My Product

This assignment in the Fashion Industry Essentials online certificate program that I'm taking through Parsons School of Design and Teen Vogue, called My Product, was to make a sample of the bag we designed earlier with a stripe pattern that we also design. An earlier assignment called Collection Sample was to create a print on a piece of fabric. The video along with the assignment featured a Parsons instructor who showed how to create a stripe pattern using masking tape and screen printing ink on canvas. The instructor used a bone folder (this link explains what a bone folder is if you don't know, like me before I did the assignment) to firmly press down the tape, and applied the screen printing ink with cardboard strips cut from shipping boxes. I used this technique for the Collection Sample assignment, and I also used this technique on the bag. I had canvas left over from the Collection Sample assignment, so I used that for the bag. I wanted to make an asymmetric stripe pattern for the bag. I like the masking tape technique because it allows me to create my own prints on fabric. I used the same pattern pieces to make the mockup (I talk about this in the last blog post) and this bag.

My bag

Another part of this assignment was to calculate the cost of producing our bag. The production cost grid is below. I figured the cost of the masking tape and screen printing ink was only 10 cents because I only used a small amount of each. The cost is higher than I wanted it to be. The main reason for the high cost is the labor, so I would try shorten the production time to lower the cost.

Canvas Round Handbag
1/8 yard canvas	$2.12
2 silver tone metal circle handles	$7.90
Thread	$0.50
Sewing machine needle	$2.65
Scotch masking tape	$0.10
Speedball screen printing ink	$0.10
2 hours @ $9	$18.00
Total production cost	$31.37
20% profit	$6.27
Total cost plus profit	$37.64
Estimated retail price	$38.00

Making this bag was a good experience. It has made me want to keep experimenting with making bags and using the masking tape technique!