Yet more design iterations on the Soap Caddy Bag

I made the seams flat in the soap drying mesh so the seams don't dig into the soap, and added a loop for razor storage. I've also downsized the bag to fit a local store's soap bars.  I've now been reinforcing the handle attachment points by doubling the vinyl. They just keep improving, folks.

I created a mesh with beehive hexagons to go with the theme of the store and made a decal out of their logo. It was a very intricate logo but I got it to work.

Look how great this customization is! Hotels, campgrounds and RV parks could use this for ongoing advertising! Wish I had more time to market the heck out of these.

Panama Concrete wall blocks, the patterns therein

Recently I enjoyed visiting Panama. I noticed that their concrete divider walls and windows had more variety of patterns than I find in my part of the world. I sketched as many different ones as I could when I was there.  I used Paper 53 as my notepad. Then for this composite image I used Photoshop Touch on the iPad. These patterns might end up in future soap caddy bags. also here.

Hey I don't know if anyone actually reads this blog, but I moderate comments because it seems like most of the comments I have been getting are linkback spam.  That is, the comment doesn't seem to have anything to do with the blog post, just general flattery, or something to do with a key word in the most general way, and the purpose of the comment is to generate traffic for their own website. That's fine with me as long as it's a legit comment. 

Soap Tote = A Niche Market

I talked to someone today who was like, "No offence, but...." and then she proceeded to run down my product. "You can get it at the dollar store," she said. No, you can't. "People just use hotel soap." Really? All people use hotel soap and there aren't any people out there who have special needs and preferences who would like to take their own soap? Or even people who would like something to take that wonderful hotel soap home?

I've heard those arguments before, and while I acknowledge that while the soap tote is not for everyone, it may not be even for most people, but it is for some, and it is for those people I make the soap tote. 

In fact I have heard from those people; they happen to be my customers. Here's another comment from one.

The real question I am now asking is, why did I stay involved in a one-sided, unfruitful, conversation for so long?

New Closure on Soap Tote

On my last custom job for a client, the design I used had a "tuck strip." That's what I'm going to call it because I don't know if that type of closure has a formal name.

It occurred to me that this type of closure would work on the Soap Tote. So I gave the traditional model of soap tote a makeover, tinkering with other elements as well. Now it has even less sewing but the same basic design. More efficient for me to make, and perhaps a better and neater way to close it up, since the more sewing, the more potential to sew crooked or have my sewing machine decide to be all sensitive and oversew or some such thing.

The Story Behind the Soap Tote

Early design with zipper closure, piping, short handle and sewn-down font

[I wrote this while listening to Get Storied: Behind Every Product is a Story with Michael Margolis at Etsy Success seminars.]

Before VinAlly, I worked 12 years in the Canadian Oilpatch, using my geology degree to do quality control analysis on geological databases for information service companies. I left that to raise my children. When my kids were still small, I started taking night classes towards a Certificate in Visual Design from the University of Calgary. I had always wanted to get a fine arts degree, and the certificate seemed a good way to get the basics in fine arts. The certificate program  covered all the bases and you really had to work at it to get marks.  The flyer for the certificate actually came for my sister in law, but I knew it was really aimed at me.  Thank you, Providence! It took me nearly a decade to complete as family schedules, and my own chronic illness of fibromyalgia made it difficult to attend evening classes.

Finally earned my certificate!

I first got involved recycling billboards when I wanted to find an inexpensive cover for our bicycles because I didn't have access to our garage. Also, I wanted to have something to show for the certificate  that I just earned.  So, I thought I'd start a small business. I found one of the larger billboard companies had a billboard from their "toss list" that I could have. The first thing I made was a shopping bag, and I am still using that bag today, as backlit tarps are extremely durable. 

[To read the full article, click on Read More below]

Goldfish Decal

The PC I use to print decals is not attached to anything, so it's a bit of a production to transfer files from one place to another. I didn't want to be bothered with transferring my recently-created TouchDraw app goldfish outline to the PC.

Instead I just drew a few shapes in Illustrator, ovals and triangles, combined them and converted a few anchor points here and there and voila! A simplified fish.

Maybe if I'm a little less apathetic I'll add a few scales. Nah.

Making Hanging Soap Bags for Thread Collective Show

I'm thinking a lot about what to call these. Soap dish is not quite right, nor is Soap-on-a-rope. The Soap Hanger? I'd love some suggestions. The Soap Tote is good and catchy, but they seem to be taking a while to catch on. The soap makers like them, though.

