Joan Horvath,

Lyn Hoge and

Rich Cameron

Practical Fashion Tech

Wearable Technologies for Costuming, Cosplay, and Everyday

Joan Horvath

Nonscriptum LLC, Pasadena, California, USA

Lyn Hoge

Los Angeles, California, USA

Rich Cameron

Nonscriptum LLC, Pasadena, California, USA

Any source code or other supplementary materials referenced by the author in this text is available to readers at www.apress.com/9781484216637 . For detailed information about how to locate your book’s source code, go to www.apress.com/source-code/ . Readers can also access source code at SpringerLink in the Supplementary Material section for each chapter.

ISBN 978-1-4842-1663-7

e-ISBN 978-1-4842-1662-0

DOI 10.1007/978-1-4842-1662-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016954029

© Joan Horvath, Lyn Hoge and Rich Cameron 2016

Practical Fashion Tech

Managing Director: Welmoed Spahr

Lead Editors: Michelle Lowman and Natalie Pao

Editorial Board: Steve Anglin, Pramila Balan, Louise Corrigan, James T. DeWolf, Jonathan Gennick, Robert Hutchinson, Celestin Suresh John, James Markham, Susan McDermott, Matthew Moodie, Ben Renow-Clarke, Gwenan Spearing

Coordinating Editors: Mark Powers and Jessica Vakili

Copy Editor: Corbin Collins

Compositor: SPi Global

Indexer: SPi Global

Artist: SPi Global

For information on translations, please e-mail [email protected] , or visit www.apress.com .

Apress and friends of ED books may be purchased in bulk for academic, corporate, or promotional use. eBook versions and licenses are also available for most titles. For more information, reference our Special Bulk Sales–eBook Licensing web page at www.apress.com/bulk-sales .

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.

Trademarked names, logos, and images may appear in this book. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, logo, or image, we use the names, logos, and images only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights.

While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.

Printed on acid-free paper

Distributed to the book trade worldwide by Springer Science+Business Media New York, 233 Spring Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10013. Phone 1-800-SPRINGER, fax (201) 348-4505, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.springeronline.com. Apress Media, LLC is a California LLC and the sole member (owner) is Springer Science + Business Media Finance Inc (SSBM Finance Inc). SSBM Finance Inc is a Delaware corporation.

This book is dedicated to Lyn Hoge’s family, biological and extended, for the laughter, adventure, support, and love. They have been there through the good and the bad and have always generously shared their intelligence, joy, and creative ideas.

Introduction

This book is a collaboration between two technologists (Joan and Rich) and a veteran teacher, costumer, and choreographer (Lyn). The three of us take turns narrating different chapters and sections. Fashion tech can require skills in design, pattern-making, sewing, electronics, programming, and 3D printing. Besides the tech skills, making a good costume or accessory also requires knowledge of the intangibles of what makes a good costume. We know that people come to fashion tech and wearable electronics from a variety of directions, and that any given reader may know a lot about one part already. We have structured the book so that you can easily skip a chapter or two if you are very experienced in that particular art already.

There are many books in this space that present sets of projects. We have those too, but we wanted to focus on showing why things are done a certain way so that you can figure out how the techniques might apply in other situations. The technology is changing fast, and there are many new components to play with all the time; the key thing is to know the general assumptions behind how they are designed, and where you are most likely to find information on how to use the latest thing. There are many good resources out there on how to sew, how to 3D print, and how to use an Arduino. We felt that the missing part was bringing them together in one readable volume.

We wrote this book with several audiences in mind. First, if you are already someone interested in creating great costumes for theater, or you like to go to cosplay conventions, you will be able to use the material in this book to make your creations interactive, illuminated, or wherever you choose to go with the technologies. If, on the other hand, you are passingly familiar with Arduino electronics but have no idea how to sew or assemble a garment, you can fill in your gaps and learn how to design the overall project.

If you are a high school or college teacher who needs to create a “Fashion Tech,” “Costume Tech,” or “Wearable Electronics” course, Appendix A has some suggestions that you could use to get started. The material in this book would also work well as the basis for a summer camp session that would mix traditional sewing and crafting with some electronics and coding. One caveat is that the electronic components are delicate and pricey compared to traditional craft materials—they are not toys. Most manufacturers suggest a minimum age of 13 or so to use their products, with adult supervision, and we suggest the same.

