Sewing - large bag from outdoor fabric, button closure and a cool way to shorten the handle

I worked on this fun bag this week.  It is outdoor fabric that would be used for covering cushions on patio chairs, etc.  The colours were really cool and one of the girls found these fun buttons that coordinated very nicely.  It was a smaller piece so I made the best use of it.  I cut two widths of the piece to make the handle and made the bag from what was left.  It is about 18" wide, 6" deep and 15" tall.  This durable fabric would be perfect to use for a trip to the beach or for taking the kids to the play ground.  It is very spacious and the fabric will hold up to wear and tear.  It will need hand washing because the buttons are made of wood.

I added a cool feature - a length of black twill tape which I stitched to the side of the handle which can be used to shortened the length of the handle.  I tied it in a bow and it looks cool that way.  To shorten the handle you undo the tie make several folds in the handle and wrap the two ends around a couple of times pulling them tight and retying.  It works really well.  A good feature for such a long handle.  

The inside seams are finished making a really neat inside.  It is nice to have a bag with a light inside when you go looking for "stuff".  I only realized just now that it would have been even better if I had used white thread on those seams!!  Next time!!!   Therese