Lined Bag With Handle and Matching Zipper Coin Purse

I got this mushroom fabric a while back and finally decided to make a bag and coin purse out of it!
Both the bag and zipper purse are lined and have pockets in them.

I wouldn't consider myself an 'expert' seamstress, more beginner/intermediate so if you know the basics of sewing and have a sewing machine (well it would be easier to have a sewing machine), you can make this too!!

The final BAG is approximately 13x9 inches with the pocket being about 5.5x5 inches

The final COIN PURSE is approximately 6.5x4.5 inches with the pocket being about 3.5x2 inches

EDIT: The above final measurements are with a 5/8th inch seam allowance
Note:  For those of you who don't sew regularly, I'd recommend back-stitching wherever you are ending a line of sewing.  This will strengthen the hold.
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For the BAG you will need:

4 pieces of fabric that are 15x10 inches (2 lining, 2 outer)
2 pieces of fabric that are 7x6.5 inches for the pocket (1 lining, 1 outer)
matching thread
sewing machine (for ease)
iron/ironing board
cord or something for the purse handle

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For the COIN PURSE you will need:

4 pieces of fabric that are 7x5 inches (2 lining, 2 outer)
2 pieces of fabric that are about 4.5x3 inches for the pocket (1 lining, 1 outer)
a lightweight 5 inch zipper (or a longer one that can be trimmed)
matching thread
sewing machine (for ease)
iron/ironing board

Step 1: Bag With the Handle-cloth and POCKET

Cut out the lining and the outer cloth for the bag (15x10 inches). The lining I used is red, with mushroom coth on the outside. Set this aside.

For the Pocket:

1. Cut out the pocket from the cloth and lining, making both pieces 7x6.5 inches (1 from the lining, 1 from the outside cloth).  I've found that it is sometimes easier to cut both the lining and outer cloth at the same time (pic 2)
2. With right sides together, sew all the way around the edge of the pocket, leaving about 1-1.5 inches open so you can flip it right side out afterwards.  Trim off excess cloth (pic 3, 4)
3. Turn the pocket right side out through the little open hole, do this slowly so you don't rip a stitch.  Now you have a lined pocket for your purse!  Press the pocket to make it easier to handle and then slip stitch or whip stitch the open area (pic 5). 
4. Now to put the pocket onto the lining! Center the pocket on the right side of one piece of the lining (mine had about 2.5-3 inches on the bottom/top, with 4.5 inches on each side).  Sew along all sides except the top (pics 6, 7)
5. You now have a pocket for your bag!!

Step 2: Body of the Bag--Lining

Alright! Now to put the lining together for the bag!

1. With right sides of the lining facing each other, pin the edges of the lining together (pic 1).  This means the pocket is on the inside as well.
2. Sew along all edges of the lining (left, right, and bottom) and leave the top open (pic 2) BUT if you are using cord as your handle, stop sewing about an inch down from the top on each of the sides.  This area will make it easier to add in the handle, later.

Leave the lining with the right sides facing each other and set it aside

Step 3: The Outside of the Bag

Follow the same steps that were used to make the lining:

With right sides of the fabric facing each other, pin the edges of the lining together and sew along all edges of the fabric (left, right, and bottom) and leave the top open (pic 1) BUT, again, if you are using cord (or pretty much any other fabric) as your handle, stop sewing about an inch down from the top on each of the sides.  This area will make it easier to add in the handle, later.\

Turn this fabric right side out.

Step 4: ...Combine Lining and Outside

Okay! This part gets kinda interesting...

To connect the lining to the outside fabric:
1.  Take the outside fabric (mushrooms) and slide it into the lining (which is still wrong-side out).  It will now have the right side of the lining touching the right side of the outer fabric (pic 1). Its like the lining is a 'glove' for the outside fabric.
2.  Make sure to push the edges of the outer fabric up against the edges of the lining, getting them as close to each other as possible. This is what'll look like, about (pic 2)
3.  Trim off the excess fabric from the lining, to reduce the bulk (pic 3).
4. Take one side of the lining and the corresponding outside fabric and sew them together, making sure to not catch the other side of the bag (pic 4).  Leave about 1 inch on each end of the top to accommodate the handle and to flip it right side out (pic 5).
5.  Now the lining and outside have been connected along the whole top of the purse (pic 6)

Step 5: Handle Time!

So now that the lining and outside are connected, flip it right side (mushroom) out through that 1 inch hole we left, put the lining to the inside of the purse and use your hand to push the lining against the bottom and sides of the mushroom cloth.  Press.

To add the handle:

1. On the left side of the purse, put one end of the cord between the two sides of the purse.  I chose to hand stitch it first, to give it a better hold.  I just went back and forth over and over again, and up and down the cord until I thought it would hold pretty well ( after I thought I was 'done' hand-sewing it, I gave it a little tug to see if it was sturdy)  (pic 1,2)
2.  I would recommend going THROUGH the cord and around it (pic 3)
3.  This is what the outside looked like (pic 4)
4. After I did that on both ends of the handle, I top stitched (using the sewing machine) down the side of the purse (pic 5)
5. ...And also ran a top stitch along the top, bottom and other side of the cord to add some more strength to its hold (pic 6).  I have a SUPER old sewing machine (like my great-great aunts) so it doesn't handle anything really thick, so this was time consuming.  Hopefully you have a better, faster, stronger machine!!
6. I top-stitched across the top of the bag as well, to close up any place that was left open, either from the handle openings, or the inch left open to flip it right side out.

