Ruffled Crossbody Tote - with recessed zipper, zipper pocket & slip pockets

I finally got the guts up to sew my own purse. I've been craving a Ruffled Bag with a nice long cross body strap for forever, but have been too scared I'd botch it up (having never sewn a purse before).

As luck would have it, (& lots of helpful tutorials) I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out!

Goodbye to the grody green purse I've been toting around for 12 months too long. My older sister has a particular distaste for it and tells me what it looks like. I'll give you a hint. It starts with a b and rhymes with scarf. I know. I never said it would be pretty. 

Anywho, back to my new ruffled bag... 

I hate purses that fall off my shoulders, so I made this bag with 1 wide/tapered strap that fits comfortably on my shoulder and across my body. I used a heavier weight natural cotton material and did not use interfacing because I like the slouchier look.

I created the ruffles by hand, much like I do with my shabby ruffled pillow cases, and secured the raw edges with fray check. The edge of the ruffles will still fray a bit, but I like the shabby look it creates.

I created square corners b/c I like the look and it gives it a tad more room.

If I was doing this purse making thing at all, I was doing it right. So even though I feared the inside zipper pocket, I put one in. And thanks to some fantastic tutorials, it was so much easier than I thought it would be! (see end of post for links). I also added some slip pockets for my phone, pens, etc. Love them.

Since I'm a bit fanatical about keeping my contents secure, I couldn't go with an open bag or magnetic snap. Although I dreaded it, I put in a zipper enclosure. It was a little tricky, but again, with the help of some tutorials I got it put in.

I just kept the back simple.

Now that I know I can sew my own purse, I'm craving making a few more! Like this cute Reversible Shoulder Bag from Lula Louise or maybe a lined zipper pouch like this from Skip to my Lou... We'll see.

Last step? Filling it with all my crap necessities. Now it looks more like my purse. hahaha

It takes a village to raise a child to help Shannon sew a purse! 
So as promised, here are some great resources I used to help me along the way.

*Putting in an inner zipper pocket and slip pockets 

Tutorial ~ Zippered and Slip Pocket Tutorial from Sew, Mama, Sew!

Sewing Zippers in Bags Tutorial 1. (aka Zippered inner bag pocket) from U-handbag

*Adding a recessed zipper to an existing purse or tote

Adding a recessed zipper closure to an existing purse or tote from Nancy Zieman

Adding recessed top zipper to purse/bag -Tutorial from Arm Candy for You

*Adding strap/sewing a tote bag together. *This also shows how to square your corners.
How to make a simple (reversible) tote bag: from Skip to my Lou

Other helpful tutorials:

If you have a tote but need to add a zipper to it:
How to add a zipper to an existing tote or bag: from Maiden Jane

If you're making a bag with a recessed zipper and straps on either side, this is a great tutorial:
Recessed Zipper How-to: from My Spare Time

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http://www.iheartnaptime.net, http://www.flamingotoes.com/, http://sewchatty.blogspot.com, http://cherishedtreasures-terry.blogspot.com, http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com, http://sewcando.blogspot.com, http://creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com,  http://makingtheworldcuter.com/2012/07/making-the-world-cuter/ , http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com, http://www.skiptomylou.org, http://youaretalkingtoomuch.blogspot.com, http://todayscreativeblog.net/, http://www.craftyconfessions.com/, http://www.notjustahousewife.net/, http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com/, http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/ , http://carolynshomework.blogspot.com/, http://offthegridat-30.blogspot.ca/2012/07/frugal-i-did-it-tuesday-2.html , http://www.sew-much-ado.com/, http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/, http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/, http://www.creationsbykara.com/, http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/, http://www.rolleduppretty.com/, http://raegunwear.blogspot.com/, http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/ http://www.diybydesign.blogspot.com/  http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com  http://www.somewhatsimple.com/  http://www.aglimpseinsideblog.com/ http://www.houseofhepworths.com/ http://www.the36thavenue.com/ http://www.504main.com http://shabbynest.blogspot.com http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/  http://tatertotsandjello.com/   http://www.delicateconstruction.com/ http://www.mineforthemaking.com/