Blue Wave Diode Bangle, unfinished

I was very inspired by the blue LED lights that came in from Aniomagic last week so I matched up some delicas and got to work.

I decided to stick to a simple wave-like pattern that is the same on both sides of the bangle. I am continuing to keep the LED sequins in the middle of the piece.  This design was thought out much more thoroughly than the first design, but I really just had to dig in with wherever it took me to get going on the first one.

Also, I had to use white thread on the first bangle (because I chose white beads that the black thread would show through on) which is not as strong as the black (nymo size D on both bracelets).  This second bangle holds its own shape much better because of that!

eTextiles: e-Beaded Bangle #1

I finished putting in the other half of the LED sequines into my first eBeaded bangle.  It's really growing on me, and I had a fun time showing it to people at the Ann Arbor Fiberart Guild Fiber Feast (Is that bracelet... blinking?)

There's 1 LED that has a faint glow when sparkle is going, and then lights bring in the patterned blinking.  I'm not sure if the LED is a little off, or if I did something wrong.  In any event, I'll keep playing.  I have a design in mind for the blue LED sequines that I got in last week from AnioMagic.  I'd like to place all 10 of them into a bracelet.

Oh so Orange

I'm not sure if I just like all colors and am exploring them one by one or if I'm seeing a lot of orange coming for spring and I want in.  I partly blame the J. Crew catalog, and a new dress I couldn't pass up from Le  French Bulldog in Bellaire, MI.  I am now the proud owner of a tangerine/neon orange Jax dress.  I have been plotting new geometric designs to compliment this dress and I have already found the prefect cream pumps.  In the meantime though I have been dabbling with some orange beads and noticing that I need a wider array of orange options in my bead stash.

These pieces I have been playing with have made it over to the Grove Gallery display case for the time being, but will make a 1-day appearance at the Ann Arbor Fiberart Guild's annual Spring fashion show, Fiber Feast.  I'm taking a small hiatus on making stock at the moment due to learning about eTextiles and integrating conductive thread and LED lights into my beadwork.

eTextiles: Half of the lights are in!

I ran into a few problems:

1) I wired it so that when you slip the battery in, you have to put it in backwards. (Which is actually a relief because at first I thought that after all that sewing conductive thread through beads it didn't work.)

2) Broken beads/needles.  Which happen in a lot of my projects.  Normally a broken bead is easy to drop in after you break it out but since the conductive thread is so thick it can only really go through the beads twice (only once in some of them). Broken needles, well, I do that a lot these days from passing too much thread through my beads.

3) I'm not 100% on the design, this is so new to me that I tend to have to play a lot before I have totally pure inspiration based on a technique.  So I ordered 30 more LED sequins, 2 more Sparkle and and on/off switch last night from Aniomagic.  I think I'm going to make the next one with more lights and less different types of beads, it feels busy to me.  Thoughts?  I would really love comments on what you think of the design.

On the up-side, the conductive thread is a lot easier to bead with than I was expecting, I just need a decent amount on the end where the needle will tear at it as I go (to cut and throw out), but it passes through delicas quite well, most size 11/0 seed beads, and *sometimes* a 15/0 seed bead (very tiny). 

(Please excuse my cat, Danielle, in the video.  She likes to be the center of attention).

eTextiles: Framing up a Bangle

Lesson learned today: sewing together LED lights with sparkle must be done in a certain fashion.  I kept thinking that it is just like doing electrical (plugs, light switches etc.) in your house.  Thought process has been changed.  I doubt I'll forget to wire normal electrical but I have to avoid that thinking.

Using http://www.instructables.com/.  This is the diagram that helped me the most: Step 3.  And here's me getting it right:

So then I was on a bit of a roll and I got the battery holder and sparkle attached to the bangle "frame."

So my question for Tuesday's eTextile meeting will be, cal sparkle be worn against the skin? I'm guessing that little back-circuit board will be fine all in all.  Of course, I can always cover it in beads!