I promise it's not an insult...

Remember this bag?

Although I love the way the fabrics bounce off of each other in this, and the little wavy bits at the top, it's a little too large to use as an every-day bag (unless you like to carry a huge bag).  The day I bought this fabric I had bought  some other coordinating prints, and I've been trying to find the time to put them to good use.  As one of the prints (a perfect match!) was only available as fat quarters I had to be a little bit mindful as to how I was going to use them. My primary concern was having enough for decent straps.  So last week this is what I came up with:

I call this one "The Shorty," but I swear I don't mean it as an insult....

It doesn't look much different until you place them side by side:

It's 2.5 inches shorter in each direction.

There are a few things I like much better about this smaller version.  First? The pockets.  Four outside pockets are entirely too many for me.  I'd constantly be digging around for my phone, my keys, whatever, especially since these are fairly deep.  The others are much more accessible.  Next? The wavy top.  I couldn't just hack a few inches off the sides as the proportions would have been off, so I had to figure out how to tighten up that curve a bit.  It wasn't too difficult, and I like the wavier look that it has.  Otherwise, it's pretty much the same:

Slip and a zip in a roomy interior...

 Delightful set-in zipper...

 Protective purse feet and a rigid bottom.

 My favorite--hardware close-ups.

 A certain someone who wanted to be my assistant...

 ...while he was waiting for my mom to come home from work (check out how he goes from straight to curly like nobody's business).

One thing I wasn't too fond of was having to sew two strips together to make a strap that was long enough.  That seam across the middle didn't irk me as far as visual appeal, but moreso because it added a weak spot to something that should be strong.  I sewed straight across on each side of the seam to add a bit of a buffer zone and hopefully keep some of the stress off of the seam.  Otherwise, I absolutely adore this bag.  I have a feeling a co-worker of mine might want to buy it, so I won't get too attached. 

Up next?  I'm hoping to have this bag put together soon.  I'm eager to make it but haven't been able to get the leather handles so I am going to improvise with some handles I've had for a bit in my stash.  We'll see how that goes...