Thinking

This project has allowed for me to explore my skills and abilities. Through the process of completing this bag, I have had to modify or make things up to create my finished product. For example, the pattern for the squares did not include the orange border around the star and moon. The star was also not a part of the pattern set. The squares did not come with instructions regarding assembly, so I had to create that as well. Hand stitching the squares together and burying threads was also exceedingly difficult; not because it is hard, but because it took a long time to complete as it is tedious work. Creating the straps was also very difficult. Finding the right length, tension, and width took a very long time, as I had to redo them numerous times.  Though the hardest part by far, was creating the lining. There was no pattern or inspiration for it, I had to do it all myself. I traced the finished outside of the bag onto the fabric for the lining and hoped for the best. The fabric I chose was also difficult to work with. I needed to use a special needle, different tension, and battled the fabric’s aggressive fraying. I decided to create a zippered pocket and French seam around the bag to challenge myself as I had never done them before. Finishing the top edge was very hard as well. The fabric did not want to lay and ironing was not working very well. Hand stitching the lining to the bag wasn’t hard, but it was tedious and meticulous work as I wanted the edges to be as perfect as possible. This project required large amounts of critical thinking, as majority of the project was improvised. I am proud of the finished product and look forward to using it.