One of the challenges in fashion tech is that you need a lot of stuff. First, you need a sewing machine, or you need to stick to projects that start from an existing garment or that are small enough to hand sew.) You will need to purchase the electronic components required, and you will need access to 3D-printing services for those projects. We have tried to design the projects so that you can try things out with as little hardware as possible for any given project.

The big temptation in doing a first project is to do something big and complicated. That is a bad idea, because without experience it can be very hard to debug projects that mix sewing, electronic circuits, and software. We devote almost a whole chapter (Chapter 10 ) to deconstructing our first collective project, which was far too ambitious, it turns out. To reduce the temptation, we provide first projects that are fun and open-ended so that you can add more if you would like, or stop when you feel you have a product you are happy with.

To cover all this ground, we divide the book in four parts. The first part, “The Big Picture,” sets the stage for the rest. Chapter 1 gives our view of what fashion tech comprises and talks about how the three of us work together as a model for you to build your own team. Chapter 2 then gives a broad introduction to what makes a good theatrical costume, assuming that is how many will apply this material.

Moving on to Part II, “The Basics,” we introduce the key skills needed for wearable tech. Chapter 3 introduces hand and machine sewing basics, with many references to other resources. Chapter 4 focuses on the art of creating and using a sewing pattern. In Chapter 5 we switch over to the tech side and give an introduction to electronic components. In Chapter 6 we see how to program these devices. Finally, in Chapter 7 we bring it all together in a comprehensive but manageable project to create a hostess apron with a built-in timer that flashes a red light on the apron when the timer is counting down, and a green one when time is up. These chapters are enough to create “blinky” projects—garments that light up with some minimal ability to control the lights.

Part III, “Beyond the Basics,” explores more sophisticated topics. Chapter 8 reviews the different types of sensors that are available to make your project react to its environment and introduces some other hardware, such as motors, that is beyond the scope of this book to review in detail but that we think you should know about generally.

Chapter 9 summarizes the 3D-printing process and gives pointers on where to learn about it in detail. Chapter 10 talks about our experiences trying to create an overly complex project (a dress with a mind of its own) without adequate planning.

If you are thinking of going straight to Chapter 11 ’s bigger projects (we know, we would have thought about it too), resist the urge and read Chapter 10 first. Speaking of Chapter 11 , there you will find the dress from this book’s cover, which uses electroluminescent (EL) ribbon to light up the boundaries between fabric blocks. This is an intermediate sewing project and requires no circuit design or coding. The other project in that chapter takes an off-the-shelf hat and adds circuitry to it so that it lights up red if you shake your head no and green if you nod your head yes. The hat project requires minimal sewing. Thus you can pick a substantial project based on where you feel most secure.

Finally, in Part IV, “Where to Go from Here,” Chapter 12 looks at other technologies we did not capture elsewhere in the book but that are frequently used in amateur costuming, like laser cutting, foam armor creation, and vacuum forming. Chapter 13 winds up the main part of the book with a look at some high-end current projects and some speculations on where the field may go in the future.

We have also included two appendices. Appendix A has details about how you might think about laying out one project-focused class of varying length to teach all the pieces of fashion tech. Appendix B captures all the links in the book in one ready reference.

There are several Arduino sketches in this book. They are available for download. Instructions are on the copyright page of this book.

We hope you enjoy trying out the aspects of fashion tech that are new to you, and we hope to see many projects in the future. If you create something cool based on this book, you can tweet it to Joan on her @JoanHorvath Twitter account, or contact us at www.nonscriptum.com to let us know. Now, start reading and make something awesome!

Acknowledgments

This book draws heavily on the open source hardware and software communities. First, we want to acknowledge the contributions of the Arduino community worldwide, particularly the many useful tutorials and background information at www.arduino.cc , and the community behind the Fritzing software ( www.fritzing.org ), which we use for many illustrations. The consumer 3D printing ecosystem would not exist in its current form without the open source 3D printing hardware and software community, which we as always are grateful for as the basis of much that we have built upon in our work. We have endeavored to attribute open-source material accurately wherever it appears and apologize for any inadvertent omissions.

