I love Angela, too. Although I have to admit, I am always ready for her to accidentally knock over that wine glass of hers, lol! It's the mother in me- like when the glass is too close to the edge of the table, you know?
Love your tote. You did an excellent job. I'm sewing some denim like your braid. Can you tell us the finished size of the bag, height and width, and how long your handles are?