A New Handbag Project for a New Week

After making 13 blocks from the leftover scraps, I finally ran out of blue. I was happy to be able to clean off the ironing board so I could use it to iron a coat that's been waiting for over a week.

I can't stand not to have a project going, so as soon as the sewing room was reasonably cleaned up up, I brought out more fabric and started a new tote bag.

Remember I said I was going to try one in black and red? This skinny PP'ed block was the starting point.

As always I just start sewing and never planned anything out. I only knew I wanted the bag to be only two colors. I did not want a quilty country scrappy look. I wanted something a bit more chic.

For once I lucked out and had just enough of the striped red fabric to make a band at the bottom of the bag--I didn't have a half inch to spare.

I rummaged around the bins in my sewing room and was thrilled to find this black/white polka dot fabric.
I think the tiny bit of white in the dots complements the red/black nicely. This is where I stopped to begin dinner preparations. I am feeling pretty good about it. I need to make all of the same pieces for the back side and then I will decide what lining, handle, etc.

Here is my inspiration pattern:

As almost always happens, it does not look a thing like the inspiration, does it?