The maker community as a whole has also been very supportive. The picture of Joan and Rich in the “About the Authors” section was taken at the 2015 San Mateo Makerfaire by Ethan Etnyre; we appreciate all the inspiration we have gotten by looking at projects made by everyone at maker events.

The Apress production team, past and present, made this process seamless for the most part, and was there with virtual needle and thread for the occasions where it was not. We dealt most directly with Mark Powers, Michelle Lowman, Corbin Collins, Natalie Pao, Jessica Vakili and Welmoed Spahr, but we also appreciate the many we did not see.

We thank the staff, teachers and students of Windward School in Los Angeles, particularly to those in Lyn’s 2015-2016 theater costuming class where many of these concepts were tried out in early form, as well as Lyn’s department chair, Jordon Fox. The owners, past and present, of Make Believe costuming in Santa Monica, California, were very helpful in discussions of what makes a good costume. Bill Doran, cofounder of Punished Props, was also generous with his time in giving us ideas of what to include in Chapter 12 . Others have given us permission to use their images or ideas, and we credit those gifts where they occur.

Finally, we are grateful to our friends and families for putting up with the disruption of a maker book in progress and supplying pizza interventions when needed. The book has been a wonderful creative ride for the three of us, and we appreciate everyone on each of our individual roads to this point.

