Reflection - Unit X

Looking into the entire unit X, I have found it challenging to work in a group of 4 people with completely different skills, but a great experience at the end. Making compromises to showing some leadership skills to the group has really pushed me forward in decision making with group collaborations e.g. discussing the colour combinations on the fabrics to the embroidery designs.

In the beginning, I found my team a bit unorganised with the time management, but at the end we all managed to work together by organising the times for meetings, visiting gallery, park and attending tutorials.

It was something new to me consulting to the group members each and everything before making the bags and asking them again and again what are the up to with the making or the presentations, where I have shown some of my leadership skills, which I think encouraged the group to work together by sharing ideas and conclusions to the problems.

However, instead of asking everything to the group members, I decided to make a variety of samples with different techniques and colours to show it to the group, so that they can see what the outcome looks like and choose the best ones, which I could take further in the final manufacturing.

My example of showing different samples with a technique.

Throughout the project, I have worked closely with every group member but especially with Christie, maybe because we share almost the same textile background e.g.  I helped her in buying some fabrics and doing the screen-print and she helped me in the final attachments of the bags.
Altogether, we shared each other's research, drawings and ideas of choosing the wood, eyelets, fabrics, colours, type of threads, etc.

However, working together with different practitioners have inspired me and broad-up my mind to use my skills in a professional and productive way. Also, working in this professional environment has made me aware of the needs of the perfection of the products from the precise measurements of the products to the neat finishes.

In conclusion, I feel confident in working together with a group of people. Moreover, I feel bold and enthusiastic in knowing that I am capable enough that I can use my skills to make the products which could go out in the market.

Final Product

Threaded Together

After having both bags from Yu shin and Fiah, coming to the final stages of the bag making. I and Christie worked together during the last week to do some final attachments like cutting the fabric with the right measurements which I have already figured out by doing a sample piece, attaching the fabric and stitching the bag with cords.

However, I and my team decided to photograph the bag in the Whitworth garden to show the relationship of the spring, the feminist casual bag with the Whitworth garden itself.
Therefore, I photographed Yu shin with the bag in the Whitworth garden as shown below:

Bag modelling by Yu shin and photographed by me.

Products on the exhibition

Overall, the way I have worked during this project has challenged me and opened-up my way of working in a professional way. It has also encouraged me that I can practice my skills in the production of everyday products. 

Final product preparation

Moving forward into the actual bag making, but before that, a lot of sampling and testing needs to be done to vision what are the right measurements and elements we need for the final product.

Therefore, we started sampling our fabric fittings according to the right measurements of the wooden bag cutouts by the 3D and interior designer.

I and Christie were glad about the final look of the screen-print because we have never done screen printing by over-laying the screen onto the print to create the bigger printed fabric.

It was challenging for me to do embroidery over these big pieces of the fabrics with the industrial Jukie machine, but in the end, I managed to do so. 

Overall, I think my embroidery work has made the print lively. 

Sampling the fabric on the final wooden bag by me. 

The reason to create this sample fabric piece was to check the sizes of the inside fabric and to match the wood holes with the fabric holes.  

There were some issues with the measurements e.g. the distance between the holes of the wooden bag was too tight, therefore I and Christie had to inform Yu shin and Fiah to make some changes in the measurements.

I and my team were delighted with this sample piece, we thought the calico fabric itself looks good with the wood as it was complimenting the wood colour with the calico.