Reverse Your Purse

I mentioned in a previous post that I am not a purse wearer. I don't like having my hands tied up and, frankly, I'm always just a little nervous that I'll get up and leave my purse sitting in a restaurant/taxi/shop/etc. But a couple of days ago I stumbled across a tutorial for an easy bias tape bag at my new favorite craft/sewing site, Prudent Baby. It looked simple enough, and I'm always looking to expand my skills - I've never done pleating before and I really suck at bias tape- so I thought I'd give it a whirl.
I made the pattern (our printer isn't working so I had to do some improvising) and cut out the material the night before, and yesterday while the big kids were at school and Johan was taking his morning nap, I threw the above bag together. It took me just about 2 hours to complete and that's including the time it took me to make my own bias tape (I didn't have any to match the materials). It's reversible and I love how the two sides go together in a Japanese-y way. And the best part - the red side is plain old cotton for every day use but, although you can't tell from the photo, the white side has a silky texture and a fancy look so if you're planning on hitting the town after work you can reverse your purse and be ready for a night out!
In fact, I loved the purse so much that I had to try it again. So after I put Johan down for his afternoon nap I picked out a couple more fabrics that I love and got to work. This time, though, I shrunk the pattern down a bit and as it turns out, I happened to have some bias tape that matched perfectly and I had exactly the right amount with just 2cm to spare. (I can't tell you how much I love it when that happens!) I finished the second bag in just about 1.5 hours (or 1.5 episodes of my current favorite drama which, being the multitasker I am, I have to watch as I sew). Now I'm so obsessed with these little purses that I'm thinking I'll have to change my ways and become a handbag gal!