Cross-Stitch

Ready to take your craft projects to the next level? With "smart" materials, unorthodox assembly techniques, and the right tools, you can create accessories, housewares, and toys that light up, make sounds, or do even more. Fashioning Technology is an introductory DIY book that brings technology and crafts together in a fun and unique way. You get jargon-free primers and lots of how-to projects that will have you making -- and even wearing -- functional works of art.

Written for a broad audience, this book demonstrates how to blend sewing and assembly techniques with traditional electronics to assemble simple circuits using conductive thread, solder joints for snaps, and switches for buttons. With the sewing machine as a viable substitute for the soldering iron, you can craft a new generation of objects that are interactive, quirky, and fashion-conscious.

Author Syuzi Pakhchyan, a seasoned artist, roboticist, and teacher, explains how to use smart materials such as thermo- and photochromatic inks that change color by touch or sunlight, magnetic and conductive paints, polymorph plastic, fiber optics, and more.

In Fashioning Technology, you'll find:

• An invaluable reference section that breaks down the materials, components, and tools with clear, concise explanations and photos
• A wide range of projects, including electronic accessories, interactive plush toys, and color-changing blinds, all using diverse crafting techniques
• Techniques for seasoned crafters interested in incorporating simple electronics into their own projects
• Methods for makers proficient in electronics who are looking for unconventional ways to create novel projects

Each project encourages you to personalize and customize using your own designs, materials, and craft skills. Fashioning Technology translates traditional electronics into fun, fashionable interactive projects for the geek, fashionista, and the craft aficionado alike. Now you really can be the flashiest dresser in town.

Old-fashioned ABC samplers are nowhere to be found in this collection of 26 stylish and witty designs that give cross-stitch a forceful new look. Unconventional wall hangings fill the first section of the book and dazzle with their bold colors, unusual lettering, and offbeat quotes from songs, books, movie dialogue, and even truck stop bathrooms. A second group of patterns features intriguing, small designs called "tattoos" to sew on T-shirts, jean jackets, bracelets, and handbags, and a final section shifts to the decoration of household items such as pillows, dish towels, and a cloth-wrapped money jar. Each project is accompanied by commentary explaining the inspiration behind the design, and sidebars offer tips for personalizing the final product by adding beads, dyed fabric backgrounds, or frames made from hardware and found objects. Basic technique demos teach beginners how to form cross-stitches, mix cross-stitch with other embroidery, choose and use embroidery thread, stitch on linen, and work out designs on blank graphs.