Fashioning Technology: A DIY Intro to Smart Crafting

by Syuzi Pakhchyan

Ready to take your craft projects to the next level? With "smart" materials, unorthodox assembly techniques, and the right tools, you can create accessories, housewares, and toys that light up, make sounds, or do even more. Fashioning Technology is an introductory DIY book that brings technology and crafts together in a fun and unique way. You get jargon-free primers and lots of how-to projects that will have you making -- and even wearing -- functional...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596514379
• ISBN13: 9780596514372
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Make Community, LLC
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 9.6" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Tech you can use and understand

I picked this up at the library to check it out and was immediately impressed with it's accessible and easily understood explanation of how to read and use electronic components like resistors, capacitors, transistors and LEDs. Just about the best I've ever seen. I had to add this to my personal collection for that attribute alone. However, there's a lot of basic and easy to grasp instruction and information on materials and production techniques, too. There are plenty of projects in this book to get you started and if you're half-way creative and imaginative you should be able to springboard off them to come up with your own ideas. I wish more instructional manuals and books were written as clear and understandable as this one. Outstanding!

Cool book, great ideas

This book is a wealth of information for those looking to start delving into the world of 'soft circuits' and smart materials. It is for the beginner, and includes detailed information on circuits and parts, as well as explanations of the latest smart materials and their usages. In the last section of the book, there are easy-to-follow instructions on making a variety of projects that will inspire anyone on the possibilities for these materials. Happy crafting!

e-textiles for Dummies

This book is the best introduction into basic electronics, basic sewing and the high class of e-textile technology. Want to know how textile resistors work? Want to see how the connect electronic components to textiles? Just check out this book, everything clearly described for beginners with lists of resources, overviews with easy explained electronic terms and principles. For he more advanced e-textile experts this book serves as excellent source of inspiration using many examples from clothing over accessories and toys to home decoration to show the potential e-textile technologies open up to creative minded DIY enthusiasts. It's a page turner for crafters looking for the unconventional, the unique and unexplored world of fashion+technology.

creative project concepts

This book is filled with so many ideas for useful fun projects. I am not a techy person but love new materials. Each project is explained in great detail so that it is hard to make a mistake and easy to learn. I also love the style, characters and designs that Syuzi has created. I am recommending it to my students as a fun way to learn the basics of new materials and technologies.

Very informative book, an easy read with good photos.

I just received this book today and I am already impressed. Syuzi has a great chapter on how to use a DMM (digital multimeter), she even has a step by step proper placement of the probes to test for Voltage, Amps, Current and Ohms. Book is full of very interesting projects with good step by step instructions and photos for each project. I first came across Syuzi on TV, she was on Craftlab (HGTV). I decided to try one of the projects she demonstrated on the program. It was the "Rock N Roll" speakers, she covers them in this book starting on page 149. The speaker project was fun to do and turned out well. I actually made the speakers for my Grandson. If you enjoy crafting are willing to learn simple electronics, Syuzi will get you hooked on "smart crafting". Every time I think of a new project, I now find myself trying to incorporate some form of electronics into my work. I am definitely impressed with Syuzi's book, she has a gift for teaching.