LilyPad and Sewable Circuits

1. LilyPad and Sewable Circuits Angela Sheehan E-Textile Education Specialist SparkFun Electronics angela.sheehan@sparkfun.com Kathy Lane Library Programs Specialist Boulder Public Library lanek@boulderlibrary.org

2. Crafting with e-Textiles • Introduces electronics concepts through familiar craft activities. • Help to inspire and engage a wider range audiences in STEM and STEAM. • Requires less specialized equipment compared to soldering activities.

3. Fabric and Fiber Arts, Traditional Craft, Fashion Techniques Electronic Embroidery Sewable Circuits e-Textiles Wearable Electronics e-Sewing Soft Circuits Electronic Prototyping, Interaction Design, Computer Programming, Engineering

6. Basic Circuit Traditional Electronics Sewable Electronics

7. Let’s Build: e-Textile Art Pin LilyPad Version Cost for 5 Kits (with Educator Discount): • LilyPad LED (5 pk) - $3.16 • Conductive Thread Bobbin (30 ft) - $2.36 • 20 mm Coin Cell Battery (5) - $7.80 • LilyPad Switch Coin Cell Holder (5) - $19.80 • Additional supplies: fabric, felt, pin back ~ $7 total cost per project (including craft supplies). Non-LilyPad Version Cost Breakdown for 5 Kits (with Educator Discount): • 3mm LED (5) - $1.40 • Conductive Thread Bobbin (30 ft) - $2.36 • 20 mm Coin Cell Battery (5) - $7.80 • Sewable Coin Cell Holder (no switch) (5) - $5 • Additional supplies: fabric, felt, pin back ~ $3.50 total cost per project (including craft supplies). Non-LilyPad saves on cost, but does not include a battery holder with switch, built in resistors, or ready-to-sew components. Full instructions and downloadable templates: http://sfe.io/r86

8. Sewing Components Sew conductive thread along lines and loop through the conductive pads at least 3 or 4 times for a good connection. Tie a knot and snip the tail short. Be aware of where you are sewing. It is easy to accidentally connect the negative to positive as shown on the left. Make sure all components are aligned and sewn correctly.

12. Avoiding Short Circuits Thread across components Thread crossing other thread Sewing positive to negative on components Connecting positive directly to negative on battery holder Loose tails/loops

13. Short Circuits: Loose Thread Tails Loose tails touching other conductive threads cause short circuits. Always trim any extra thread and seal with glue or fray check to prevent accidental contact.

14. Short Circuits: Loose Stitching Components that are not stitched tightly against fabric allow for movement and potential disconnection from thread/circuit or accidental contact with other thread/components.

15. Bringing E-Textiles into Library Programming

16. Tips for Workshop Planning: Pre-assembling, kitting, or dividing out materials such as pre-threaded needles, glued on components or precut shapes will cut down on build time and frustration. More tips for E-Textiles Workshops at Learn.Sparkfun.com https://learn.sparkfun.com/blog/1361

17. Smaller, successful projects keep participants engaged and excited about crafting. Then move onto larger projects. An ideal workshop is 1-3 hours. For larger projects, break into a series of smaller events. e-Textile Mask https://sfe.io/t306 Twinkling Trick or Treat Bag https://sfe.io/t296

18. Tips for E-Textile Instructors: • Embrace failure! • Practice projects beforehand. • Provide pre-built demos. • Encourage planning.

19. Tips for E-Textile Instructors: • Make the project scalable. • Invite neighborly collaboration.

20. E-Textiles Learning Process: Building • Paper Circuits/Squishy Circuits - great for younger ages. • Simple E-Textiles Project - single LED and battery. Explore sewing with conductive thread. • Multiple LED circuits - 3-5 LEDs and a battery. Discuss planning circuits and avoiding short circuits in larger projects.

21. E-Textiles Learning Process: Programming • Craft with pre-programmed microcontrollers. Learn about programming concepts and how they work. • Introduce Arduino programming with LilyPad. Explore prototyping with alligator clips and construction techniques and planning for larger interactive projects.

22. Budgets & Supplies (Insert Lily Twinkle or other lilypad project here for budget comparison)

23. Lilypad Budget (Prices shown are with SparkFun’s Educator Discount) ProtoSnap - eSewing Kit ProtoSnap - LilyTwinkle $20 per set Including: • 5" Fabric Template • 5 x LilyPad White LEDs • LilyPad Button • LilyPad Slide Switch • LilyPad Coin Cell Battery Holder • Bobbin of Conductive Thread • Needle Set • Coin Cell Battery $16 per set Including: • Laser-Cut Felt “Jar” Parts • 4 x White LilyPad LEDs • ProtoSnap LilyTwinkle Board • LilyPad Coin Cell Battery Holder • Bobbin of Conductive Thread • Needle Set • Coin Cell Battery

24. *Non-LilyPad saves on cost, but does not include a battery holder with switch, built in resistors, or ready-to-sew components. Simple LED Project Budget* 1 set approx $7 10 sets approx $32 25 sets approx $78 Budget includes: 2 blinking LEDs 2 solid LEDs Conductive thread Battery Needles Additional supplies needed: Felt or other fabric Buttons, bling, embroidery floss Battery pouch (felt, foam, closure) Scissors, Needle nose pliers Blinking $0.60 / ea Solid color $0.09 / ea $2.36 pack of 25 or $0.28 singly vs. $0.03 / foot $32 $0.08 / foot $2.36

26. More Resources: SparkFun Resources/Downloadable Activities: http://learn.sparkfun.com/resources/tags/e-craft http://learn.sparkfun.com/resources/tags/e-textiles SparkFun Project Tutorials: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/tags/e-textiles High-Low Tech @ MIT Media Labs: http://highlowtech.org http://highlowtech.org/?p=2505 - Paper Circuits How To Get What You Want - online resources for techniques, and projects: http://www.kobakant.at/DIY The Tinkering Studio @ Exploratorium http://tinkering.exploratorium.edu/paper-circuits Instructables http://www.instructables.com/howto/lilypad/

27. Where Can I Buy LilyPad Stuff? E-Textiles Category http://www.sparkfun.com/categories/204

28. Coding Tips