Sewing - a fun bag using a substrate fabric covered with strips in a quilt as go manner

I created a new bag for my donation to Morning Star - an organization that supports women.  They are always looking for bags!!  I started with a rectangle of the inside fabric (16" x 32") of heavier weight cotton and simply stitched strips of coordinating poly fabrics to the surface.  These were scraps that I had set aside to sew together into a long strip when I went to the Quilting Retreat earlier this year.  It was a project that I did not get to but was stilled stored in a ziplock bag in my Project box. 

  I just sewed strips 16" long and added them to this substrate in a quilt as you sew manner until it was completed covered.  I stitched the two side seams and pressed them open.  I stitched triangles 1.5" deep and 3" wide" on the two bottom corners to create a boxed bottom.  I pressed the triangles up the side and then cut a strip to cover them (17" or so x 2" wide) and pressed both sides in.  I sewed theses strips over the seams and the triangles - one on each side - to nicely finish off the inside.  I cut and sewed two strips together to make handles (24" or so) and then used another piece to finish off the top of my bag.  Lastly, I stitched the two handles to each side of my bag about 5" apart and double stitched them with X to reinforce them.  A totally fun project!!  Therese