Putting Drawings Back to Work

One day in the middle of the family reunion I got an email order for a belt bag, something I've never made before.  I wrote back and forth with the customer to get her basic needs as far as the design went, and this morning I started to put the puzzle together.  All of today's drawings relate to working out this design.  The first pages are based on our emails as well as on my experience in making cross body bags and iPad bags and the occasional backpack.

As I made the drawings I developed some questions for the customer, and I also saw some places where options might be possible.  I sent her the first batch of drawings along with an email posing the questions.

This third page sums up the first design.  I sent her all three pages along with a message.  About half an hour later she responded.  She liked some aspects of the design but didn't like others.  One of the main problems we had was that we weren't using the same names for the same parts.  The bag has many different pockets and flaps as well as some parts that I called one thing and she called something else.  So I made some changes and then suggested she call me so we could talk.

After reading her emails in response to the first drawings, I made the above changes.  I figured out a way to make a two-stage front flap and then remembered how to take a temporary pleat in the top of the wide side panel, something another customer had once figured out and told me about.

I also began thinking in terms of separate flaps on the front instead of one large flap.  The customer didn't like the fact that when she opened the flap to get out a credit card the entire inside of the bag would gape open.  A two-staged flap as well as triple flaps both seemed like possible solutions.

So I took a break and went for a woods walk, and while I was walking the customer called, and we talked through the ideas.  The clouds cleared!  We began to speak the same language.  My husband and I went out to get something to eat (drawing 589), and then I came home and drew up the final design.  Can't wait to start on it tomorrow!