Reversible Handbag Tutorial--Keeper or Tweaker?

So, I've had some recent bad luck with some of the DIY projects I've pinned.  Either the instructions weren't clear enough, steps were missing, or my end result just did not turn out like it was supposed to.  As I'm sure many of you have had the same experiences, I thought I would let you know which works and which doesn't, and how to fix some of them so they DO turn out in the end. After all, no one wants to invest time and money into a creation that will be a flop.  So here's my first frustration and the tweaks you need to make sure yours don't turn out like mine--my first attempt, at least!  Here is my final product (cute, huh?):

My church group is doing a project for the parents in the cancer ward at Primary Children's Hospital.  I volunteered to do four bags.  The ladies in charge picked the cutest fabric!  Each baggie of fabric came with a printed copy of the tutorial from Chocolate on My Cranium, that you can find here. 

Since I was doing four bags, I decided to do them assembly-line-style where I did each step on each set of bag parts.  That went well until I got to the pocket part (see step #4).  I found the picture hard to see that she left a small opening at the bottom of the piece for turning the fabric inside out.  Yes, she does say to in her instructions, but I missed that detail first time through.  Lesson: read the instructions carefully so you don't have to unpick!

Second, and this is that part that needs tweaking on her tutorial IMO, she tells you to put the pocket at the top edge of the lining fabric.  Well, to be more clear, it should read:

Pin pocket to lining fabric centering it 1 1/2 inches from top edge OF THE 12 INCH SIDE. Make sure to pin it to the right side of the fabric! (picture #5)

Yes, I pinned and sewed all four of mine to the top of the long edge.  Grrrrrrr!!!  How I HATE unpicking!

And the final tweak has nothing to do with her tutorial, but the fact that I got this as a kit already cut.  Make sure your pieces are squared!  If not, you'll end up with puckers (little bunches and folds in the seam line) all around the opening of the bag.  You can't tell from this picture, but you can up close and that bugs me since I'm giving them away as a gift.

Overall, this is a great tutorial!  Once I got over the tweaker sections, this bag came together very easily.  Very do-able in about 2 hrs start-to-finish.  Happy Sewing!