Final Project - Slime Mold Skirt
I had a great time creating this project. Initially, after rolling the dice, the resulting prompts of graphic/fashion design, nature, and robotics/circuitry instilled fear in my heart. At this point in the semester we had not yet explored circuitry and I had very limited experience with the medium. I was baffled - I had no idea what direction to take. However, with nature being a very broad category and the option to do fashion design, I realized I could create a handprinted garment, something I had previous experience with.
To begin the brainstorm I thought about what fascinated me most in nature. I had recently learned about slime molds, a brainless, single-cell organism that is able to find the most efficient path to its target (food). I observed the curving, branch-like structures visible in images of the organism, sketching what I saw onto pieces of linoleum. I carved two larger pieces meticulously, and then I made smaller branching shapes that I could use to connect larger forms while printing.
In finding a garment, I decided to put my trust in the hands of whichever thrift store was in my vicinity. I ended up finding a beautiful asymmetrical white skirt that flowed in a pleasing way. Even better, upon trying it on I realized the skirt was held together in a wrap by buttons, allowing me to lay it out completely flat. This was incredibly lucky, making the printing process less of a pain than if the skirt hadn't had this feature. By choosing a plain garment, I had freedom to adorn it however I pleased.
The best thing about creating this project is that I could make a piece of clothing that I would want to wear - the next step was to print! I wanted to mimic the chaotic, snaking masses of larger mold structures. With this in mind, I decided to allow each print to guide the next one. I can't say for sure how many individual prints compose the larger piece, but I would guess it to be in the dozens. I did the bulk of the printing on my bedroom floor (my back paid for that decision) since I like to work late at night. I reached a sort of flow-state, listening to music and allowing the pattern to speak for itself.
Linoleum carvings
Then came the most daunting step - installing the circuit. Thankfully, we had just reviewed circuitry in class, so I had a fairly clear idea of what I was to do. I examined a graphic that included snap buttons as the "switch" - when snapped together, they would complete the circuit, offering a garment-friendly alternative to a bulkier flip-switch. I then sketched out the basic path I wanted the LEDs to take, following along the flow of the prints. I decided to install five lights into the skirt as I wanted them to compliment the design rather than distract from it. After testing each individual light, I twisted the prongs into loops in order to make them sewable. I used the guide linked below to help me break down the steps of creating a parallel circuit on fabric. Next, I used painters tape to position each LED as well as the snaps and battery source. All that was left to do was sew! I started from the battery source, looping around the positive end of each LED before tying off at the last one. I repeated this process with the negative end, making sure to sew the snaps in place to break the circuit. Finally, the moment of truth came - seeing if the thing worked! And thankfully, it did (although now the last light is being finicky and won't turn on, but this is the plight of circuitry).
What started as a vague idea filled with uncertainty and a feeling that I lacked the necessary expertise, ended up as a fully realized, functional garment. I'm proud of myself for persevering and executing my original idea, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out!
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