Sweater to Purse

My second autumn craft this year involved taking a sweater and turning it into a purse.  I've got several sweaters stashed away for repurposing, but you could always go to a thrift store and find some cheap ones too.  Of course I saw this project on Pinterest and I've been wanting to make one for a long time.  I basically used this tutorial, but I changed my dimensions a bit and used strapping for the handles.  I also added pockets to my lining for my iPad, cell phone, chapstick, etc.  I considered this a trial run because I have another sweater that I really want to make into a purse.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  You can see my one big mistake- part of my lining is showing the wrong side of the fabric.  Oh well- at least you can't see it from the outside.  This is why I do practice runs :)  Next time I'll make the purse a little bit bigger so my stuff isn't so crowded and make the lining a bit smaller so it isn't so baggy inside.  I did break 2 sewing machine needles on this project due to the thickness of the layers, so if you make this be prepared with extra needles!
I am linking this up to a Pinterest challenge on one of my favorite blogs: Young House Love.