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Internationally acclaimed Wearable Artist specializing in Avant Garde + Couture Fashion and Costume designs made from recycled materials.
the bowl challenge
designed, photographed, and built by Grace DuVal
The Challenge:
Make a bowl out of fabric that is 50mm ±2mm tall
The bowl must hold 8oz of water for one minute without leaking
The bowl must have an attachment point so that it may hang vertically from a piece of string
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For this challenge I created a bowl that incorporated a structured frame to provide support
and a consistent height to ensure it fulfilled the measurement requirements. I designed the frame in Fusion 360
and fabricated it using PLA 3D printing. This allowed me to create an extremely precise,
aesthetic and functional outer skeleton to support the fabric bowl interior.
I created a hammock-like fabric interior that is strung from the outer pillars of the frame via metal standoff screw hardware. The outer shell of the fabric bowl is made from the provided orange polyester woven material, which I chose for its stability, weight, and color. I crafted a waterproof inner layer made from a stackup of white and grey waterproof ripstop nylons, and heat activated seam tape to seal all sewn seams. The perimeter of the fabric bowl was finished with
white fold over elastic to create a beatifically finished edge with minimal bulk.
After completing the sewn element, it was attached to the 3D printed frame via standoff screws that connect through holes in the fabric bowl. Fully completed, the bowl sits at precisely 5omm high, holds water for at least a minute, and features beautiful triangular cutouts that allow the bowl to be hung from any direction.
Materials Provided
2pcs stretch woven; polyester/nylon; black
2pcs knit spacer; polyester; dark grey
1pcs knit mesh; polyester; light grey
2pcs woven; polyester; orange
Initial 2D Sketches
Materials utilized
1pcs Woven; Polyester; Orange (provided)
1 pcs 1.7OZ 70D White Waterproof Ripstop Nylon
1.9 oz Ripstop Charcoal Gray Nylon
Melco Iron-On Seam Tape 7/8"
PLA Extrafill Mint Filament
15mm x 12mm Standoff Screws
5/8" Fold Over White Elastic
40 Tex White Thread
40 Tex Orange Thread
Material stackup transparency tests to find the ideal fabric combination with zero transparency to the orange backing.
(Left) 1 layer white ripstop nylon, seam sealed. (Middle) two layers white ripstop nylon, seam sealed. (Right) one layer white ripstop nylon, one layer grey.
3D CAD Renderings
Initial Frame Design Tests
Final Frame Design
Initial Waterproofing Tests
Test 1:
Materials: Single layer reflective waterproof cordura
Heat activated seam tape
Results: Leaked after 5 seconds
Test 2:
Materials: Double layer waterproof ripstop nylon
Heat activated seam tape
Results: Held water with no leaking for 1 minute 30 seconds
3D Printing v1 Frame Sample
Testing Hardware +
Making Fabric Pattern
Sewing First Fabric
Bowl Sample
Initial sample (Left) to test fit and shape of fabric component. Second sample (Right) to test ripstop fabric and seam sealing in final application.
Leak test
8oz. of water poured into the bowl and left for one minute and thirty seconds with zero leaking.
3D Printing v2 Frame Sample
Sewing Final Bowl Sample
Assembling Final Bowl
Completed Bowl
Outstanding Issues +
Next Steps
-Improve design of frame to minimize supports required during 3D printing process.
This will reduce print time (currently 36 hours) by half, and will reduce material usage by half.
-Alternatively, utilize SLA printing to reduce print time and material usage.
-Replace purchased standoff screws with custom designed, 3D printed components to reduce external sourcing and increase design strength.
-Laser cut fabric instead of hand cutting to improve precision and prevent fraying.
-Adjust 3D printed frame cutout sizes to prevent torsion breaks.
-Adjust screw hole placement in fabric for more taut fabric bowl component.
-Choose more dynamic/aesthetic top material. Bottom of bowl is very beautiful, top of bowl is boring.