(13/1) Final Project: Body, Circuits, and Fiber Art

I feel very fortunate to have rolled the dice the way I did. For two years I have been wanting to return to this project, wearable tech, and finally I could. I rolled Body, Circuits, and Fiber Art. This fit some of my old work that included off loom bead weaving (fibers), Arduino and circuits, and jewelry (body).

When I rolled body, to me, that immediately meant: jewelry, and the body as a canvas. My favorite way to create jewelry is through the fiber technique of fine bead work. This project could not have been more up my alley. 

I started with some sketches of amorphous shapes similar to my general style and focusing into an art jewelry direction, jewelry for arts sake. Originally I intended to create a brooch mechanism that resembles a saftey pin but as the design continued it became clear that it needed to be a tie-tack mechanism. The direction that the pin lays on the body has also changed, however it can be worn to fit the wearer's fancy. 

In one of the comments from today's critique someone asked if I hoped or thought this is the direction that wearable technology is going. And the answer is a hope so! I think there is so much kitsch rave jewelry associated with it. As well as people thinking wearable technology can only be functional as a watch that connects to your phone. There is so much more to it! Design and art has to be a bigger part of the conversation. Just because a wearable pice has technology in it does not mean that it has to be ugly. (Like the fit bit ..... cough...... cough) 

From there I cut the leather for the base out of scrap hide. I always purchase scrap leather because it is more economical, environmental friendly, and more vegetarian friendly, in not letting the scraps go to waste.

I began beading the main component using the Ndebele Stitch. And using a paper cut out of the leather shape to use as a size guide. I picked colors that I knew would work with the leather and the LED's would defuse nicely through. 

From there I completed this first part. 

I began the circuit work on the piece of leather before attaching the beads and mapped the thread path  of the conductive thread out first. 

After that it was time to attach the beads and thread the conductive thread through the weave. 

I added some bead embroidery around the edge to add some dimension and interest. 

The snaps were added and I contracted the cap for the battery using Peyote stitch. 

I attached half the snaps and then the other half to the battery pack base. 

The battery was connected and all the edges were finished with a beaded edging stitch. And the piece was completed.