Today I worked on new pictures for my duffle bag pattern.

I made this duffle pattern back in the summer.  I started working on it back in the spring but couldn't get it quite right so I kept delaying and waiting for a better design idea to come into my head.  It finally came to me in June right before we took a trip to the beach and I made bags for all of us girls in the family.  I was so happy with how I simplified the construction and thrilled that when I got back from our trip that I could work on the pattern.  Well, 4th of July came and all the other summer stuff and I didn't get it done until early August.  I knew this was not the best time to put a vacation bag in the shop but I had no idea that this bag would be such a flop!  I mean I don't think I have sold this more than 10 times.  That is BAD!  I decided today that maybe my baby (that is what I sometimes call my patterns) just needs a makeover.  

The one on top is Anne's duffle.  She had her first spend the night with a favorite cousin and I packed it up for her.  I thought, "Hey! This is one cute bag!"  She thinks it is the cat's meow (in fact she thinks everything is the cat's meow).   It is not the real size of the child's version of the bag on the pattern since it was a trial.  It turned out too tall and I thought it looked like a bowling ball bag.  Isn't it funny how you can be so disappointed in a project right after you do it and then a few weeks/ months later you look at it again and see how cute it really was?

So, instead of making another duffle in better fabrics (which was my first thought when I wanted to give my baby a makeover), I just tried out my new picture taking skills from this post.  Here is one that is kinda cute but isn't going to make the cut. I like to call this one duffle tower~

and this will be the new main picture with my recently acquired photoshop skills.

I am hoping this will do the trick to get this pattern going at least a little bit better. What do you all think?  Do I need to make a new bag with better fabrics?  Or is this pattern just not interesting enough for people to want to make?  Looking forward to hearing some feedback!  Leave your comment about my baby (I'm still talking about the pattern here) & on Wednesday, November 10th, I'll choose a random commenter to send a free pattern of the getaway duffle.   Make sure you leave your email in the private comment section so that I can contact you!

Hannah P. is the winner of the pattern!  Here is her comment…

I really really liked hearing all of your comments.  So much good advice about how to market this bag.  I heard what you had to say and changes are in the works.  Read down through the comments if you have a moment and see what all these savvy women had to say. Stay tuned!