Have you heard about E-textiles? Not sure what electronics can fashionably do for you? Read the rest of the article to find out.
Introduction
E-textile might be a new term for you, but this emerging new field can amazingly improve the presentation of your garments and handicrafts. Electronic technology is now not only limited to portable gadgets, or equipment; you can now see them embedded in clothes, bags, apparel, handicrafts, or even on the cloth of your dining table.
Sewable Electronics
As its name suggests, sewable electronics are electronics that can be woven into fabric or other soft materials. This makes this technology suitable for decorating your costumes, cosplay materials, arts, handicrafts, etc. Additionally, its application doesn’t end there. You can also use it for data logging, sensor attachment, and other use cases. It all depends on the limits of your imagination.
Introducing the lilypad ecosystem
Leah Buechley started this system. Obviously, she had an interest in sewable electronics and she was preoccupied with this while pursuing her computer science degree at the University of Colorado Boulder. She collaborated with SparkFun Electronics until their team was able to make the Lilypad System commercially viable.
Here is a great video to introduce you to the world of LilyPad.
E-Textiles and Sewable Electronics Examples
Costumes, Dresses and cosplay
You can start by putting LEDs on your clothes however you like. There’s really nothing holding you back from showcasing your electronic art talent. To start, get the Lilypad Switched Coin Cell Battery Holder, Conductive Thread, and a Sewable LED module of your choice. Next, continue making your first Lilypad circuit like the ones shown below.
Bags and Handicrafts
Well-made bags and handicrafts deserve the best electronic art to showcase your talents better. Decorate them with unique electronic art. Start sewing LEDs or attach necessary peripherals on them such as the Lilypad ATMEGA328P Arduino Compatible Development Board to be able to control how they work.
Sensors and Buttons
Make the most of controlling how your craft works as well as performing viable data acquisitions on required tasks. Insert easy-to-install Lilypad buttons on your stuffy toys or add data acquisition peripherals on your E-glove.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s all up to your imagination to get your sewable electronics projects going. You can start by using SparkFun’s guide and then continue picking the right components and tools at Phipps Electronics.