Yae is not actually Yae anymore, and that's OK.

Earlier this year, I had been contacted by someone who said that they liked my products and they'd like to place a wholesale order. "Great," I thought. Then they said they would contact me a few months down the road. "Oh, dear," I thought. Because this usually means its not gonna happen.

I think that the reality might be something more like: of 100 people expressing interest, ten will progress to a more serious discussion, and perhaps one or two of those ten will actually amount to something. At this point I haven't had the numbers to actually have a successful wholesale order. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just the way it is. Stuff happens. It's great that some folks like my products enough to consider doing business, even if it does not result in an actual deal. It's hard to say, "Sorry, I've changed my mind, I'm no longer interested." It's easier to say "I've been so busy lately!" or, "My back just went out." I've learned to stop pursuing folks who say the latter, because I just figured out the secret code. :)

Notwithstanding the above reality, I'm still going to set some creative and inventory goals and keep on plugging away. I used my soap tote in earnest on a month-long RV trip, and I must say, it worked great. I didn't have to get my hands mushed up after the last use of soap, and there was usually a place to hang it in the campground showers. It is a good product.

Soap Tote Video

Bubble Mesh Soap Tote

Here is a soap tote that I designed with a bubble mesh and a bubble font. Seems appropriate.

Three Soap Tote Designs

A soap tote is a bag made out of recycled vinyl, that has an inner mesh drying sleeve that hangs down when drying, then folds up for storage and travel. The loop can be hung on anything that is handy, even a tree branch when camping. I have been working on designing the mesh, then harmonizing the design to go along with the mesh. That is why the fish scale mesh has a gold fish ornament. The bucking Bronco one is rodeo themed because the Calgary Stampede is coming and visitors to our city might like this sort of souvenir. If you notice I have incorporated the bucking bronco into the mesh.

Koi pond soap bag

I started thinking that the soap bag pattern needs some downsizing. Back to the Illustrator file to do some trimming.

Goldfish soap tote

Pardon the quickcam shots, my husband has the camera. I added the goldfish to go with the fish scale mesh.

Reinterpreting a Design

I decided to revisit the original soap tote design and replace the mesh with a mesh that was inspired by the shirt that Rachel Ray was wearing on her show a few days ago. This is just a prototype but the gist of the design is there. The position of the design elements needs reworking, for sure. What was I thinking?

Anyway, there's much less sewing on this design and no zipper so it goes together much faster. I'm going to make a bunch of these and market them at local craft fairs in June.

Sorry for the blurry photo, my husband has the proper camera.

New design! Travel Soap Bag

Churning in the back of my mind has been the problem that my vinyl soap totes are labour intensive; about 70 minutes to sew if I make them with a lot of detail and the inner mesh bag. (I do think I could get that number down if I did them in production mode).

I wondered if the design could be a simple roll, then I thought about that cool mesh I was able to create. Why not cut a mesh pattern on one end for the drying mesh, and roll it all up for storage? That is what I have spent today doing, and here's the first prototype. I put the mesh pattern onto the handle for added pizzazz and I think it looks just great! It fits a large bar of soap and closes with velcro. The pictures show the roll (1) rolled up; (2) in soap drying position; and (3) completely unrolled.

Pardon the quickcam photos, husband has the camera for his business trip.

Please Comment, I cherish your feedback.

Update: I am working on another design with side wings so the soap can be enclosed completely. I have also been working on other mesh patterns, such as the one I saw on Rachel Ray's shirt.

Find the latest in travel soap bags on my website at http://www.vinally.ca/shop.php

Soap Box

I'm making another version of the Soap Tote, a Soap Box. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20896301

First Soap Tote Sale!

Yay me! I'm a businesswoman, woot! The client wrote, "I'm excited to receive it! I travel a lot and usually throw my soap in a plastic baggie. I was excited when I found this cute bag instead."

I'm featured on Fairytalefibers' blog

On the January 28,2009 posting at http://fairytalesandtl.blogspot.com/, my soap totes are featured!

Bird Bath Soap Tote

Today I made this birdbath silhouette Soap Tote. This is the first time I tried piping in the seam. I put a heart on the zipper pull as a nod to Valentine's day. Oh, would that I would be featured in Etsy's Valentine's gift guide!

Soap Tote refinement

I'm busy refining the design of my Soap Tote. Hey! how did that coupon wallet get in the shot?