First I draw my circuit with pen and paper.     Scan it into the Brother ScanNCut using Scan to Cut Data.     Leave it in place on the cutting mat.     Using the ScanNCut pen attachment draw the circuit on the same piece of paper and check for accuracy against your original image.     I […]

  I like to wax my threads before I do any hand sewing. This is especially handy with conductive threads which are generally hairy and tangle easily. Taking a few minutes to wax thread is a major time saver!   Purchase a cake of bees wax from your local sewing shop.     Pull the thread thru the bees wax […]

  I use 3V coin cell batteries in many of my eTextile and paper computing projects. They’re small, easy to use, and effectively power multiple LEDs. In general the negative terminal is the underside, unmarked, and has a dotted textured surface. While the positive side will be marked with a + symbol. These CR2032, as with the design of most […]

    New video can be viewed on The eTextile Lounge youTube channel. Arduino Code can be uploaded to ATtiny45 using the Arduino as ISP Tutorial. /*Five LED Blink Fast in Sequence*/ /*Arduino Uno v.1.0.3 as ISP for Atmel ATtiny45 internal 8MHz clock*/ /*14 Ocotber 2014*/ /*lynne bruning for The eTextile Lounge*/ /*http://lbruning.com/etextilelounge*/ // led is attached to pin int […]

  You’ve purchased a quart of conductive paint, pried the can open, and now you’re wondering how to use it? Not to worry! All you need is a piston syringe to transfer the paint from the can to a squeeze bottle of your choosing.   I found these 60 cc syringes on Amazon.   The least expensive option is a […]

At the beginning of a project I take a few moments to mark the polarity of my LED’s using nail polish, magic marker, or seed beads and then bending the metal lead into a specific shape. This helps my accuracy when sewing the LED’s into my eTextiles. I encourage you to take a few moments to do this as it […]

  Sew traces with conductive thread and red or black bobbin threads to indicate the electrical polarity. Adjust the tension allowing the bobbin thread to pull thru to the fashion fabric so that the polarity is easily determined. Reverse side of the fabric clearly shows the bobbin thread. Keep bobbins wound and ready for action.  

  When working with multiple LEDs for the same project take a moment to determine how to indicate the polarity of the LED.     Before I begin a project I use paint, nail polish, beads, or bend the LEDs positive and negative leads into specific shapes.     This allows me to quickly and accurately add LEDs to the […]

  When working with Arduino to program ATtinys I use this standard breadboard set up. The right half I use to program and the left side I use to test.   This system allows me to upload the boot loader and code and then quickly test the microcontroller for blink.  

    Connecting the postive and negative terminals of the Maxbotix range finder to a Keystone Electronics Battery Holder.   more information on battery holder can be found on my 25 January 2013 blog post