Loryn: I have a finished object! This is the first one from my Unfinished Projects post. Last week, it looked like this:

I sewed up the bottom of both the bag and the lining first:

Then I made the small pieces that attach the hardware to the body of the bag, and sewed them to the top of the bag:

The next step was to sew the lining in with the right sides together. I leave an opening in the bottom of the lining so I can turn the bag right side out. With a row of topstitching around the top, it was ready for handles.

The handles are doubled, so I ironed them into a bias tape shape, threaded them through the rings, and sewed the ends together. I then did the edgestiching. It was a little trickier, but it prevented two of my sewing pet peeves. One, I didn’t want a bulky spot from sewing two four-layer, edgestitched ends together. Two, I hate turning tubes. I have a nifty bodkin, and I’ve read scores of tips in Threads, but I still end up with frayed pieces of fabric and even more frayed nerves. So, I cheat, and just fold the edges in on one side. If you stitch carefully, no one will ever notice. Here is one of my cheater pieces:

And here are the finished handles:

I love my new bag! I’m making up a small wristlet to carry with it, and I’ll post that in a few days. One unfinished project finished!

—Loryn