We present EcoThreads, a sustainable e-textile prototyping approach for fabricating biodegradable functional threads. We synthesized two thread-based fabrication methods, wet spinning and thread coating, to fabricate functional threads from biomaterials or modify natural fiber to achieve conductive or interactive functionality. We built a wet spinning tool from a modified DIY syringe pump to spin biodegradable conductive threads. The conductive and interactive threads can be further integrated into textiles through weaving, knitting, embroidery, and braiding. We conducted a workshop study inviting e-textile practitioners to use the materials to fabricate e-textile swatches for transient use cases. The EcoThreads approach presents a path for individual creators to incorporate biodegradable material choices toward sustainable e-textile practices.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642718
Slipped and tucked stitches introduce small areas of deformation that compound and result in emergent textures on knitted fabrics. When used together with color changes and ladders, these can also produce dramatic colorwork and openwork effects. However, designing slip and tuck colorwork patterns is challenging due to the complex interactions between operations, yarns, and deformations. We present KnitScape, a browser-based tool for design and simulation of stitch patterns for knitting. KnitScape provides a design interface to specify 1) operation repeats, 2) color changes, and 3) needle positions. These inputs are used to build a graph of yarn topology and run a yarn-level spring simulation. This enables visualization of the deformation that arises from slip and tuck operations. Through its design tool and simulation, KnitScape enables rapid exploration of a complex colorwork design space. We demonstrate KnitScape with a series of example swatches.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642799
Researchers have found that hobbyist-sewers seek to create new or adapted clothing designs that foster self-expression through communicating ideas, opinions and emotions. Although existing sewing technologies enable designing new patterns, they focus only on the technical aspects of pattern drafting and not on how information can be expressed. To address this gap, we conducted a qualitative diary study with 12 hobbyist-sewers to better understand how they envision creating expressive clothing. From our analysis of the 24 expressive clothing sketches participants created and participant interviews, we identified i) five distinctive multifaceted approaches participants used for self-expression; and ii) four challenges participants identified from their design process. Informed by these insights, we present a set of implications for the design of future technologies that can better support hobbyist-sewers in designing and creating expressive clothing.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642338
Smart textiles combine electronics with traditional textile forms, showing great promise in creating soft and flexible interactive systems for human-computer interaction and robotics. However, they also present significant sustainability challenges as they merge two substantial waste streams: textiles and electronics. This paper contributes to sustainability efforts by focusing on the integration of biobased materials that are biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable in the design of smart textiles. We introduce a Desktop Biofibers Spinning Machine to enable smart textile innovators to explore biobased fibers (i.e., biofibers) and envision applications in sustainable smart textiles. We describe the machine's design, a usage walkthrough, considerations for fiber spinning, and an exploration of various formulations to make gelatin biofibers. We provide several examples of biofibers integrated into smart textile applications. Finally, we discuss lessons learned from working with biofibers and the unique opportunities our machine brings to the fiber design space in HCI.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642387
We present IntelliTex, a low-cost and highly accessible double-coating fabrication method for washable and reusable functional textiles with customized input functionalities. Specifically, off-the-shelf textiles are firstly coated with conductive carbon black using pen ink, which endows textiles with rich sensing capabilities, such as pressure, stretch, slide, and temperature. Secondly, textiles are coated with polyurethane to enhance the sensing stability over wash cycles for good reusability. To support user customization, we enrich the design space of double-coating by exploring various coating methods and diverse textiles to be coated. We further contribute a comprehensive library of input components and an online document to make our approach accessible to novice users. Finally, five application examples and a user study showcase the versatile functionalities and user accessibility of our method, with which we hope to support designers, makers, and researchers to easily create functional textiles ready to use in everyday life.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642759