Boho bag tutorial .. my first bag

I have been looking a bags on Pinterest for forever, well today I decided to have a go at making one.

I looked at all the different ones on my "things to make board" and decided on the Boho bag. I had a fat quarter with butterflies on it, not quite enough to make the bag so had a rummage in my bag of old clothes. I had an old Oasis zebra print wrap dress and a pair of black linen trousers. The dress had a small stain on it, so couldn't be sold and the trousers had faded slightly, but both were ideal for using for my first bag project.

I couldn't find a PDF pattern for the bag, lots of links promised them but on clicking I couldn't find them. I found one site All About You ,which had a diagram I was able to follow and make my own pattern. Below is my tutorial for how I made my bag.

I cut out my pattern using A4 paper and washi tape

1.  Cut your pattern out, i used plain paper but you could use newspaper or old wallpaper.
2. 1 cm seam allowances are included in the dimensions, I think the straps could be slightly longer but that's just my preference. 
3. As I wanted to use my fat quarter for part of the bag, I cut this out first. I had to piece it on the handle, you cant see it on the finished article. I also had enough fabric left to add a pocket (you can always leave this out).
4. If using one fabric for your outside and one for your lining use the pattern and cut two on the fold for each. Cut one base in each fabric too.
5. Now all you need to do is stitch it together.
6. It will make for a neat finish if you iron your seams open after every section is completed.
7. Stitch in this order. Side seams, then top curved edges.
8. Turn right sides out and press, I then top stitched along the curved edge.
9. Tack or pin along the bottom edge and also pin or tack the two base pieces together. If I make this again I would overlock or zigzag around the base to make it neat before stitching it to the rest of the bag.
10. Sew the base in so seam allowance is on the inside.
11. And voila your bag is complete, all that is left to do is tie the straps.

My finished bag

My old trousers and dress transformed

Well what do you think? Do you agree these type of bags are better with slightly longer straps?
Just in case you can't see the measurements from the photo, they are:
73 cm long on fold;25 cm side edges; 20 cm bottom; base 35 cm x 10 cm