HCDE 451|Assignment 8: Fabric Construction
The Design Challenge:
My task was to construct a physical object out of fabric by using the sewing machine.
There are 3 requirements for this task:
- must be made of some kind of flexible fabric or material
- must use a sewing machine to connect and assemble the component parts of your design
- must use some sort of fastening mechanism as part of the design (velcro, drawstring, zipper, etc.)
Design:
I decided to create an accessory bag that I can use to organize cables, chargers, pens and other items and stop them from ending up at the bottom of my bag. Also, the biggest challenge for me is that I have never touched a sewing machine before.
I started by listing the features I need for this accessory bag:
- suitable for small items like chargers, pens and earphones
- easy to open and close with some fastening mechanism
- can easily fit into my backpack and tote bag
- easy to move to different bags
- made with durable fabric that can be used for a long time
Sketching:
To start, I began by sketching out the basic shape and structure of the accessory bag on paper. I wanted to create a rectangular accessory bag stores the small items like chargers and earphones that I carry around every day.
Prototyping:
The next step was to practice using the sewing machine and create a low-fidelity prototype with scrap fabric to determine the size, shape, and construction method.
To begin with, I found some scrap fabric at the UW Comotion Makerspace and used them to practice using the sewing machine. I first practiced sewing straight lines and backstitching at the beginning and end of a seam. Once I was confident with sewing straight lines and backstitching, I started to practice sewing velcro on a piece of scrap fabric.
After gaining more sewing experience, I created a low fidelity prototype with a piece of cotton fabric to finalize the shape and dimensions and to test if the cotton fabric I chose is firm enough.
The final version was slightly larger than the prototype with a length of 9.5" and 7" wide. I also added two pieces of velcro strips to the openings as the fastening mechanism.
Analysis:
On Thursday 10/31 🎃, we had an in-class critique session where I was able to gather feedback from my instructors and peers.
What worked well:
I received the following feedback about what was done well:
- it can be fastened tightly which prevents small items from falling out
- it can store a fairly amount of items
- the bag is easy to open and close
- it can easily fit into larger bags
What needed improvement:
- my sewing skill: some seams were not perfectly straight
- adding an inside layer could hide the stitches
Reflection:
Overall, I really like the object I constructed since I always wanted an accessory bag to organize the small items in my bag. It was challenging but rewarding to learn how to sew and try out the sewing machine for the first time in my life. The entire sewing process requires a lot of patience and attention. The final prototype is effective in storing small items like pens and chargers and preventing them from falling to the bottom of my bag. If I were to do this again, I would try to add another layer to hide the stitches and to make it sturdier. I think sewing is a useful skill not only in the design domain, but also in everyday life. Moving forward, I would like to learn more about sewing different stitching patterns.
