Sew-Do-Ku collection, new name but same idea!

New updates on my experimentation on creating my precious Sudoku bag, now renamed as the Sew-Do-Ku collection. This weekend I'll be playing with four inch wide Velcro (hook side) that I found at Seattle Fabrics. With my previous trials, I hope to adhere the Velcro to a sturdy and non-fraying black fabric that can be used to cut numbers and be made into a bag. Pictures will be posted of this crafty weekend and, hopefully soon, the first Sew-Do-Ku bag shall come to life!

Sudoku got me stumped again

Just like playing the puzzle on a difficult level, I've hit a wall in creating my new collection. I ran into a product malfunction when the fabric I was experimenting with was discontinued. After reanalyzing and erasing some numbers, I think I can go at the puzzle again.

With a new fabric, possibly even better than the last one I found, I have also redesigned the pattern of the bag. I'm falling behind on my schedule for finishing a prototype but at the same time, the Formal collection is selling well so I've been focusing on making more. I'll probably push back the unveiling of the Sudoku collection until next year. Keep your eyes out for it!

My precious...

Since I began diving into the concept of making purses to sell, I came up with an idea to make a bag that combined my love for bags, my love for "conversational pieces" type of bags, and my love for Sudoku. When I came up with the idea of a Sudoku bag, the few people that I shared it with thought it was a great idea. Off I went to create the bag but I didn't realize how long of a journey it would be.

I began experimenting with felt, since it was easy and cheap to work with and didn't have raw edges to clean up. The idea worked for a bit... up until I got to the numbers. For those of you that don't know, one Sudoku puzzle consists of 81 numbers. I could not find felted numbers in the size I needed so I attempted to hand cut them. Big mistake. After barely making enough to fill a box within the puzzle grid, I did some research to find a cutting device.

Enter the Cricut machine. I shelled out the most money that I have spent on one item in a long time and began testing it out with felt I purchased for the numbers. After browsing the fabric store for other purse related items, I came across a material better than felt. The fake leather material was even better than what I originally started with and with my new machine, I was able to cut out perfect size numbers.

The grid was easy to make but the task of adhering numbers to the grid and the loose numbers to Velcro was daunting. After trying out glue and glue gun, I found fusible webbing. Now, with my new found missing adhesive, I'm so close to completing an idea two years in the making. It will be my most labor intensive and precious collection to date.