PPC3- Fraternal Twins

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on the development of a new handbag pattern from its initial conception to it's release.)

The bags below are fraternal twins. They are NOT identical! Can you see the differences?

They're subtle... maybe a little easy to overlook at first...
But they definitely have the same roots, in this case... lineage and fabrication.

The bag on the left was detailed a few weeks ago in a previous post.  It cannot be used as a sample for 'The Quattro", in any true sense of the word, because some of the design details are no longer accurate.

Fraternal twins- but our FINAL look is on the right

But I really loved the fabrications. So much in fact, that I took exception to a cardinal rule of mine, that being... never use the same fabrication twice... for ANYTHING.

But since I did, I thought, "What better way to let you see how the changes we have made in this design, (however subtle or blatant they were), play out in the final look.

Just in case you can't readily see them, our final look (on the right), contains the following changes...

1) The side pocket area is more angled, so that only one of the colors proceeds up into the strap attachment area.

2) There is less distance between the straps. Now, even when the bag is heavy with content, it hangs straight and without distortion.

3) There is no flap along the front pouch edge.

4) The final look is just a little bit deeper, but the difference I feel is just right.




And here's one more difference in this second try. We used one of the cool black & white striped zippers on the exterior back pocket area (on the right).

AND on the zipper top closure (below). Oh sure, the black zippers we used in the 1st try looked just fine, but I wanted to demonstrate that the black & white zipper really DOES function as a neutral. It's really quite amazing.

So...... there you have it. The first time that we've EVER repeated the same fabrication in a second bag, but it was fun. And I'm hoping this exercise also provided a very graphic way to showcase the very subtle, but important design changes we have made along the way.
So how about you? Are you inclined to repeat fabrications and colorways when you sew, or do you (like me) prefer to move on to something new with each project?

Did you enjoy this post? Please feel free to pass it on to others at Facebook or StumbleUpon, and to  share your own thoughts in the comments section below!