My new purse

I'd been needing a new purse for a while and I finally got around to finishing it. I started it after New Years, but then got a terrible cold and after that had to plan Mom's Beatles Bash. So a few weeks ago, I finally got around to finishing this one. And now I've gotten around to taking the pics of it, so here it is.

I used the Blossom Bag pattern from Amy Butler. I found this pattern on Pinterest and saw that it was a free Amy Butler pattern and had to try it out. I took my JoAnn's giftcard (given to me by my brother for Christmas) to the store and got all of the supplies. (This means this bag was FREE for me!)

The pattern called for Peltex (Peltex 70). Now, I always use craft weight iron-on interfacing (Craft Fuse 808) for my bags, but I'd been wanting to try the Peltex for a while. Let me warn you, this stuff is thick! It's a little harder to work with, but gives the finished bag some real structure. And in the end, I think I may have become a Peltex convert.

The interior of the bag totally rivals the handbags you see in the stores. It has two comparments/dividers to really keep everything organized in your bag. I loved this design element, but it required some handstitching to tack them into place. I hate hand stitching. It was all the Peltex's fault, I just couldn't get all of those layers underneath the sewing machine foot.

I may make a few adjustments next time I make this pattern. (The instructions for adding the zipper to one compartment are just weird.) But I'm really, really in love with my new bag. And after using the purse for a while, the Peltex has softened up a little on the flap, but the bottom still has plenty of strength from it. And I did love the Amy Butler pattern. It feels just as fancy as the bags from the department stores, but has my spin on it with my cute fabrics. I may have to make myself the handbag style one next.

So what do you think? How do you like my new bag?