My father commissioned me to make a handbag for his wife, Jeananne. I had a lovely piece of maroon cork I wanted to use as accent on the bag, so I based the other fabric choices on this one. While visiting Michelle in California, we took a day trip to Berkely so I could stop in at Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics, where I found a beautiful Japanese floral cotton lightweight canvas and coordinating butterscotch canvas for the main body. It all went so well together, and reminds me of the Hokie colors, which is a plus as Jeananne is a big Hokie basketball supporter.

This is the second time I’ve made this pattern. The prototype is the bag I carry the most often myself. I think the size is perfect and the pockets are useful. I modified it slightly for Jeananne so the zipper pocket is on the outside back of the bag instead of inside on the lining. I think it will be more user-friendly.