In this project, I aimed to used fabrics to make a prototype out of soft materials. My goal was to create a container with a fastening mechanism of some sort. This was my first time working with a sewing machine, so I wanted to use this opportunity to explore a potential new skill. In the spirit of my own humor and desire to create something I likely would not buy for myself, I set out to create a niche pencil pouch designed to fit only one pencil.
Design
I began my process by sketching out what my ideas to help me visualize this novelty pencil pouch. I focused on depicting a narrow pouch that prevented overstuffing, secured by a simple drawstring at the top. Since I did not have a thorough understanding of sewing at the time, much of my failed guesswork in predicting what sorts of stitches I’d need is evident in my sketches. However, this step did help me solidify how I wanted to actualize my concept and my vision of the end goal.
After this, I went about creating my first physical prototype out of muslin. Much of this time was spent learning how to go about the sewing process. In fact, I found myself spending this portion of my journey learning to operate the sewing machine effectively and second-guessing how my stitches would end up. In short, I was more focused on how to make my project feasible rather than my design’s quality. After some patient experimenting, I finally created a prototype that resembled my vision.
From here, I attempted to make a more refined version of my prototype. I had grown more confident in my sewing skills and better understood what the stitching for such a project would entail. As such, I put more consideration into the pouch’s aesthetic and decided to use a higher-quality cotton material I purchased. I focused on creating cleaner stitching and incorporating the drawstring earlier in the sewing process to reduce the number of rough edges. As such, the result was much more presentable.
Analysis
When I was finished, I brought my prototypes to my peers for a critique session. I showed both of my physical prototypes to demonstrate how my work developed. I demonstrated how the pouch intentionally secures just a single pencil and closes off it off at the top, explaining that it is mostly a novelty product. They commented their appreciation of the quality fabric and shared my humor in the product’s niche application. When evaluating my craftsmanship, they commented primarily on how the drawstring did not appear to lend itself to long-term durability. I received suggestions on more thorough stitching and potential folds to create a more secure fastening mechanism. In fact, they even suggested the idea of an alternate method, such as a zipper, to ensure the security of the pencil. Additionally, my peers also explained that my fabric’s turtle pattern could be used with more intent to better showcase its playful nature with more deliberate placement of the seams.
My conversation with my peers led me to ultimately discover that there was more appeal in my project’s niche nature than I originally thought. Their appreciation of the aesthetic and humor made me realize that such ideas were great opportunities to create fun trinkets. Further iterations of this project would involve furthering my craftsmanship to ensure the longevity of such enjoyment and better showcasing my project’s playful aesthetic. However, it is also safe to say that this project has been a strong source of inspiration to continue discovering joyful ideas with the simple intent of making others laugh.