Development of the Waxed Canvas and Leather Daypack. Sample #1
For the last month or so I’ve been working on a unisex backpack. I came up with this initial design that is simple and sleek. I wanted to incorporate a full zipper top for the Daypack to keep belongings secure. I like the look of it, but not the function. It’s simply too tall. When I open this up, I have to look way down the bag to look for my belongings. I think it would be best to avoid the fold-over top all together.
This is a very preliminary design. I’ll keep on working at it, but I don’t think it will be ready until sometime next year. It takes a while to make something good enough to sell. The Field Bags took me about a year to get it to the point where I’m happy with it.
I don’t have a big selection of bags in the shop and there’s a reason why. I only put out designs that I’m proud of and that have been tested. The truth is, I could probably churn out a bunch of mediocre stuff faster and sell them. That’s not what I want though. We already have enough stuff that we can buy; more plentiful and cheaper. It’s the race to the bottom. Someone will always do it cheaper, but not better.
I think a good bag should focus on design, materials and craftsmanship. I hope you’ll agree that we don’t need more waste in the world, but better things.
This waxed canvas piece was cut from the pattern I made for it. Pattern drafting is probably the most technical skill there is in sewing. You have to do calculations, measure, fit the pattern to test and maybe do it all over again until you have as perfect a pattern as possible. I always remember my couture sewing class teacher say that when your pattern is good, your end product will be good (to sew up anyway). She used to be an engineer that calculated how much concrete a building project will take before becoming a fashion design teacher.