past year, and these will be sent in to the magazine along with the article. I'll keep you posted!