Check in

I live at the art school. I only go home to sleep. I am okay with this, it is how I work.

I made 5 little travel zip bags yesterday and will make another 5 today. I am also going to redo a couple of them that I did a long time ago and have since perfected the method of making them.

I finished the wallet on Friday. It's nice, could be better. Will make another version if time allows.

Entered one of the laptop cases in the Ann Arbor ReUse Center Art Show. (It was the case that I don't really like the craftsmanship, but I wanted to put something in the show.)

i HATE the laptop cases I have made thus far, so this week I will concentrate on perfecting it. I have some ideas as to how to do it.

The Clutcheroo

Pics of the clutch I finished. FYI: It is inspiring the current laptop case I am working on now.

Progression

I am mushing on with another laptop case. It is going to be much different and involve velcro and maybe a diagonal line or two (that doesn't make sense now, but it will.) The pic above is basically the "color scheme" for the next bag. I really like the colors, but not thrilled with the results I am getting from using the bubble wrap as padding. Sherri gave me this industrial bubble wrap that i guess protected Vespas, so it is strong. Below is an image of the zippered case I finished last week.


I spent about 5-6 hours every day this week in the studios, this weekend I spent about 3 hours saturday and another 3 on sunday. I also have a clutch I made, but pics of that will come soon.

More Studio Time

Logged about 5 more hours on Friday and finished my first laptop case. It is not polished, but it functions. I even used it today.

This first prototype is helping me reassess the design of the bag and now I will be making different assembly decisions. The seams that are just plastic bags sewing together are not very sound and I think they can be reinforced with an edge binding material. The zipper is pretty much impossible to finish off. The sewing machine just won't fit into the small areas that I need it to. I could hand sew it, but the material is so thick that it is very difficult to push a needle through. I think the quilted Kroger bags may just end up working for the padding. I am pretty happy with the aesthetic result and the level of cushioning they provide. I am definitely getting somewhere. YESSSS!

I found my Bible

I have been waiting for the book Manufractured to come in for a few months; checking Mirlyn several times a week anticipating it's arrival. It finally came in this week! I had been waiting so long for it I kinda forgot why I was so excited to read it...but as it turns out, it is my Bible.

It is hard for me to articulate how this book speaks to me. (I totally realize that I am a nerd...a design nerd.) I want to contact the authors and talk to them about what I am doing and see if I can do something...anything for them. They talk about the hybrid that has been created between craft, art, & design, the conspicuous transformation of barely used post-consumer goods as raw material, and just give millions of samples of artists doing such things! I am in love with this book.

Aside from reading, I have logged about 17 hours so far this week on my project. I've been making lots of little bags because I am using them as tests for possible ways to assemble my laptop bags. I have some really promising stuff going on here. I am really excited for the things I'm working on right now. Sherri gave me some great suggestions on how to make piping for the edges out of plastic bags! so good.

Over break, I came up with a cool design for a clutch bag too, so I'm gonna try and do that too. I also came up with another possible name for these products: PB&J: Plastic Bags & Junk. I was into it, but I've been talking to people and the general concensus seems to be that everyone thinks of the sandwich and it is too hard to escape that.