Market Tote Finished!

I have finally finished my Market Tote.  Thanks to the great tutorial by Holly at Bijou Lovely!

I struggled with it at first but in the end I'm happy with the outcome.  The colors look a little bit better together in person.  I learned a few things along the way.

• Don't listen to the lady at the fabric store!  It was my first time in the store alone and I was trying to find the interfacing, so i asked for help.  Even though I specifically told her it said light-weight interfacing, she said, oh, well if it's a tote bag you should use this heavier interfacing.  Needless to say my bag is a little bit stiffer than I anticipate!
• Measure! Measure!  I'm struggling with making measurements/cuts that are correct.  My panels were off by a 1/4" on the outside and so I had to cut down the inner panels to make it work a little bit better.
• Practice sewing straight lines!  I'm sure this will get easier with time.  It's all about keeping things lined up.  It's really not too bad, but there are a few spots that are noticeable.
• Think about the orientation of your pattern before you tell them how much fabric you need.  The stripes threw me off and had me cutting a second time.

So there you have it, my second sewing adventure!  Has anyone else tried this tutorial?  Stay tuned for more in the future!

P.S.  Keep your eyes peeled, I was selected in Sandy's Pay it Forward, so I'll be hosting my own when I get my item from her.