deema, first of all, I love your bag, and I love your choice of fabric. I have a pattern that looks a lot like your bag, and I am wondering if yours is the same one. Mine is an Amy Butler pattern called the "Frenchy Bag", and I really like it, but I found the top band around the top was a little hard to sew in. The problem could have been the particular fabric I was working with, but I am wondering if you found it difficult to get that top band to fit right on your bag.