Sewing Project - Shopping Bag - Sage and Tangerine

I am finally getting to projects which have been sitting for a couple of years.  With the flood and the move I have had no time to sew. My past self had assembled all the supplies, the main fabric, the lining fabric, the accents so moving forward went pretty well. 

The tangerine floral is microfiber fabric and well as the sage lining.  I paired it with this dark green cotton polyester fabric for the accent.

I cut the fabric for the outside and lining the same size.  Once the each was sewn, I zigzagged the raw edges on both pieces even though the bag will be fully lined because the fabric was raveling quite a bit.  I assembled the bag itself by putting the outside inside the lining right sides together and sewing around leaving a gap to turn it right side out. I then turn it out and ironed it really well. I top stitched the top edge to close the gap that I had left earlier.

Now, how will I decorate this bag as it was just an envelope at this stage. I had dark green fabric which was one of the colors was in the main fabric.  I wanted to add a band at the top to help give the bag a bit of structure as microfiber fabric is quite soft. I cut a strip of green 3.5 inches wide and longer than the measurement of the bag all the way around. I wanted it to overlap on the front. I ironed a half inch seam allowance on each edge and then top stitched down along the top edge leaving about 1/4 inch of the floral fabric showing. I decided to just over lap the band and put a button in the square I created with the decorative stitching.

I made the straps very long about 42 inches long.  Again, I ironed them in half the ironed each raw edge to the middle. I then used my curvy decorative stitch down the middle and a straight seam on the open edge. When I placed the straps on I saw a space for a outside pocket.  

I cut a piece of dark green fabric 7.5 inches wide and 6 inches tall. I added a strip of the floral fabric vertically just off the center line to tie the pocket to the bag in design. I then hemmed the top edge. I then sewed the bottom edge of the pocket to the front of the bag where it will fall between the straps. I ironed the pocket right side out towards the top of the bag.

I then pin the straps over the right and left sides of the pocket so that when I top stitched the strap the pocket would be captured as well. This took a lot of detailed measuring and pinning.  Once I had it the way I wanted and sewed the front strap down.  Then, I had to duplicate the measurements on the back piece and top stitched that one down.

I hand sewed the tangerine button in the space I had made for it on the top band.