Mommy's new Grace Smart Handbag

I know it's hard to see in black on black, but here is my Mommy's new bag that I just started and completed earlier this afternoon. I recently found a pattern for a purse called the Grace Smart handbag designed by Georgia at www.thesmarthandbag.com. I loved the concept. I had a bag that allowed you to change the cover like this maybe 10 years ago called the Susan Briganti Push Up bag. I had a size A, my mom a B, and my sis a C. I had two covers for it but sometime last year I sold it and the covers. They stopped making them and they were rather on the expensive side so I couldn't afford as many cover choices as I would have liked anyway. Also, way back, maybe when I was 10 yrs. old after they were cool I inherited a Bermuda bag with wooden handles and 2 button on covers from my sister but I don't remember what happened to it. It's long gone.
Basically this bag unlike the two mentioned above is a stand alone handbag. It's features are a zipper closure lining and organizer pockets inside. Like the others you can change the exterior easily. The neat thing about this one to me is that I can MAKE different covers to match the mood, occasion, outfit, etc. The pattern can be sewn as written or revised for your own needs. I for example changed the handles that the original pattern called for and made a singel strap from the same fabric as the bag because that's what I knew my mommy wanted. I also used a firm fuseable interfacing product like peltex, vs. the fleece and interfacing the pattern called for. I wanted the bag to stand on it's own easily like most ready made bags.
Anyway this is the basic bag, but if you scroll down through my next few posts you can see that I made a few covers for it. The pictures with the covers show more detail since they are not black on black. I want to embroider a cover but haven't gotten that far yet. I believe I also want to quilt a cover. But for now I have made 2 covers from interesting fabrics vs. embelishing them. My mommy like me isn't a terribly fussy lady so I don't think she will be really interested in super elaborate covers.
I will be making one for myself soon for my new handbag. I like the pattern, it was very easy for me to figure out after reading through it and looking through a few photos of completed bags online at various sources. There are quite a few steps to complete it but from the other handbag patterns that I've purchased and made it the past I think that just contributes to this being a well made handbag.
There were two times, both on the first cover's construction and both where I didn't read the instructions exactly as written where I had to redo a step or two, but both times it was easily correctable. The size is very nice too. I'm glad I didn't get the bigger bag pattern, Eliza Jane, that is offered. It would have been too big for my needs! I may however take the idea and make a tote bag. Stay tuned to find out!