Abstract
BackgroundThe maker movement in recent years has shed light on the blurring boundaries between crafts, creativity, and technology. Tools are a key part of the creation process, shaping both our process of making and the objects we make. They do so through their form and material influence, the matter they can handle, as well as the skills needed to utilize them. Often, tools also evoke stereotypical associations of who is using them and what is being produced with them.Findings and ConclusionsIn the following, I focus on needlework tools and the crafting of electronic textiles. I introduce research into the shape and aesthetics of needlework tools that incorporate the functionality of electronic probes. On a functional level, they can be used to construct pieces of textile crafts as well as to connect and test their electrical functions while making. On a metaphorical level, they allude to a possible alternative realm of creating electronic devices and components. In connecting the skills and aesthetics of textile crafting to electronic objects, we want to spark an exchange between different making cultures and enable diverse approaches for expression.
Highlights
The maker movement in recent years has shed light on the blurring boundaries between crafts, creativity, and technology
While there has been a growing availability of material resources to engage with etextiles, there has been very little work to date on researching and developing tools to support an e-textile craft: tools that cater to the specific challenges that arise from the merging of distinct disciplines
Existing tools for measuring resistance or detecting electrical connections, as they are designed for a different making context, are mostly not compatible with textile materials
Summary
The maker movement in recent years has shed light on the blurring boundaries between crafts, creativity, and technology. A range of kits are available providing designed electronic components that can be sewn onto fabric, as well as conductive and resistive threads for making connections and crafting sensor. While there has been a growing availability of material resources to engage with etextiles, there has been very little work to date on researching and developing tools to support an e-textile craft: tools that cater to the specific challenges that arise from the merging of distinct disciplines.
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