Contents

  1. Part I: The Big Picture
    1. Chapter 1:​ Fashion Tech
      1. A Brief History of Fashion Tech
      2. Costuming
      3. Our Design Philosophy
      4. Planning Your Projects
        1. The Wearer’s Environment
        2. Prototyping and Testing
      5. Summary
    2. Chapter 2:​ Practical Costume Design
      1. What Is a Costume?​
        1. The Power of Costume Design
        2. Lyn’s Tips for Student Theatrical Costuming
      2. Costume Design Principles
        1. Making a Costume Work for You
        2. Costume Development Time and Effort
      3. Beginner Mistakes
        1. Materials
        2. Estimating Time
        3. Do Not Go It Alone
      4. Summary
  2. Part II: The Basics
    1. Chapter 3:​ How to Sew
      1. Basic Hand Sewing Tools and Techniques
        1. Threading a Needle
        2. Knotting the Thread
        3. Using Different Stitches
      2. Threading a Sewing Machine
        1. Winding the Bobbin
        2. Installing the Needle
        3. Threading the Top of the Machine
        4. Inserting the Bobbin
      3. Trying Out Machine Sewing
        1. Changing Seam Direction
        2. Trying Out Types of Stitches
        3. Stitches in Context
      4. Summary
    2. Chapter 4:​ Making and Using Sewing Patterns
      1. Measuring
      2. Choosing a Pattern
        1. Buying a Pattern
        2. Making a Pattern
        3. Basic Pattern Shapes and Pieces
        4. Choosing Fabric
        5. Figuring Out How Much Fabric You Need
      3. Using a Pattern
        1. Laying Out the Pattern
        2. Pinning and Cutting the Pieces
        3. Marking the Fabric
      4. Creating a Simple Vest
        1. Choosing Fabric
        2. Laying Out and Cutting the Pattern
        3. Sewing the Vest
        4. Other Finishing
      5. Things That Go Wrong
      6. Fashion Tech Considerations
      7. Summary
    3. Chapter 5:​ Wearable Tech Electronics
      1. Circuit Design
        1. Breadboards
        2. Ohm’s Law
        3. Circuit Components
      2. Voltage Divider
        1. Potentiometers
        2. Example
      3. Creating a Circuit
      4. Sewable Components
        1. Sewable Arduino Boards
        2. Prototyping with Sewable Arduino Boards
      5. Batteries
      6. Conductive Ribbon and Thread
      7. Other Components
      8. Laundry
      9. Summary
    4. Chapter 6:​ Programming Wearables
      1. Programming Basics
        1. Open vs.​ Closed-loop Control
        2. Planning a Program:​ Flowcharting
      2. Arduino Code Conventions
        1. Format Conventions
        2. Things People Find Intimidating
        3. Programming Vocabulary and Ideas
        4. Walking Through Some Examples
      3. Programming an Arduino
        1. How the Arduino Thinks
        2. Compiling, Loading, Running
        3. Adding Libraries
        4. Using Preprocessor Directives
        5. Writing Code For Figure 5-7
      4. Arduino Input and Output
        1. Digital Read and Write
        2. Analog Read and PWM
        3. Writing to the Serial Port
      5. Programming Sewable Boards
      6. Summary
    5. Chapter 7:​ Your First Project
      1. The Egg-Timer Apron
        1. Planning the Project
        2. Control Design and Software
        3. Laying Out the Circuit
        4. Debugging
      2. Sewing the Apron
        1. Creating a Pattern
        2. Creating the Saucepan Button
        3. Creating the Pockets
        4. Hemming the Edges
        5. Sewing the Ties and Neck Strap
        6. Assembling the Saucepan Button
      3. Sewing on the Electronics and Circuit
        1. First Conductive Thread Run
        2. Second Conductive Thread Run
        3. Third Conductive Thread Run
        4. Fourth Conductive Thread Run
        5. Fifth Conductive Thread Run
        6. Finishing It Off
      4. Practicalities
      5. Summary
  3. Part III: Beyond the Basics
    1. Chapter 8:​ Sensors and Other Hardware
      1. Sensors
        1. Creating a Circuit with a Sensor
        2. Sewable Sensor Alternatives
        3. Some Other Common Sensors
      2. Thermistor
        1. Using the Thermistor
        2. Arduino Sketch to Interface with the Thermistor
      3. Photodiode:​ Night Light Example
        1. Using a Photodiode
        2. Using More Than One Sensor in a Project
      4. Making Things Move
        1. Power Management
        2. Servos
      5. Summary
    2. Chapter 9:​ 3D Printing
      1. How 3D Printing Works
      2. 3D Modeling
        1. TinkerCAD and the Other 123D Apps
        2. OpenSCAD
        3. Other CAD Programs
      3. Slicing and Printing
        1. MatterControl
        2. Proprietary 3D Printers
      4. 3D-Printing Materials
      5. Applications
        1. Making a Mold or Casting Pattern
        2. Using a 3D-Printing Pen
      6. 3D Printing on Fabric
      7. Summary
    3. Chapter 10:​ The Importance of Planning
      1. The Too-Ambitious First Project
        1. The Haunted Dress—the Original Idea
        2. Mistakes
        3. Flora and NeoPixel Placement
        4. The Magical Sleeve
        5. The Billowing Skirt
        6. Software
        7. How It Turned Out
      2. What We Learned
        1. Materials Considerations
        2. Hiding and Supporting Batteries and Mechanisms
        3. Conductive Thread, Wires, and Cables
        4. Attaching Servos
        5. Placing Switches and Sensors
        6. Resistance-Varying Components
        7. Fiber Optics
      3. Wearing Tech
      4. Designing a Testable Project
      5. Summary
    4. Chapter 11:​ Two Bigger Projects
      1. The Yes-No Hat
        1. The Sensor
        2. Materials
        3. Creating the Circuit
        4. Attaching a Battery
        5. Libraries
        6. Loading the Code and Using the Hat
      2. The Light-up 60s Mod Dress
        1. The Design
        2. Materials and Tools
        3. Taking Your Measurements and Creating the Pattern
        4. Creating the Pattern Pieces
        5. Making the Casings for the EL Ribbon and Wire
        6. Organizing the Pieces
        7. Sewing the Front
        8. Adding the Back
        9. The Dropped-Waistband Pockets
        10. The EL Ribbon Casings
        11. EL Ribbon and Wiring the Dress
        12. Finishing Up
        13. Pillbox Hat Construction
        14. Options
      3. Summary
  4. Part IV: Where to Go From Here
    1. Chapter 12:​ Other Technologies
      1. Cutting Tools
        1. Laser Cutting
        2. CNC Milling
      2. Construction Techniques
        1. Foam Armor
        2. Vacuum Forming
        3. Worbla
      3. Other Ideas
      4. Painting
      5. Summary
    2. Chapter 13:​ A Look Ahead
      1. 3D-Printed High Fashion
        1. The Dita von Teese Dress
        2. Nervous System
      2. Electronic Fashion
        1. Anouk Wipprecht
        2. The 2016 Met Gala
      3. Textile Technologies
        1. bioLogic
        2. Project Jacquard
      4. Clothing Meets the Internet of Things
      5. A Few Last Words
      6. Summary
  5. Appendix A: Teaching Fashion Tech
  6. Course Objectives and Grading
  7. Course Description
  8. Learning Objectives
  9. Grading Criteria
  10. Logistics Issues
  11. Scheduling
  12. Sharing Materials
  13. Classroom Environment
  14. Budget
  15. Course Resources
  16. Course Content Outline
  17. Projects
  18. Schedule
  19. Appendix B: Links
  20. About the Authors
  21. Chapter 1. Fashion Tech
  22. Chapter 2. Practical Costume Design
  23. Chapter 3. How to Sew
  24. Chapter 4. Making and Using Sewing Patterns
  25. Chapter 5. Wearable Tech Electronics
  26. Chapter 6. Programming Wearables
  27. Chapter 7. Your First Project
  28. Chapter 8. Sensors and Other Hardware
  29. Chapter 9. 3D Printing
  30. Chapter 10. The Importance of Planning
  31. Chapter 11. Two Bigger Projects
  32. Chapter 12. Other Technologies
  33. Chapter 13. A Look Ahead
  34. Index

