Sew Modern Monday: Amy Butler bag finish

This bag is my first Sew Mondern Monday post and my latest finish that remains unblogged- until now! This is the Amy Butler Blossom shoulder bag from her book Style Stitches.
I had heard this pattern was really challenging, and when I bought the fabric at Hip Stitch in Albuquerque on vacation they had made a sample for the shop and mentioned again that it was a lot of work because of the stiffness of the interfacing.
All that said, I loved making it, and was antsy to do so the moment I saw the pattern posted on Sew Mama Sew.

The fabric is from the Soul Blossoms line, Peacock Feathers in turquoise for the outer and English Garden in pine for the lining. This is my main issue with AB patterns- I love them, but I feel like I need to make them from her fabrics, because they will make the bag that much more beautiful.

The detail of the handle attachment was the part of the bag that really drew me into the project. It looks extravagant, but it was not that difficult to achieve. Matching up the fabric- well, that is difficult to achieve for me! I actually didn't even think of it here as I was cutting. Heh.

The lining was comparatively simple and I like the look of it. I modified the pattern (something I can't seem to help doing) and only added one divider panel inside, and omitted the zipper. Yes, a bit chicken of me, but I also didn't think I would use a zipper pocket.
The real issue for me is the closure. I used a magnetic closure, the ones that attach like brads, but I wanted to use an "invisible" closure. I bought one for this project (a Dritz magnetic sew-on closure) but couldn't figure out how to get it to work correctly. The magnet kept sticking to my sewing machine plate and messing up the stitches. So I ended up with an exposed closure, which I dislike for both aesthetic reasons and because it pulls the fabric each time you open the bag. Live and learn I suppose.

Does anyone have tips for how they attach these sew-on closures inside the fabric layers? I would appreciate the help! For the next one I want to make it work...hand sew maybe?