11. Open Source Hardware - From Fibers to Fabric¶
Research & Ideation¶
At first, I didn’t fully understand what “open source from fibers to fabric” meant, but as I researched, I realized how wide and exciting this topic is. It goes far beyond traditional textiles—just like Fabricademy, it connects material exploration, digital fabrication, and open knowledge. The goal is to understand textiles from their raw beginnings while also using modern tools to innovate.
This approach covers the entire journey:
• Fibers & Materials: natural, recycled, bio-based, and experimental materials like algae, bio-leathers, or food-waste fibers.
• Yarn Preparation: spinning, carding, dyeing, and simple open-source tools to turn fibers into usable threads.
• Fabric Construction: weaving, knitting, crochet, open-source looms, and digital knitting machines.
• Digital Fabrication: laser cutting, CNC milling, 3D printing, and vacuum forming to shape, cut, emboss, or mold textiles and biomaterials.
• Open-Source Mindset: documenting every step so anyone can learn, recreate, remix, or improve the process.
⸻
Tools & Machines I Learned About (Short List)
• Hand Spindle / Spinning Wheel: turns fibers into yarn.
• Carding Tools: align fibers before spinning.
• Looms (hand or digital): weave threads into fabric.
• OpenKnit Machine: open-source automatic knitting.
• Laser Cutter: cuts or engraves fabric with precision.
• 3D Printer: creates molds, patterns, or supports for material tests.
• CNC Router: carves molds or shapes for textile experiments.
• Vacuum Forming Machine: shapes heated sheets or biomaterials over molds using suction.
⸻
My Reflection
Through this research, I learned that textiles are no longer just traditional—they are becoming a mix of craft, technology, and innovation. The open-source approach makes everything accessible, allowing anyone to create, explore, and push the limits from fibers all the way to advanced fabric forms.
References & Inspiration¶
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."
- Two images side-by-side
Tools¶
BoM example¶
Materials¶
| Qty | Description | Price | Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Material one | 22.00 $ | http://amazon.com/test | order now |
| 1 | Material two | 22.00 $ | http://amazon.com/test | find alternative |
| 1 | Material three | 22.00 $ | http://amazon.com/test |
Process¶
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."
My sketches are ...
This model 1 was obtained by..
The design 2 was created using..
footnote fabrication files
Fabrication files are a necessary element for evaluation. You can add the fabrication files at the bottom of the page and simply link them as a footnote. This was your work stays organised and files will be all together at the bottom of the page. Footnotes are created using [ ^ 1 ] (without spaces, and referenced as you see at the last chapter of this page) You can reference the fabrication files to multiple places on your page as you see for footnote nr. 2 also present in the Gallery.
Code Example¶
Use the three backticks to separate code.
// the setup function runs once when you press reset or power the board
void setup() {
// initialize digital pin LED_BUILTIN as an output.
pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
}
// the loop function runs over and over again forever
void loop() {
digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
delay(1000); // wait for a second
digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW); // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
delay(1000); // wait for a second
}
Gallery¶
Video¶
From Vimeo¶
Sound Waves from George Gally (Radarboy) on Vimeo.