Patchwork, Please! :: Piece-of-Cake Shopping Bag

I'm one of those people that, when walking into the grocery store for just a few items, doesn't take a cart or even one of those wobbly-handled baskets. I only need a handful of things, right? But invariably, by the time I get to the check-out counter, my arms are full, and I may even have dropped something along the way, just because I picked up stuff I'd remembered we needed or decided we couldn't live with out.

So when I heard comments of 'too big' regarding this week's Patchwork, Please shopping bag, I certainly hoped those claims were right. And yes, this bag IS big, but a perfect size for my kind of shopping.

That said, this was one of those "good news/bad news" projects. This was taken when things were still feeling quite under control . . .

Here's the good, bad, and the ugly:
Good: The fabric I used is lovely and I like it alot: Essex Linen in Flax with Lush Uptown by Erin Michael for the pocket, lining, and drawstring cover.
Bad: There's not much structure to the bag, so it is very floppy, especially unfilled. Filling it up helps!

Good: I tried a new product! Erin from Pellon had told me about their 100R Vinyl Fuse, and I was anxious to try it to make the interior of my bag water-resistant. I'll continue with the good news to say that it worked just as advertised and was a cinch to adhere.
Bad: I was so used to adhering iron-on products to the wrong side of fabrics that I instinctively did the same here! Which makes my bag overall water resistant, but not in the way I'd intended. Totally user-error!

Good: I followed Krista's advice about decreasing the height of the bag lining and that worked like a charm.
Bad: I think there's a typo on page 106, step 14 - I'm pretty sure at this step the rectangles mentioned should be right-side together.

Good: Surprisingly, even with my normal quilting needle, the webbing went on really easily and nicely.  (Hint: I did use a fabric glue-stick to 'place' the straps prior to sewing.) I stitched an 'X' where each strap met the bag exterior.
Bad: Unfortunately my thread matched too well and you can hardly see my extra detailing. Also, the top edge of the bag was super floppy once the bag was finished, so . . .
Good: I stitched another 'X' closer to the bag top for a stronger finish.
Bad: You can barely see that either. But it definitely improved the overall look, which was totally worth it.

Honestly, I'm anxious to put this bag to real-life use and see how it holds up. Even though it looks saggy and baggy when unfilled, it's sturdy and feels like it's going to work just fine for those spontaneous market visits. And yeah, it's kinda weird with its ill-placed vinyl, but I learned a lesson I won't soon forget. Let's go shopping!

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday.