Girls,
Now listen up. Don't be afraid of making purses. Just slow way down and take your time. Make sure you know what the instructions are saying before you do that step.
It is very much like learning anything else. It just takes a little time and thinking to make the purse you want. If you want something that will hold up to use, use a heavier fabric, or pre-quilt cotton for the outside fabric and then cut out the pieces.
Men's suiting makes great looking bags. Or how about boiled wool or some lovely old floral drapery fabric?
If you want a zipper where there is none shown, put one in. Then cut out the piece as a whole. Just make sure you position the zipper where it should be before cutting it out.
Make sure you use a heavier needle as there are many layers to go through. Also a nice heavy thread with slightly smaller stitches on the bottom edge to hold up to what we put into those purses.
Also, and I think this is my favorite part.... be creative. Use decorative handles and accents that make it one of a kind. There are antique buttons, tassels, appliques, even old jewlery that looks great on bags. How about some heavy chain for the handles from the hardware store? Or some other thing that isn't made for a purse, but would work great to get the job done. Take an old purse apart. There are construction details inside that make a purse better. And often you can re-use the parts. (feet, magnetic clasp, handles, ect.)
See what I mean? Have fun with it! It takes time to make a great bag. Mine take two or three days sometimes. Oh I know, but how long are you going to use it? Just hink ahead a little and have what you need on hand before you start.