Large simple tote-- no beading

I know I should take pictures in good natural light in the daytime, but, I just could not help myself. It feels good to finish something, document and reflect on it.

Tote--is that what you call this? It is a larger beach-sized bag that i decided to make as an attempt at simplicity. I also have not made something this big yet. I used some fabrics from the old vintage lot i got in New Hampshire as well as a new chunk of fabric that the same woman (Her name is Catherine by the way) sent me in the mail instead of getting rid of the rest. It was full of new colorful surprises.

The draped fabric that wraps around the bag is a fabric I love and have used on a lot of my projects. The background upholstery fabric is of that new lot--and is reversible! I made the inside of the bag one set of colors and the outside another. Technically it could be reversed. There is a brown velvety pocket on the inside (that could be the outside) that could fit things like a wallet, cellphone, or a good river stone. The front is intended to be the side that is fully draped, but the backside of the bag could also be a 'front' with it's half-half velvety earth tones.

I finally sewed cloth straps/handles! I guess they're more like handles here, it can be held out away from the body, or on the shoulder under the arm. I don't know why I had been reluctant to make them before. One of my coworkers suggested I fold a long rectangular piece of fabric in half and sew it down one side, take a hook and push it through the newly formed channel and hook the edge at the other end. Then, pull the fabric in itself. I didn't have too much of a problem doing this, but I had to improvise on the hook by locating some contraption around the house that did the job.

I forfeited beading on this bag to keep it simple and affordable if i ever decide to sell it. At least, SO far I've resisted the temptation to put beaded rivers all over it.