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The Future of Quilting

The Future of Quilting

13th Sep 2021

I haven’t been working on quilts for long, but once I got comfortable with my new hobby, I did what most everyone does: I looked to the future. Was this a fad that I would do for 6 months then drop like a 90’s kid’s Giga Pet? Was I going to quit my job, buy a 5th wheel, and drive cross country blogging my sewing adventures? Or will it be somewhere in between? That’s the fun thing about the future: you never know what it will be like. Which is also what makes it terrifying. So, as I started to gaze into my crystal ball, I wondered what the future of quilting will be. One of the ways the future of quilting is emerging is through the intersection of quilting and technology.

Many of you are familiar with how technology is currently intergraded with quilting. Most new sewing machines are jampacked with technologic new features that help sewing and quilting run more smoothly and quickly. I had the opportunity to use my friend’s digital long arm machine and it was a blast. My mind is already predisposed to using technology to create, and the digital long arm was no different. It was fun to learn how the world of soft crafts can be enhanced by technology assistance. In the past what would have taken a skilled steady hand, pantograph design, and most likely a full day if not two only took a few hours and a digital file. I have worked with 3D printers, digital plotters, and laser cutters for years. So, it makes since to add this to my repertoire of knowledge and honestly just builds on the skills I already have. My current sewing machine is leaps and bounds more advanced than the machine I learned on. I swear if I hit the wrong button on the digital display, I will end up launching the next NASA spacecraft. Never in a million years did I think I would have the chance to own such a complex machine.



So, what is next for sewing and quilting? Is the next step going to be machines that we feed cut up fabric into, and it spits out a fully sewn piece? I really hope not. I mean sure, there are days I wish this was the case and I would rather throw my machine out the window. (Okay, not really but you get my point.) However, I find part of the joy in creating quilts is that zone you get into when you are actively sewing. There is something about the rhythm of the stiches and going into a zen headspace that is awesome. The tactile of having the fabric under your fingers as you push the fabric though. I would hate to lose that, though I’m sure I would get a lot more done. I don’t have the answers as to what the future will look like, but I know that technology will be a part of the future. At QuiltCon 2020, one of the brands was showing off their latest machine that included a projector so that you could audition stiches and find the center line easily. Advances like this will make sewing more convenient, but you still need basic sewing skills.

I have been working in the Makerspace environment for the past 6 years in one form or another. I started off working in a mobile Makerspace for a science museum and then transitioned to a more normal Makerspace at a library. During this time, I have had a lot of time to tinker with tools and designs to help feed my curiosity. One of the ideas I dreamed about was incorporating conductive thread into quilts. If you have never heard of conductive thread, it is exactly how it sounds. It is thread spun from stainless steel fiber that can be used to conduct electrical current. It is not very comfortable against skin but can add elements like lights or switches into your designs. If you are interested in a beginner kit, I suggest this one from the SparkFun website. I had the opportunity to teach my guild how to use conductive thread in a project like the one pictured here by Debra Babb Wolf.



This project got me inspired and I started thinking about how I could incorporate conductive thread in a quilt. This brought me to an idea of an interactive quilt that would play sounds when you touch it. So, to the drawing board I went! I wanted something small, a proof of concept that would prove it can be done. I did lots of research into conductive thread and found that there were not a lot of projects like this out in the wild. I also learned very quickly that sewing with conductive thread in a sewing machine is, well maybe not the best of ideas. Conductive thread doesn’t like to be wound up and likes to stay in a straight line. Trying to force it to go through a sewing machine isn’t easy. There were a few times I thought I was going to break my sewing machine as well. One of the biggest complications is that you must keep the lines of conductive thread from touching each other. If they touch, they can short circuit and your project doesn’t work so you really must plot out how your thread will get from point A to point B without touching another thread.

I also used conductive material that I cut out on my Cricut Maker to give visual interest along with an idea of what this project does. Lastly, I used a Makey Makey computer board to be the brains of the operation. A Makey Makey is a keyboard emulator, it pretends to be the arrow keys on the keyboard and with the help of different software which can allow you to play video games, map sounds to keys, etc. all by simply closing a circuit. When it was all said and done my project looked like this.






It looks like a hot mess; the conductive thread lines are all over the place. The Makey Makey was barely sewn on and about to fall off at any moment. However, this project wasn’t for looks it was for function and it was a test after all. Thankfully it worked and did exactly what I wanted it to do. By placing your hand on the center handprint then touching any of the 4 musical notes the laptop would play a corresponding piano note. Check out the video! You can’t really play a song with just 4 notes, but it was fun to play none the less.

So, where does this leave us with the future of quilting? Who knows! Lots of companies are starting to experiment with conductive thread in their product. Levi is testing out Project Jacquard which in its first iteration had conductive thread sewn into the sleeve and allowed you to interact with your smart phone in your pocket. There is this project by Maketvee over on the instructables.com that is a Neopixel LED Skirt that is motion triggered (check out the video it is really cool). Maybe in the future quilts will be used to help monitor vital signs of loved ones. Or a way for a non-verbal child to help communicate with their parent though a more comforting interface such as a quilt, instead of a keyboard. Or maybe quilt shows will become more interactive with quilts that react as you touch them or get near them. That is what I am hoping for anyway. I have a few ideas on some designs I hope to work on in the future and bring to a quilt show near you. Who knows, this might grab the interest of the younger generations and get them quilting. I think we would all be happy about that.

Ian is one of our Cotton Cuts ambassadors! If you want to keep up with what he is doing in the future of quilting. Give him a follow on Instagram and Youtube!