Week 5
I used an old striped shirt to make my laptop bag because the material is stretchy, and fairly thick.
Week 6
I managed to sew on the strip of velcro to the back piece of the bag. However, I encountered some difficulties as I was sewing my hem as the line was not straight, and untidy. Hence, I had to unpick the thread, which took me quite some time. Furthermore, as I was sewing the velcro on, my machine got jammed and my fabric got stuck, leaving me no choice but to cut some of the fabric out, which made a small hole on my fabric. Another challenge was that I accidentally sewed the two pieces of fabric together as I was sewing on the strip of velcro because I did not notice that I had placed the two pieces of fabric together. As I did not have time to unpick the thread, I will have to do so next week. I managed to stick to my plan as I got the materials I needed, and started on sewing the laptop bag together. I would improve by being more careful when sewing, so that I would not make mistakes like sewing my two pieces of fabric together, or not sewing in a straight line. This can help me save more time, and will help me be more efficient and complete my bag quickly.
Week 7
I finished unpicking the thread, and separated the two pieces from each other. I sewed the velcro on again, before sewing the two pieces of fabric together. However, I encountered some difficulties while I was sewing. Just like last week, there were times when I could not sew in a straight line, making my bag look ugly. Hence, I had to unpick the thread and sew again. This took me some time, but I managed to finish sewing my bag in time. Overall, I am quite satisfied with the work I have done today because I managed to finish sewing my bag. However, I hope that in the next lesson, I will be able to improve on my sewing skills, and be better able to sew in a straight line.
Peer Evaluation
One of my classmates gave me some feedback on my bag. She said that the bag was a suitable laptop bag, and that the velcro was sewn on well. She also said that the bag was simply but nicely decorated with the iron-on, and that the colours contrasted well. Finally, she commented that the materials used were recycled and well made-used-of, and that the fabric was very aesthetically pleasing.
Self Evaluation of the Process
Before this course, I was not proficient in sewing, and had no idea how to use a sewing machine. However, after this course, I have a few takeaways. Firstly, I learnt that we have to plan very well before executing because as the saying goes, 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail'. I have realised that when I make a plan first, I am more efficient in my work. For example, when I was doing my prototype, I did not plan well, and ended up making many mistakes. Secondly, I learnt that even seemingly old and useless things can be made into something useful and nice. For example, the shirt I used to make the bag has not been worn in very long, and I deemed it as useless. However, I managed to make it into a laptop bag that I can use. Thirdly, I learnt that sometimes, less is more. I learnt that the more complex the design, the more tedious it was to sew the bag. At first, I wanted to make a bag with many zips and buttons. However, I later realised it was extremely difficult to sew on zips and buttons, and I felt that my skills were not good enough to take on such a task. Hence, I settled on using velcro instead, which was easier to sew on.
My success in this coursework is that I managed to complete my bag within the given time, and I am quite happy with the finished product. It is able to function just as I had planned, and serves as a practical yet aesthetically pleasing laptop bag.
One area I want to improve on is the complexity of my bag. As mentioned before, I decided on using a simple design as I felt I was not ready to take on the challenge of making a complex bag. However, after this experience, I now feel that I am ready to try more difficult tasks, such as sewing on zips and buttons. Hence, in the future, I would like to attempt to make a more complex bag, such as a drawstring bag or backpack, which require more skill and effort.
Through this coursework, I feel I have had quite a few achievements, and learnt many things. Through this coursework, I have learnt to thread and use a sewing machine effectively. I have also learnt to sew hems, and am better able to sew in neat, straight lines.
My success in this coursework is that I managed to complete my bag within the given time, and I am quite happy with the finished product. It is able to function just as I had planned, and serves as a practical yet aesthetically pleasing laptop bag.
One area I want to improve on is the complexity of my bag. As mentioned before, I decided on using a simple design as I felt I was not ready to take on the challenge of making a complex bag. However, after this experience, I now feel that I am ready to try more difficult tasks, such as sewing on zips and buttons. Hence, in the future, I would like to attempt to make a more complex bag, such as a drawstring bag or backpack, which require more skill and effort.
Through this coursework, I feel I have had quite a few achievements, and learnt many things. Through this coursework, I have learnt to thread and use a sewing machine effectively. I have also learnt to sew hems, and am better able to sew in neat, straight lines.