YAY! The bag is done!  Press it again. If you want to make a matching zip up coin purse, keep on reading!

Step 6: Matching Coin Purse

Alright, time for the matching coin purse!

For the zip-up coin purse:

1.  Measure 4 pieces of fabric that are 7x5 inches (2 lining, 2 outer).  Pictures 1 and 2


I used red fabric for my lining here as well.

Step 7: Pocket for the Purse

For the coin purse, I wanted to add a little pocket to hold some bills or credit cards etc.

To make the pocket:

1.  I took some excess fabric from both the lining and the mushrooms and put a regular sized card (usually 3.2.5 inches) onto them (my Zia Card!).  I trimmed around this, leaving about .5 an inch around each side, give or take a bit.  I cut out both the lining and the outside at the same time (pic 1)
2.  To make the pocket, use the same method as the bag pocket...With right sides together, sew along all edges of the pocket, leaving an opening (about 1 inch) to flip it right side out.  Trim off the excess fabric if need be and press (pic 2)
3.  Get one side of the lining and place the pocket around the middle on the right side of the lining.  I put mine more towards the bottom so it wouldn't be too close to the zipper at the final bag. I sewed very close to the edge, attaching it to the piece of lining and catching the opening that was used to flip it right side out! Two birds with one stone (pic 3)!  Make sure to leave the top open! ( pic 4)

Step 8: Attaching Zipper to Side 1

We'll start by attaching the zipper to one side of the purse:

1.  With the outer fabric facing up and the zipper facing down, line up the edge of the zipper with the top edge of the fabric.  Pin the edge of the zipper to the top edge (longest side) of the outer fabric (pic 1).  I can't change the position of my needle, but if you can, position it as far left (and closest to the zipper teeth) as you can, but don't touch the zipper teeth.  Sew along the edge of the teeth (pic 2).
2.  To attach the lining, place it face down, on top of where you just sewed the seam of the outer fabric.  line up the top of the lining with the edge of the zipper.  The zipper will be face down still, and between the lining and the outer fabric, with right sides facing each other (pic 3)
3.  Pin the lining to the zipper and sew along the edge of the zipper again trying to get at close the the zipper teeth as well (pic4).  Even though you can't see the zipper, you can feel it against the presser foot (pic 5).

Step 9: Other Side of Purse

To do the other side of the purse, just follow the same directions as the first side:

1.  With the right side of the outer fabric facing up and the zipper facing down, line up the edge of the zipper with the top edge of the fabric.  Pin the edge of the zipper to the top edge (longest side) of the outer fabric (pic 1, 2).  I can't change the position of my needle, but if you can, position it as far left (and closest to the zipper teeth) as you can, but don't touch the zipper teeth.  Sew along the edge of the teeth.
2.  To attach the lining, place it face down, on top of where you just sewed the seam of the outer fabric.  line up the top of the lining with the edge of the zipper.  The zipper will be face down still, and between the lining and the outer fabric, with right sides facing each other
3.  Pin the lining to the zipper and sew along the edge of the zipper again trying to get at close the the zipper teeth as well.  Even though you can't see the zipper, you can feel it against the presser foot.

After you've done this, the right sides of the lining should face each other when you fold each side of the purse together.

Step 10: Almost Done!

Flip the sides of the purse so that the right sides of the mushroom (outer) fabric are together on one side and the right sides of the lining are facing each other on the opposite side (pic 1). We'll tackle the liner first:

1.  Pin each side and the bottom of the liner together and sew along each of these sides.  When you do this, try to catch the ends of the zipper (pic 1)
2.  After doing this, trim off the excess ends of the zipper (aka anything that hasn't been caught in the outer or liner fabric and isn't part of the actual zipper) (pic 2)
3.  Trim off the excess fabric around the edges of the lining (pic 3)

Now for the Outside:

1.  Open up the zipper completely.
2.  Pin the 3 sides of the mushroom fabric that aren't touching the zipper, leaving an opening at the bottom that is about 1 inch wide (pic 4). This will be used to flip the coin purse right side out.
3.  Sew all these edges, with that opening left (pic 5)

Step 11: Finish It!

Almost done!!

1.  Flip the purse right side out through the hole we left in the bottom.  Use your hand to push the edges of the lining against the edge of the outside fabric.  Press.
2.  So we don't have to slip stitch this hole, and in order to add some strength to the bottom, top stitch along the bottom of the coin purse.  I tried to stitch as close as possible to the bottom (pic 1).  Mine isn't a straight line because a helpful cat decided to help!  You can press it once again, if you so desire.

You are done! Now you have a bag and a snazzy zipper coin purse to go with it! Great success.