This project is based on our daily essential objects, create a simple bag to hold a three-dimensional object they regularly carry. And i started my ideas on the first week, i have  got three ideas. The first one  is borrow the shape  of my tea bottle, and it should be like a shoulder bag. 

The second one is a hand-hole bag, and my idea is from the iPhone.

The third one is actually what i decided to developed further. I got the idea from book, and i want to make a clutch bag.

And here are some diagrams

After this, i started to doing the first iteration with paper and tape.

For my design, i want my bag to be hard enough. So the material should be hard, like leather. I went to Sude, the Leather Inpact in 38th,7 Ave. But leather was too expensive. Then i changed in to another (Vynel?), the outside surface of this fabric is similar to leather, but it is really heavy.

My second iteration by muslin. And it was before we learnt how to insert a zipper, so it has some imperfect part.

My first try.

I struggled with it. The fabric would crack when it is sewed with thread. And i changed the thread and needle, but still not working.    

Therefore, this fabric can not be steamed, which makes it more challenge. 

After tried many times, i gave up on it and changed the material again. Due to the reason that i want the fabric to be hard, but also need to be easy to sew. So it took me a long time to search around. Finally, i made my decision on Filet, it is kind hard than normal wool.

At first, to insert the zipper is a challenge. The feet of the machine would keeping moving if i goes to fact, it is also hard to fully control the speed.

Hand sewed the zipper before go into the machine, this way is easier to control, and it would move to much.  

I actually 80% finished my bag last week, but while i bring the bag to class, the zipper troubles me again. It can not be closed.

As the result, I went to get another zipper again, and take anything off, redo them again…….

The new zipper i got is longer than the previous one, so i changed my design a little bit.

 This one i decided to design a around zipper. Before insert the zipper, i sew the head and the bottom part of the zipper with two pieces of fabric together(which later would be used as two side pieces). Since this is a around zipper, it took me a long time the placing it and make two sides evenly to each other, and i sew this part three times, this first time was totally a mess. Then i tear them off, placing them with the fabric by needle , and slowly sew them. But still got some trouble with the corner part, and the connection part with zipper head.

And then i sew the

i also made a small inside pocket and handle tile for my bag.

PUFY2_YAOYANTING_interrogating surfaces

When I got this assignment, I decided take the first page of the map as New York City. For me, New York is now become the biggest exterior space in my life. Cool city, with many cool people, cool lifestyle, cool mind, cool architectures, and cool weather. And I am here.

I started to record my day via my phone last Wednesday. A typical Wednesday.

I go to school by subway and it would always be my first site for everyday includes weekends. Line 4.5.6 have always been crowded; you have really try to get yourself in. Especially in morning, every rush morning, you don’t even have to hold the handles while you are in there. About two years ago, when I first came to New York, the subway shocked me inexpertly, dirty, dark, old, no signal and with bad smell. But now, I live with it and I even forget it took me how long to get used to it. Since subway is a public transportation, it should be exterior space, but I think, while I am in the subway, it more like a interior space to me.

Next would be Union Square. It is a big station with thousands of people everyday. People walk every fast; fast enough to make you feel hesitating to stop and check the signs, because then you would block their way. When surround by people, I feel like I have been pushed; me, myself become smaller. Union Square is the station that I go the most frequent. This is a really live park. Since it is like a circular center, it makes me senses the fast-speed atmosphere of the city, the cars, people, the cloud, the buildings. And I took pictures of the union square market; every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, it would show up in the park. It is an exterior space for sure.

Then I was heading to school. I spent the most of my time in this campus, walking through 12^th street to 13^th street, then to 16^th street. School is a small community, and it gathering people who are from all over the world. Together, we all eat at cafeteria, study at class, library, and lab, smoke downstairs. We carry our heavy bags and walking passes each other. For the most people, I never talk to them, but it looking like we share the same “Parsons” style, and it could be something makes me feel this big group quite internal. The school should be a interior space, including the cafeteria, the dinning hall, the class room and the lab where I go printing; however, if I defined it as a small community, I suppose it could also be an exterior space.

Sometimes I take a taxi to home, when it is too late or I am too tired. The inside of the taxi is an interior space. I remember the first time I took a taxi in NY at one night. I looked through the window and observed this city that I was not familiar with at all. Then I raised a sense of loneliness, which should actually have existed in the deep side of me. Now it is winter, the crazy winter in New York makes me feel tired and missing home easily.

The last sheet, I want to focus on the idea of “private”, so I choose the toilet and my bed.