Skyline bags design project

Getting my bags ready for 3^rd Friday Downtown in Decatur and my Etsy shop have consumed the last two weeks.  This post summarizes my “bag journey” so far.

There are many types of bags, colors, looks I could make (and probably will!).   But at this stage, I really want a consistent look and feel to my products.   At the same time, I want the products to be unique and stand out.   Something one-of-a-kind.    

I fell in love with a particular fabric that is a continuous city skyline pattern – a very urban look.  My idea was to cut out unique skyline shapes and appliqué them onto different background fabrics to create unique bags, pillows, and possibly other products with a city theme.   The bags, I thought, would be perfect for travel, and also would make the statement “I love the city!”

Here is my first bag, a mid-sized tote that I made to test out the skyline concept: 

Eventually, I want three types of bags in my collection – a mid-sized tote, a small cross-body bag, and a light backpack-style bag.  After sketching out several designs for the cross-body and light backpack, I realized those bags could be just different sizes of a single design.   This would give me the consistency I was looking for.   So I temporarily abandoned the tote and concentrated on these.  Here is an example of each:

     

What these have in common is a front that has a skyline appliquéd onto a contrasting fabric, a back that is made of the skyline fabric, two zippered, lined pockets on the back, and paracord straps threaded through grommets.  The bottom is “boxed” to give it depth, as is the upper pocket which fills the inside of the bag. 

A selling point addresses a pet peeve of mine related to backpacks:  Why would you want pockets, even zippered ones, on the outside of a backpack?  I did not feel comfortable in crowded spaces or traveling with the idea that someone standing behind me could access my bag.   Instead, my bags feature pockets on the inside, next to your body.  This is more secure and allows the outside of the backpack to have an uninterrupted design.    These pictures show the back of each type of bag:

                

I selected seven different background fabrics and made a cross-body bag and light backpack using each one.    Now that the bags have been made and are on my Etsy shop (DawnSewingandCrafts.etsy.com), I need to get back to the mid-sized tote.  How can I redesign the tote so that it looks like it belongs with the others?    

Lord Farquaad Wedding costume completion, dress rehearsal

It is done!  Lord Farquaad’s costumes are ready for the first performance, tonight.   He has to be dressed four times:  Ruling costume, Exercise costume, Ruling costume, Wedding costume.  Lots of steps to get everything pulled together for each one!  It takes two of us to pull it off for his two quick changes. 

Let’s hope we do not have another wardrobe malfunction as occurred last night in rehearsal:  During one of his maneuvers, the sweatpants on the little legs dropped down, unbeknownst to the actor.  “Awkward!”  Hilarious to the lurking audience of moms in the auditorium and to those of us in the wings!  Some safety pins have been added to the Exercise costume.

Some have asked how the hat was made.  I started with 4” thick green foam I had left over from another project.  I drew a 12” diameter circle on the top of the foam and cut out a cylinder using an electric knife.  On the underside, I drew an oval that roughly matches the shape of a head, and with the circumference of the hat band.  (Here is the math teacher in me coming out!)  I used the electric knife to taper the hat from the upper brim to the hat band oval.  Then I used the electric knife and some scissors to hack out a cavity for the head.   To smooth out lines and roughness in the sides of the hat, I covered it with batting.  The sewn hat cover, using stretch panne velvet on the sides, went on next.   After some elastic and pearl trim it is ready to go.    Here are a few visuals:

Another challenge we had was keeping the little boots facing straight ahead.  We had a band of elastic round the actor's leg (above the knee pad) and around the fake leg ankles.  But the shoes tended to turn in and/or out while he was on stage.  We solved the problem by cutting a long u-shaped wire out of a coat hanger and punching it through the front of the knee pad.  The long metal spikes then go through holes we punched in the heel of the boot and run along the inside sole of the boot.  The fake leg foot keeps the metal spikes in place inside the boot.  Problem solved!

I wish I had more to show you at this point, but I am the worst person to charge with taking pictures!  However, there are a couple:  Below are shots of Farquaad having his makeup applied and being fitted with a mic.  This is dress rehearsal, so a few touches like black socks instead of white are still being worked out.

This young man, tall but still in middle school, is already an impressive actor.  Backstage, he is professional, courteous, and enduring all hardships of makeup, wig, hot and, in ways, uncomfortable and restricting costume (he has to perform on his knees!) with the comment “It’s worth it to be on stage.”  Onstage, he takes on Lord Farquaad’s demanding personality and quirky mannerisms perfectly!  It has been a pleasure to work with him.  I’ll get his autograph now while I can!