I can't believe it has taken me this long to make a Swoon Pattern. I've admired her bags for so long now, but always seem to end up with another pattern I just had to make. As soon as I saw this fabric I wanted to make an Ethel Tote bag with it. I felt the fabric and the pattern were both a bit retro, and I love how it turned out. This is going to be a fun bag for spring.
No bag is complete without a little bling. This lovely tag is from Emmaline Bags, add on a few coordinating beads and you're ready to go.
I made a few changes to this pattern, I added a flap on the top to keep all my stuff from spilling out. I decided to leave the front pocket full size, so left off the center seam, and added a magnetic snap. I did however add the seam to the inside slip pocket. I also added a zipper pocket as well. I like to have a safe spot for a few items. I also used the pocket to turn my bag, it was my first time using this technique, and I loved it. It was a bit tricky working it through, but so nice to not have to finish off the lining.
To save some money I went ahead and used some shelf liner from the dollar store.
I got a roll of some nice sturdy vinyl.
It was very easy to cut, and I applied it with a glue stick. I used it as a I would sew-in foam.
I used a quick press from the right side of the fabric and it all held in place beautifully. 
It worked really well, gives the bag enough structure and stability.
It did make the seams a big thick. This wasn't too much of a problem until it came to top stitching. Next time I would trim back at least half of it inside of the seam allowance, and just leave a few pieces here and there to catch to make sure it stays in place. I would eliminate the foam from the seams where it overlaps other seams or where the straps were placed. Hopefully it holds up well, I'll let you know if I have any issues with it. But I can't beat that price, sorry flex foam!
