The Monster bag is a functional combination of textile craft and digital technology. It is a fully usable purse designed to look like a friendly, five-eyed monster. Hidden inside and incorperated into the structure are electronic componants that record and play sound, based on a number of factors including the buttons on the strap, the position of the wings and whether or not the front flap is opened.

The project was originally inspired by a series of interactions that took place at bus stops, where I'd wished that I'd had a discrete way to record conversations. But what if the recording device had a personality of its own, and sometimes felt like repeating secrets? Would it be worth the potential embarassment and awkwardness of my monter-friend shouting out secrets? If he speaks whenever I need to get something out of the bag, would I be more thoughtful of digging for my keys or would I find excuses to open him and hear what he had to tell me? By giving him numerous different inputs I wanted to create a catalyst for complex social situations where both the user and the people surrounding her would be forced to interact with the object.

The electronics are run by an Arduino microcontroller, powered by a rechargable 9v battery. The electronics are connected by a combination of ribbon cable wire and conductive thread, making him both sturdy and flexible. Inputs are: two felt-and-conductive fabric soft-switches on the strap, a magnetic snap closure and a flex sensor hidden in the right wing. The microphone and speakers snap into place and can be stored inside the bag when not in use.

The recording module has two memory banks of 30 seconds each. Bank #1 is controlled by the buttons and responds upon activation. Module #2 reacts to the position of the flex sensor in combination with a random number generator to determine the intervals of/between recording, waiting and playing. Opening the purse snap activates the playback of #2.

The fabric for the exterior is a sort of faux-suede that was on remainder sale. His lining in a bit of leftover burgundy satin from my previous fashion show and the scaley material (on the strap spikes, wings and feet) was leftover from a fellow student's costume design project. The feet and wings are embellished with yellow embroidery floss. The lining has a heavy-weight interfacing to help him maintain his shape and the removable exterior electronics are held on with various-sized snaps. An interior velcro-festooned bag prevents the various componants from pulling on their wires. With a little care the electronics can be removed, making the bag entirely washable. There is a pocket on the left side and five charmingly mis-matched yellow stuffed animal eyes.

The monster bag was concieved and constructed by Rebecca Grabman during spring 2007 at Bennington College. It is a part of "ReactiveFashion", a collaborative project with the amazing Angela Sheehan.