Bags, bags, bags. (last updated Oct 2010)
A few years back, I'd been thinking I wanted to make my next shoulder/courier/travel bag, and maybe some bicycle luggage. My bag at the time, a small 6-year-old Timbuk2, was still functional but it wasn't always the right size and shape, and was getting pretty beat up. This was just a few sketches on paper until I impulsively bought a quasi-industrial sewing machine in July '08.
This page is now a place to keep a sort of running notebook of prototypes and experiences using them. I'm also collecting various bag-making resources and links to interesting bags and bag makers.
You could also watch the disassemble blog, where I'll post a quick note whenever I add a new bag to this page.
(One more disclaimer: this is just a quick-and-dirty collection of notes and photos as I have a few spare minutes--I realize it's a mishmash of photo galleries and bad HTML generated by various programs. Some year maybe I'll sit down and make "real web pages". This is mainly to document things for myself or the handful of friends I mention this to...)
Bag 0: Buckle retrofit onto an existing bag. |
Bag 1: The first prototype, blue canvas, single-layer, with a zipper-swappable set of pockets. |
Bag 2: A small model (or some might say, a purse), to quickly try out double-layer semi-waterproof construction, hidden seams, old-style metal hardware, and cutouts. |
Bag 3: The first full bag I'm using daily. A basic lined bag, with metal hardware, a seat belt-style strap, and some inside pockets. I'm still using it a year and a half later. |
Bag 4: Another small model, to try out a few more construction details. |
Bag 5: Full-size reversible bag, with off-color stripes inside and outside, and various detail changes based on a few months using bag #3. I still carry this around fairly often. |
Bag 6: A variation on bag #5, with diagonal stripes, teal fabric, an internal pocket, slightly different dimensions, and metal surcingle hardware, given as a present to a stranger. |
Bag 7: Quick test: Trying out some new marine upholstery I got for cheap. . |
Bag 8: Quick test: Proving to myself that rectangle + oval = 3D purse. |
Bag 9: Bought a small "just a laptop" bag, removed the logo, added reflective tape and a stencil print. |
Bag 10: A quick one-day prototype of a large waterproof bike pannier. |
|
Patterns:
I tend to sort of wing it, visualize something, make a few sketches, and then start cutting... but unforseen interactions of various corner folds do sometimes come up and make me wished I'd made more of a plan. I plan to draw out a few simple patterns to upload here at some point. Check out the photos of the fabric, in bags such as bag #2, and you'll see the general idea-- pretty simple in concept (things like adding pockets or zippers, hiding the fastener seams, and so on are much more work than making the basic bag shape itself).
Contact Info:
Comments / questions / suggestions? You can post a comment on the project blog or email me at bags ((at)) disassemble.org.