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 […]

This years Valentine’s Day tutorial appears more complex than Stabby Valentine or the Hello Kitty Punchy Valentine, but thats just because of the  fancy French Knots! Look beyond the embroidery and you’ll find a basic LED circuit with some hidden gems on how to sew with conductive thread, mark traces, and hide the circuitry. In the end the Heart Pillow […]

The right tools help make the project a success: Aligator Clips, wire cutters, pliers, LEDs, battery holder, yarns, and crimping beads. More Information about weaving with conductive thread, LEDs, and battery power packs: The Starlight Table Runner in Handwoven Magazine November 2012. Clasped Weft Weaving with Conductive Thread and LEDs  in Weavezine May 2009. or search ‘weave’ on The eTextile Lounge!

    Detail of how I use conductive thread strung with crimping beads in the warp to insert and secure the thru hole quadrate LEDs.  

    Current flows from the battery along the negative trace (black) thru a resistor and to the negative lead of the LED. The electrons jump the P-N Junction inside the lens cap emitting light and the depleted current returns to the battery along the positive trace (red). Other blog posts on LED’s LED Close Up  

The 8 year old and I had the Borderless faux Arduino board working in no time – once I remembered to change the Arduino platform over to a Lenardo board setting. Its the little things that snag the system.   However there are no instructions. No printed directions came with the kit to bring the new user to a website, […]

I used a USB Microscope Camera from adafruit to capture this detail. Read more about light emitting diodes on wikipedia