In one of my classes, we’re making cell phone pouches recently. On Monday, we looked at some fabric iPod cases on Flickr, and then they made sketch models with paper and tape. Sketch models are a very quick model that allows you to see about what the design will be before committing lots of time, expense and materials to the design. The sketch model allows you to hold the idea in your hand in the fastest turnaround possible. They had about 20 minutes to make theirs, which placed an emphases on speed over perfection, which could come later.
Students next transferred the measurements to the computer and cut the shapes with the laser. On Thursday, some started cutting t-shirt fabric on the laser. A couple of students are sewing with hand but fabric glue is faster. As a finished product, glue probably isn’t the best, but it allows very quick feedback on the design’s measurements. One student wanted to photo on to his design, so we managed to raster an image onto the fabric. This weekend I scored a free sewing machine and associated gear, which should open up some new possibilities.
