Wearable technology
During my masters, I met a lot of people who did the bachelor Creative Technology: the ultimate dream for a maker, as they tinkered in almost every single course. And many courses included the use of electronics. As I was discovering sewing, I decided I wanted to incorporate electronics with this hobby to challenge myself even more! I made a bowtie that could react to music.
To make this project work, I needed to first sew the bowtie. This was already a new challenge to me as it needed to be adjustable, fit over one's head (I used clasps) and be sturdy (it needed so-called ''interfacing'' to keep the butterfly in shape). After sewing the bowtie, I hand-sewed electroluminescent wire (EL wire) around the bowtie. This wire was an amazing find, as it is a flexible copper wire. It has a coating of phosphorus, wrapped by a transparant PVC-layer. When a current runs through the wire, it gives an even amount of light everywhere in the wire. I connected the wire to a little box that could regulate it and ran on batteries. There were several options available on the box, such as being sensitive to sound. This meant that the bowtie would do very well at parties, where it can follow the beat of the music.
To make this project work, I needed to first sew the bowtie. This was already a new challenge to me as it needed to be adjustable, fit over one's head (I used clasps) and be sturdy (it needed so-called ''interfacing'' to keep the butterfly in shape). After sewing the bowtie, I hand-sewed electroluminescent wire (EL wire) around the bowtie. This wire was an amazing find, as it is a flexible copper wire. It has a coating of phosphorus, wrapped by a transparant PVC-layer. When a current runs through the wire, it gives an even amount of light everywhere in the wire. I connected the wire to a little box that could regulate it and ran on batteries. There were several options available on the box, such as being sensitive to sound. This meant that the bowtie would do very well at parties, where it can follow the beat of the music.
I made a lot more drawings that contained electronics and clothing. I haven't gotten around to it all, but perhaps in the future! But if not, that is also okay, as this was a really fun first project.