The importance of a prototype

I created two new designs recently.  One was a new diaper bag for myself, and the other one was a new style of framed clutch for my shop.  The diaper bag was my effort to create a bag that looks more like a purse but has spots for sippy cups still.  I wanted them to be more hidden away.  The idea that I came up with was good, but I didn't create a mockup before jumping in with the fabric.  I had a daytrip the following day and wanted to use my new bag, so I didn't take the time.  I really wish I had, because the bag could have been so much more awesome if I had gotten the kinks out!

As it is, I probably won't finish it.  There's a lot I like about it, like the wipeable fabric on the inside.  It has the perfect amount of pockets for me.  But it needs to be just a tad bigger.  And the overall style is just not quite what I want.  So I will have to work on that more.  For now, I have pulled out my very first diaper bag from the closet.  It's a smaller bag and works well now that I have only one kid in diapers and the other one is done pottytraining.

Here's the other bag design that I worked on.  This was my first prototype.  It's okay, but certain areas needed to be adjusted.

The second design was much closer to what I wanted. I did make a third prototype but it was pretty bad so I didn't finish it.  I used this second prototype to make a pattern for the final bag.

This is it! I'm really happy with how it turned out.  There are a couple of minor tweaks I will make to the pattern, but overall I really like it.  This is by far the most complicated framed purse pattern that I have come up with, except maybe this purse.