Design and technology merge to create a twice-functional diaper bag that will serve to illustrate useful reminders on what's missing and what's accounted for before setting out for the day. This stylish bag will use fabric switches that will trigger five or six LEDs, which will reflect the current conditions of the bag, whether half full or half empty. You'll never be without your essential baby items: diapers, wipes, bottle, bibs, food, binkies or, in my house, a most-important iPad. The soft-light LEDs will display a gentle reminder to restock on items that may be missing. You'll never leave home without having exactly what you need to make your baby, a happy baby.
Purpose: Create a multi-functional bag that creates space-holders for specific baby or child items. Generate an interactive reminder for items that need restocking or essential items you can't leave home without.
Design Intention:
Purpose: Create a multi-functional bag that creates space-holders for specific baby or child items. Generate an interactive reminder for items that need restocking or essential items you can't leave home without.
Design Intention:
- Be the coolest mom on the block with a custom-designed, cool-looking diaper bag with interactive components.
- Item-specific input pockets: bottle or sippy cup, iPad/changing pad, bibs or binkies, phone or forks, diapers & wipes
- Generate item input responses with fabric switches and LEDs as a second function of the bag itself. LEDs will be On when items are missing and Off when they're not.
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Signing UpStep 1: Cutting the Pattern
For the purpose of this bag, it's important to start with the outside materials and start building before working on the inside liner. Although, you could cut the pieces and assemble them as you go along. The pattern was made from interfacing which is easy to use and allows for repeated use. Select the fabric to use for the outside, something that seems durable, thick and easy to wash if necessary. If the fabric has a specific pattern, stripes for example, be mindful of the direction of the pattern and your cutting in relation to the desired end product. If you have the right interfacing, you can also use the pattern for the outside to strengthen the fabric if need be. Cutting all pieces at once is useful, then you can just start assembling without stopping to cut or measure. After you have cut out the pattern, you can start to cut the fabric. The pattern is measured with a 1/2" seam allowance. Using pinking shears on delicate or easily-frayable fabric is helpful. For the outside, you'll need to make sure you have the following cut:
- Back x 1
- Sides x 2
- Side Pockets
- Front x 1
- Front zipper pocket (optional) x 1
- Bottom x 1
- Strap Fabric x 2
- Strap Webbing x 2
- Back x 1
- Back Pocket x 1
- Sides x 2
- Side pockets x 2
- Front x 1
- Bottom x 1
- Front x 1
- Back x 1
- Sides x 2
- Zipper pocket x1
- Front x 1
- Back x 1
- Sides x 2
- Bottom x 1
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Since you said you are hoping to improve on the idea I thought I'd offer a suggestion. You could have a "soiled" item pocket that worked in the opposite way and alerted you in some way to remind you it is NOT empty. I would think (as I don't have kids) that a soiled pocket would be a must and forgetting to empty it would be an easy, ugly mistake.
Great job. I look forward to seeing your next 'ible.
Also, if you sewed in small magnets, instead of snaps, you could have your circuit automatically close for you when nothing is in there. You could buy some very small Rare Earth Magnets, only 100 for $10 off amazon, and put them behind your conductive thread on both sides of a pocket.
A very cool idea overall. I wish I could sew better so that I could make one as a baby shower gift.
You can always do conductive velcro, which would be more simple than the magnets but also (more or less) stay shut on it's own.
As someone who is gaga over solar power you could always throw a solar panel in there somewhere (like one of those fancy flexable ones) to make it self charging. But that might be overkill....