I read the reviews of this bag template and decided to go ahead and purchase it because the pattern seemed easy. I just completed the project (will post some photos), and I have to say that this bag isn't quite for beginners. The instructions are VERY POORLY WRITTEN, and it took some work to get this bag done. There are also other detractors, which I will detail below.

The Good:
1. SIMPLE BAG. This is a simple bag with a rectangular shape. You can achieve some style effects using the sloped pockets. I did this, and I DO like the look of the bag.
2. DURABLE TEMPLATE. What I don't like about paper patterns is how fragile they are. They tear, they are hard to store, etc. I like the plastic templates here.

The Requirements:
1. EQUIPMENT: You need two essential items to successfully complete this project: A piping foot for your sewing machine and a free arm sewing machine. I had the piping foot but NOT the free arm. I think my project would have been 100% successful had I had the free arm system. I have a quilting machine, and it was HUGELY difficult to complete the bag top with it. It shows in the finished work as well.
2. NOTIONS: In order to have a sufficiently stiff bag that stands up, you need two items--fusible interfacing (I used Pellon Decor Bond) and some sort of stiffer stabilizer form inside (batting, sew-in or fusible stiff interfacing, etc.--I used Pellon Peltex). The instructions give a LIGHT mention of this but never explicitly tells you how to use these items in the bag. The instructions also use Nancy Zieman's Clover products, plus grosgrain ribbon for finishing. I used neither of these products. You can use the fusible interfacing instead of Nancy's expensive strap maker, you can buy inexpensive bag feet and magnetic clasps at a craft store, and you can buy the strap hardware (rings) at Lowe's for very cheap. At $5 per pair, Nancy's bag hardware rings are WAY too expensive. Also, Nancy's fusible piping is okay IF you want to use your own fabric to make piping.  However, commercial piping from the fabric store costs about $2 per package...much more economical than the Clover fusible.

TIPS
1. Cut out the outer fabric pieces and then fuse the interfacing (DecorBond) to the wrong side of each. It will make tracing and cutting the pattern easy.
2. I pinned all FOUR layers of fabric together and used a ruler and rotary cutter to cut out all four pieces of each pattern piece (or two pieces in the case of the pockets) at one time. I then went back and marked the pieces with specific items (placement items for clasps, handles, etc.). Make sure that when you do layer the fabrics, you do follow Nancy's instructions on how to layer the fabrics in cutting this way.
3. The bag only had pockets on one side. BOO!!! I made an extra center pocket for the back of the bag, and followed Nancy's instructions on her blog (nancyzieman dot com slash blog) to add a zipper to the bottom of the pocket. This way, you can convert that pocket to be a slip-over holder for a rolling suitcase when you're traveling. HOWEVER, I hate grosgrain ribbon. Instead of using the ribbon to secure the bottom of the zipper, i made a finished 1" tube of fabric and sewed it on to make the bottom of the pocket.
4. The bag did NOT have inside pockets. SO, after I got the panels made for the lining, I sewed simple pockets with leftover fabric onto the lining, making sure that I didn't set these pockets onto the bottom or sides of the bag.
5. Rings. Instead of buying the expensive rings from the craft store, I bought welded, nickel-plated rings from Lowe's (near the chains). They cost 78 cents each and look great.
5. I made a length of bias tape, again from excess fabric, to line the top of the bag instead of using grosgrain ribbon. If I had to do it over again, I would have interfaced that bias tape with the DecorBond.
6. For the strap holders and straps, I used a 4" wide piece of fabric, interfaced it with the DecorBond, then created a double-fold bias tape (iron in half, open it up, iron the sides so they meet in the middle, then fold in half and iron so you have a finished 1" piece of strapping, sew 1/4" seams on both sides to seal open side and provide a decorative finish). I also made the attachment straps 4" (folded in half to 2") to attach the rings to the bag instead of the prescribed 3". It gave a larger margin of error.
7. I also made a lanyard with a snap hook and sewed it into the side to have a key leash.
8. You do NOT need to use the clover bag bottom to stiffen the bottom. The stiff stabilizer is sufficient.
9. With the stiff stabilizer, the sewing of the top edge gets difficult (it's thick). Try easing the edges.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THE BAG
Fusible Interfacing (I used Pellon DecorBond), Sew-in (or fusible) stiff stabilizer (I used Pellon Peltex sew-in), 4x strap connecting hardware (I used 1" rings from Lowes), 2x magnet snap closures, 4x bag feet, piping (I used over 1 package), min. 1.25 yards fabric (outer), min. 1 yard fabric (lining), sewing machine with free arm, piping foot, zig-zag foot, coordinating thread, 1" bias tape maker (optional)

This was my first bag project. It turned out nicely, but it wasn't simple and it lacked features (pockets). I hope these tips help you make a more successful bag. There IS a video that Nancy recorded that goes through some of the steps. Do a search for "Nancy Zieman Sew a Tote in an Evening" and you'll find the video!