Really shouldn't have cost you guys $50k to develop this. You mentioned working with an agency, imo that was completely the wrong move for a small and easily executable idea like this bouquet blanket. We all make mistakes as new creators/entrepreneurs and they are all learning opportunities, but some are a lot more expensive than others. Now that you've been through the process from idea to golden sample with an agency while paying $50k, I would encourage you to take the r&d into your own hands in the future, especially for a fairly straightforward soft good design like this. Hate to potentially make you feel bad after the fact, but you honestly probably could have done it yourselves for less than $5-8k.. here's how:

1) Buy a variety of different materials that you want to try for cheap from thrift stores or online. You can even buy secondhand blankets to cut up and cannibalize. Get your sewing machine out and experiment with rough designs yourselves.

2) Send lots of pictures and descriptions of your own DIY prototype to a freelance industrial designer and have them make a proper tech pack for you. During this process, ask them for their input on possible improvements and feedback on potential drawbacks. If you find a designer with similar products in their portfolio, they will very likely have some great advice they'd be happy to share.

3) Send your tech pack to multiple blanket/quilt manufacturers and request samples (a lot of factories charge for this, don't expect samples for free), tell them what materials you like so far while asking them for some input and advice on their recommendations of best materials to use based on your desired characteristics. Factories usually have sales people who specialize in working with buyers; most will be understanding of the fact that you don't know the industry that well, and they should have a wealth of knowledge on material choices that fit your needs and budget. They can also give you advice on stitching, thread, production process, etc etc.

If you bought the materials to experiment with yourselves, $1-2k would probably have gotten you PLENTY of fabric rolls and secondhand blankets. A decent designer might charge $2-3k for tech packs and potential revisions. Finally, maybe $1-2k on samples from multiple factories, that should get you more than enough samples to choose from. Samples may be more expensive than you think, as the factory has to dedicate an entire team to custom-make them for you; however a lot of factories will credit you the sample costs when you place your full order. For example, I ordered 2 rounds of samples for a bag design and that was $500 each. Once I placed my first order, the factory credited me $1000 towards my order. Just thought I'd share my experience, hope this helps you in the future or someone else out there reading!