Mama's got a brand new bag ;P

OK, so it's a little cliche. But I couldn't help myself! This is the Amy Butler Uptown Bag, part of the Madison Bags collection. I'll do a pattern review, for anyone thinking about trying it.

(Click on the picture for a larger view)
By the way, I got the fabric and pattern from Sylvia's Quilt Depot in Wasilla (across from WalMart)

First of all, I love that it takes so little fabric. 1/2 yd for the outside, 1/2 yard for the lining. And there is virtually none left over, so no waste.

The instructions are clear and concise, and written using layman's terms whenever possible. No big glossary of sewing terms to learn.

I would have liked a pocket on the inside (and being as impatient as I am, rather than modify it and put one in, I just hurried up and finished it.)

I'm not crazy about the Velcro closure, so next time I'll replace it with a magnetic clasp.

Love, love, love the shape of the bag, but it is a little tricky to sew the lining to the outside. Take your time and be as precise with the corners as you can.

It took me about 1.5 hrs to complete, including cutting everything out.

As far as the road test: I love it! Love the shape, it sits upright on its own, and it's easy to find what I need. The only drawback is it isn't quite deep enough to hold my datebook.

I ended up making a zippered wristlet to hold all my "necesseties" (tutorial here). The striped fabric is a rem I picked up at JoAnns that worked perfectly with the floral.