How to marry a millionaire

Shopping at Goodwill a few months ago I came across this hideous purse. It caught my eye from about 15 feet away and with purses half off that day, I had to buy it. It's an old movie poster from "How To Marry A Millionaire" (1953) starring Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall and William Powell. 

I used a razor blade and carefully removed the entire front piece from the purse itself. It's a very durable vinyl with the smallest seam allowance allowed so that I could repurpose it. I decided to make a small pouch, wristlet style purse, but with a thumb/finger tab instead of a wrist strap. 

I used scrap zipper from a previous project for the tab. When a zipper is too long and I have to cut off 5" or so I always save that piece, you never know what you can reuse!

The interior is a floral cotton from a skirt my sister bought me in Japan. It was the cutest little high-waisted mini skirt, but since Japanese women are basically negative sizes, the skirt didn't even come close to fitting my size 4 body. It was sad to cut it up, I've waited years to figure out what to do with this fabric, but I think it's great for the inside of this.
The zipper is even vintage. Never used, but bought at Catholic Social Services. Vintage metal zippers are perfect for purses; they are so much sturdier than ones you can purchase now at a craft store.

As much as I would like to use this purse for myself, it's available for purchase in my Etsy shop.