My final project

First ideas

At first I did not have any ideas and then too many.

• First idea was about 3D scanning a client (at this case somebody wanting to have custom made clothing) and then having the scan somehow sculpted or laser cut into dressmakers dummy. Maybe constructing a rotating and motorized base for the client to stand on when scanning. This idea quickly died out. Mostly because very similar things already exist.

• Second idea was about tool for making woolen ribbon or tape. Belt loom is the closest English term for it that I could find. Other possible names are rigid heddle loom, tape loom and backstrap loom. Though the one traditionally used in Finland differs from all of these cause we tend to use only the heddle and shuttle, nothing more. The Finnish word for it is "nauhapirta" and the technique came to Finland during middle ages. The ribbons can be really simple or really decorative.

To make the project a bit more substantial I could design a shuttle of my own too and then the backstrap with maybe some heatpress design on it.

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  Sample ribbons.
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  Ribbon I made at home.
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  Making a ribbon. Traditionally you strap yourself from your waist to the the warps and to a stable point, in this case table leg.

• • Testing the first proto:

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  The first proto. Slots too wide and too wide apart. Otherwise working like expected. Acrylic a good choise, and I like the way you can see through.
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  The ribbon I made in under an hour.
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  Shuttle all wrong. I like that it´s quite short but it is just too thick. Have to find thinner wood or maybe 3D print it.

• Third idea about lasercutting fabrics and teaching Inkscape to my schoolmates so they would be able to design their own fabrics in the future. This would be right in the alley of my studying. Maybe few example designs and some idea how to approach the teaching part cause I'm in no way an expert... so probably just trying to inspire and courage others to be daring. And lasercut some lace to my school project, christening dress.

• • Update: Third idea started growing after talking about it. I´ll make an examble folder full of fabric tests. (Actually making three folders: one for me, one for FabLab and one for my school in Finland.) Then I´ll choose my favorite combination of fabric and lasercutting pattern and sew some cind of clothing from it.

• Last idea is about felt slippers with thick felt soles and thinner laser cut lace uppers. This could be something for the future, although I could make few examples to show to others.

Which one I will pick is still open. Have to find more info about all to be able to decide.

8.2.2016

Summary: Okay, after a lot of thinking and finding things out I decided to stick with the loom project and doing a small fabric example folders. To meet all the requirements for my vocational qualifications in product development (which part of my education I'm doing while interning here in FabLab Reykjavik) I have to find one party here in Iceland to interview and some possible collaboration partner in Finland to be able to assess the possible costs for my backstrap loom if someone wants to make one using my design.