The fabric I used for the outside of the bag is all Cotton and Steel and I have loved the fabric that I used for the center for a long time but didn't have anything to use it in. JanieH what do you mean "your curious about the handles" seriously that I thought was one of the hardest parts of making the bag. You use cording then wrap it with Soft and Stable (not the product I used) then put it into the tube of fabric you already sewed, putting it in the tube was no easy task for me anyway. The fabric on them is also the Cotton and Steel.