e-textiles¶

1. Objective¶

After a week of working with natural ingredients and textile dyeing, with my fingers still carrying traces of the colours from the dye baths I had created, we moved into the world of electronics and conductive textiles.

At first glance, natural dyes and electronic circuits might seem like very different territories. However, to me both explorations are connected through the material itself: understanding how substances, fibres and structures can transform, react and communicate.

This week, we were to gain a general understanding of soft electronics by experimenting with analogue and digital sensors, electronic circuits and Arduino boards. Through these experiments, I explored how textiles can become more than passive surfaces: they can sense, respond and create new forms of interaction between materials, technology and movement.

2. Inspiration: textile, light and sound in performance¶

After Liza’s presentation, I dove straight into research of artists who combine textiles, light and technology in performative contexts. I am interested in how electronic components can become part of the artistic language of a piece and become active elements of a textile installation or sculpture that invite audience participation.

2.1. Inspiring artists¶

Nicola Woodham
Nicola Woodham is a performance artist and researcher working at the intersection of textiles, wearable technology, sound and embodied interaction. Her project The Epom explores the relationship between the body, wearable structures and electronic systems.

What I find exciting in her work is the way technology becomes an extension of the body. The textile elements are not simply costumes or decoration, but active participants in the performance. Light, movement and sound become connected through the material.

Studio Olafur Eliasson / Olafur Eliasson
Olafur Eliasson's work explores perception, light, movement and the relationship between humans and their environment. Although not specifically an e-textile artist, his installations are inspiring for thinking about light as an emotional and sensory material.

CuteCircuit
CuteCircuit creates interactive fashion and wearable technology, combining textiles, electronics and performance. Their work explores how clothing can become a communication interface through light, colour and movement.

What inspires me in their approach is the idea that garments can become expressive surfaces: textiles that react, communicate and participate in an experience.

3. Tools¶

4. Process and workflow¶

As part of our tutorial with Jessica Stanley, we learnt to build a textile continuity tester. As there was sewing involved, I was naturally drawn to building a threaded circuit that is not only useful, but also visually pleasing. So I crochetted all my external threads, and used embroidery to implement threads in the textile. I realise that being able to work the aesthetics of electronics really inspires me.

Traditionnally, we are used to want to hide cables and all technological items. The fact that there is conductive material that I can crochet, sew and embroider with, somehow changes my whole approach to electronics and its aesthetics.

4.1. Continuity tester¶

4.2. Analogue soft sensor¶

For my analogue sensor, I experimented with creating a textile pressure sensor using soft materials.

I made this by sandwiching a layer of Velostat between two layers of conductive fabric. When pressure is applied, the contact between the conductive materials changes, creating a variation in resistance that can be read through Arduino's analogRead() function.

4.2. Digital sensor¶

I created a soft textile button based on a magnetic connection.

The switch consists of: - a magnet embroidered into the textile circuit; - a small metallic element attached to a crocheted conductive yarn "lead"; - conductive thread embroidered directly onto the fabric to create the electrical connections.

The metallic element can be physically thrown or placed onto the magnetic area, closing the circuit and activating the LEDs. The conductive thread becomes both a technical element and a visible embroidery line. Instead of hiding the electronics, I wanted the circuit itself to become part of the visual language of the textile.

The switch controls two parallel pink Adafruit LED sequins connected to the circuit. When the connection is made, the LEDs light up.

This experiment made me think about how interaction can become playful and embodied. The user does not simply press a button; they perform a small gesture of connection between two textile elements, and I feel that playful sensors are something I want to exlore further.