I was recently fitted with a cochlear implant due to hearing loss. I didn’t realize how many supplies and gadgets come with the system, so I needed a bag to use when I travel so all my gear can be carried in one place. I based the bag on ByAnnie’s “Easy Does It” but experimented with the binding, corners, pockets, and zipper length. The first one, pictured here, was a true prototype. By that I mean I will use it as a learning tool but not as a carrying case. Things did not work out as well as I hoped. Thus, modifications and then prototype 2 was born. It’s better, but not exactly what I was hoping for, so I need to go back to the drawing board again for my third try. But I will use P2 for a while and see how I need to modify it before I embark on P3. I’m getting closer each time, and sometimes it’s the journey, not the destination, that is the most inspiring thing.

P1: I followed the ByAnnie pattern for basic sizing, but I extended the zipper to open almost all the way around the case so it can lay flat when open. I added a mesh pocket on each side of the interior and webbing handles on each side. I also added two elastic loops along the back (bottom) of the case to hold small items and keep them from sliding around. I wasn’t sure about the binding, and I wanted to try a technique I saw on the Oklaroots YouTube channel, so I did that instead of a traditional binding. This turned out to be a mistake because of the curves around the front and back.

P2: I eliminated the curves and retained the square corners. I didn’t like how the zipper went all the way around as much as I hoped, so I just extended it a bit. I kept the mesh pockets but got rid of the loops because they didn’t do much for me in P1. I decided to add binding but to the outside instead of the inside to maximize the interior space, and attached the first side of the binding to the gusset before joining the sides and gusset. In theory, this should be easier because the gusset has no corners. I still had issues with the binding (because I’m not good at it yet) and I don’t like how exposed it is. Next time I’ll go back to interior binding so no one can see my mistakes as easily!

P3: I want to use P2 a few times before I figure out what I want to change for P3. Is the size adequate for the things I want to carry? Are the pockets too big, or not big enough? Do things slide around too much? Is it easy to load/unload all the various items? Does it fit in my carry-on bag well?