10. Textile Scaffold¶

Research¶

As I begin my Textile Scaffold course, I’m excited to explore how textiles can serve as structural frameworks for growing, supporting, or shaping new materials and biological systems. Textile scaffolds combine the flexibility of fabric techniques—like knitting, weaving, and braiding—with the principles of material science and biofabrication. Through this course, I hope to understand how engineered fibers, patterns, and porosities can influence strength, cell growth, and overall material behavior. It’s a space where craft meets science, and I’m looking forward to experimenting, learning, and discovering new ways textiles can function far beyond traditional fashion.

References & Inspiration¶

instructable How to Design, Print, and Use 3D Printed Leather Stamps
suzanne lee Susan Lee works with biofabricated materials like lab-grown leather (Zoa). Her work involves shaping and molding bio-leather using textile-like scaffolds, demonstrating how new materials can be engineered and formed while still wet and flexible.
Essey miyake winter collection 1999

Overview material research outcomes¶

what we had to create this week:

produce at least two techniques in:
fabric formwork with casting
crystallization
wood-textiles composite
resin & bioresin -textiles composite
leather molding
other

Tools¶

Process and workflow¶

Leather molding¶

As I started experimenting with the CNC machine for my textile scaffold work, I learned how important the full digital-to-physical workflow is. I began by creating my design in CAD software, shaping the pattern that would later guide my material experiments. After that, I used CAM software to generate the toolpath and convert my design into G-code—the language the CNC actually understands.

Before cutting, I had to carefully place and secure my material on the CNC bed, making sure it wouldn’t shift during milling. I also chose the right bit for the texture and precision I needed. Zeroing the machine felt like a crucial moment: setting the X, Y, and Z origins so the CNC knows exactly where to start

Once everything was aligned, I uploaded my file and ran a quick test pass to check that the toolpath was safe and the depth was correct. With that confirmed, I finally let the CNC run. Watching the machine cut out the structure I had designed helped me understand how digital patterns transform into physical scaffolds. After the job finished, I cleaned the bed, collected my piece, and documented the results for the next step of my project.

CNC MMACHINE

crystallization¶

As i begin exploring crystallization for my textile scaffold project, i realized how much the process depends, on patience, material choice and controlled environments, i started preparing my textile base, the scaffold that would guide how crystals grow. choosing the right fabric was important because different texture and parasites infuence how the solution settles and how the crystal attach

Next, I mixed the crystallization solution, making sure it was fully dissolved and heated evenly so the mixture would cool and form crystals in a consistent way. When I dipped or soaked my textile into the solution, it felt like the fabric became an active participant—absorbing the liquid and preparing itself as a surface where crystals could anchor.

After placing the soaked textile in a still, undisturbed environment, the real magic happened slowly. Over several hours, I watched crystals begin to form along the fibers, following the structure of the textile scaffold. Some areas grew denser formations, while others developed delicate, thin layers depending on the tension, folds, and materials I used.

Ingredients & Recipes¶

Prepare this recipe [^1] by collecting the ingredients necessary, to be found in the list below:

=== "ingredients"

    * 1 cup of boiling water
    * 3-4 tablespoons alum powder(alumium potassium)
    * a clean container or glass jar
    * a textile piece
    * a stirring stick or spoon



=== "instructions"

    * Heat the Water
    Warm the water until it is almost boiling. Hot water helps dissolve the alum more effectively.

    * Dissolve the Alum
    Pour the hot water into your container and add the alum powder gradually.
    Stir continuously until all the alum dissolves.
    The solution should look clear—if you see undissolved alum at the bottom, add a little more hot water.

    * Prepare Your Textile Scaffold
    Make sure your fabric is clean and dry.
    You can fold, pleat, or shape it depending on the crystal texture you want.

    * Submerge the Textile
    Place your textile into the alum solution.
    Make sure it is fully saturated so crystals can attach evenly.

    * Let Crystals Grow
    Leave the container undisturbed in a cool place.
    Crystals will start forming as the solution cools and evaporates.
    Let it sit for 12–24 hours for small crystals or longer for larger, more dramatic formations.

    * Remove and Dry
    Gently take out your textile and place it on a surface to dry completely.
    Avoid touching the crystal-covered areas too much—they can be fragile.