PPC20: The First Prototype

July 26, 2019 / Kat / Comments Off on PPC20: The First Prototype

So…

in our first post in this, our 20th cycle of Purse Pattern Chronicles we revealed the inspiration behind what will eventually be our new pattern for Fall 2019. And if you’ve been with us for any of our other 19 cycles of Purse Pattern Chronicles then you know that what generally comes next is the 1st prototype.

So here’s the deal… in the early days, the 1st prototype generally consisted of muslin, and perhaps a bit of foundation material. But after 40 some odd designs in the books, I like to think I’ve got enough experience at this point to avoid some of the early “false starts’ that were so common back in the day which means that nowawdays the 1st prototype

So… let’s get down to business and talk about this, the 1st prototype for our new design which as of yet is unnamed.

So here’s your first look at the sample. It actually went together really well and the strap arrangement shown here is set up for it to function as either a cross-body “sling type” bag either on one’s chest or back. You might remember from my last post that it was my intention to install the metal hardware in a permanent way, knowing full well that depending on the way the bag was to be worn, a ring or two could be visibly “hanging free”.
In this case, it’s the bottom O-ring that’s unattached and hanging freely. When this bag was first conceived, my thinking was that all of this visible hardware would lend a “Steam Punk” feel to this bag. But “Steam Punk” is honestly not the word I think of when I look at this picture!  🙂
In this case, it’s the bottom O-ring that’s unattached and hanging freely. When this bag was first conceived, my thinking was that all of this visible hardware would lend a “Steam Punk” feel to this bag. But “Steam Punk” is honestly not the word I think of when I look at this picture!  🙂

SO… here’s what i did!

I remembered I had some “Gate Rings” in my stash that I considered using for the Cosmo Convertible a couple of years ago! As you can see, they look just like a normal O-ring, but they actually open and close like a snap hook! So first, I removed the O-ring from either side of this bag and then reduced the size of the tabs holding them in place. The result?

A MUCH cleaner look in my estimation!

Overall I’m SO much happier with this look in ALL THREE views. And here’s the best part… I really think that even though these gate rings are a bit pricey, they can actually substitute for almost all of the other attachment hardware I had been using… both O-rings, both D-rings and BOTH snap hooks, which means it’s actually cheaper overall!

So here’s a couple of parting shots for you. Here you can see the new side attachments for the gate rings. I think these could actually be smaller and less noticeable yet still effective.

And now…. it’s YOUR turn!

I’d love to know what you think of our new design at this point in the process? If there’s features you like, or items you wish we had included, now would be a great time to let us know! And remember, there’s space provided below to leave anything you’d like to say!

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Kat