Silk Handbag Complete - First Finish of the Year

I had never made a handbag before, so I'm really pleased with how the Silk Adaptations "Character" bag turned out, even though it's quite a bit smaller than I thought it would be. In the interests of "Finished is better than perfect" I decided to purchase the handles locally instead of sending off for them.

At first I simply sewed the tabs to the purse, but whenever the handles flopped down, the tab seams were exposed. I didn't like, that so I went to The Artful Bead and found these cool square beads.
They only had six beads left and I bought them all, four for the handles and two for the zipper tabs. They were a major pain to sew on, especially below the handles. I had to scotch tape them in place, then sew through the tape - it took me the whole Cowboys game for 4 beads!

They were worth the trouble though, because now when the handles flop over, the seams are completely hidden. 8-) I'm less certain about the zipper tabs. They are pretty enough, but they seem to give the overall bag a less sophisticated look. I'm planning to give the bag as a gift to my Mom. Being a redhead, she wears LOTS of autumn colors, and her favorite winter coat matches the orange in the purse. Her tastes are very sophisticated, so I'm not sure about the zipper tabs. (It might not be an issue for long anyway. The tabs are really more decorative than ruggedly functional, one harsh yank and we won't have anything to worry about anymore. lol)

Anyone in our home would see that this lining matches the silk pillows in the den. 8-) It's a nice sturdy woven silk (that didn't want to ease nicely AT ALL into the corners like a more slippery fabric) but should be much more durable. I also used leftover silk from the front of the pillows because it coordinated so well, and added more neutrality to the vibrant mix of orange and purples. The purse is sitting on what's left of that silk. I love being able to use fabric that I've squirreled away for YEARS on totally new projects. 8-)

Here is the side view.

And here is the bottom. Yes there really are patches EVERYWHERE. lol It feels good to have it done!