About the Authors

A371637_1_En_BookFrontmatter_Figb_HTML.jpg

Joan Horvath and Rich Cameron are the cofounders of Nonscriptum LLC based in Pasadena, California. Nonscriptum consults for educational and scientific users in the areas of 3D printing and maker technologies. Joan and Rich are particularly interested in finding ways to use maker tech to make scientific research cheaper and more accessible to the public.

This book is their latest collaboration, following their earlier works Mastering 3D Printing (Apress, 2015), The New Shop Class: Getting Started with 3D Printing, Arduino, and Wearable Tech (Apress, 2015), 3D Printing with MatterControl (Apress, 2015), and 3D Printed Science Projects (Apress, 2016). They also teach online classes in 3D printing and maker tech for LERN Network’s U Got Class continuing education program. Links for all of the above are on their website, www.nonscriptum.com .

In addition to her work with Rich, Joan also has an appointment as Core Adjunct faculty for National University’s College of Letters and Sciences. She has taught at the university level in a variety of institutions, both in Southern California and online. Before she and Rich started Nonscriptum, she held a variety of entrepreneurial positions, including VP of Business Development at a Kickstarter-funded 3D-printer company. Joan started her career with 16 years at the NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she worked in programs including the technology transfer office, the Magellan spacecraft to Venus, and the TOPEX/Poseidon oceanography spacecraft. She holds an undergraduate degree from MIT in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a master’s degree in Engineering from UCLA.

Rich (known online as “Whosawhatsis”) is an experienced open source developer who has been a key member of the RepRap 3D-printer development community for many years. His designs include the original spring/lever extruder mechanism used on many 3D printers, the RepRap Wallace, and the Deezmaker Bukito portable 3D printer. By building and modifying several of the early open source 3D printers to wrestle unprecedented performance out of them, he has become an expert at maximizing the print quality of filament-based printers. When he’s not busy making every aspect of his own 3D printers better, from slicing software to firmware and hardware, he likes to share that knowledge and experience online so that he can help make everyone else’s printers better too.

A371637_1_En_BookFrontmatter_Figc_HTML.jpg

Lyn Hoge has been a dance teacher, costumer, and choreographer for over 40 years. In that time, she has designed and created costumes for musicals, plays and various types of dance performances. These include everything from simple period costume plays like Our Town to elaborate and quirky versions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Bat Boy the Musical . Lyn has also created unique and functional designs for everything from the T-Rex and Woolly Mammoth in The Skin of Our Teeth to stilt walkers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In the past couple of years, she has been delving into the world of wearable tech and is writing about her experiences as a teacher and a student. Lyn has a BA in dance and has studied at UCLA, UCI, and at many private studios.

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset
3.140.198.43