Aika Felt Works Blog: March 2012

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Snow on a roof of "liiteri"

Snow on a roof of "liiteri", a photo by Aika Felt Works on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Liiteri is a traditional storage building for e.g. firewood often seen in country side of Finland.

This building is maybe about 100 years old? Its roof is made of tree's bark, covered with moss.

Scene like winter fabric

Scene like winter fabric, a photo by Aika Felt Works on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Last weekend we were in our family's cottage having a break from work.

Although the snow is now melting in the city center, here we could enjoy the shades on the snow.

Horizontal shadows and vertical birch trees were crossing like a piece of fabric.

Co-design Project - Embroidery!

After making the first prototype, I have been thinking how I should use conductive thread for the laptop case. The conductive thread is able to conduct electricity, discharging static electricity if you touch with condition of being electrified.

On the package of the conductive thread, it's written that you can use zigzag-sewing option by sewing machine to make as large an area as possible by the thread to maximize the effect.

Well... where, and how should I use the thread?

When I was a bit at a loss thinking of design, I bought this book, D.I.Y Design it Yourself, and I was inspired by this cool design.

Embroidered on women's and men's dress shirts. These designs refer to a human heartbeat as well as writing. Designed by Zvezdana Rogic.

I started thinking that rather than using my sewing machine making a line of zigzag stitch, or making grid quilting stitches on a laptop case, it would be much more unique to express something by embroidery.

For example this pulling part of a zipper: this is made of reindeer leather and wool felt, and I sewed with the zigzag options on the felt. ... Maybe I can embroider some meaningful words?

...words relating to electricity?
...formula of physics?
...words relating to electricity and computer...programming language?

If I remember right, I heard that programming consists of combination of "1" and "0".

01100101101
10000101111
01010101010

How about embroider this kind of enumeration of numbers on the bottom part of the laptop case where you hold?

Isn't there any formula that means "discharging your static electricity"?

While I was thinking like that, I got a message in my Etsy account. It was from a designer of The Big Harumph, based in Kansas, United States. She wrote that she liked my products, just a short greetings, and rather, I found her design so interesting.

Letters typed on pencils. Her works have a bit offensive words though :)
How about embroider letters designed like this?

Isn't it possible to ask her to design some patterns/letters for my laptop case... probably I can think about the words to embroider with you all, though.

Immediately I sent her a message.
Then, what is her answer..??

At the same time, I started looking for a company which can embroider using the conductive thread locally. And, one of them agreed to make a test to check if they can use the thread with their machines. I sent the thread and pieces of wool felt to the company.

I'm waiting for the result!
To be continued!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Co-design Project - Index

Co-design project is a project that I started to design original laptop computer cases with you.

I use industrial wool felt, that was the only thing I had in my mind. So far, I've been getting some very brilliant ideas from readers of this blog, my Japanese blog, and via Facebook and Twitter. Now the design process is moving on unexpected, interesting way.

I wrote the process in the following posts:

#1 Co-design project begins!
#2 Co-design project - When Do You Need Laptop Case, and How?
#3 Interim Results of the Q1 and Exploring Felt Laptop Sleeves
#4 Co-design Project - Wool and Static Electricity
#5 Research on Wool and Static Electricity - How Can I Solve This Problem??
#6 Co-design Project - Collecting materials!!
#7 Co-design project - Getting Used to the Materials
#8 Co-design project - the First Prototype
#9 Co-design Project - Embroidery!

Co-design project is an on-going project. I don't know what kind of designs will be created yet. I'm excited to interact with people and get ideas that otherwise I wouldn't come up with. Thank you for joining me, and I still want to encourage you to give me your voice!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Fishing season on the frozen lake

Fishing season on the flozen lake by Aika Felt Works

Fishing season on the flozen lake, a photo by Aika Felt Works on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
On the way to my work room, I see fishermen these days on the icy lake. You can get European perch (I love to eat it with being smoked) and northern pike (soup is delicious!). Can you see the tool to make a hole on ice that he has?

aikafeltworks.blogspot.com

Snowing, snowing, snowing...

Snowing, snowing, snowing..., a photo by Aika Felt Works on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
From a window of our home the other day. Night was near. Snow on thousands of birch branches. Blue moment made me silent.

aikafeltworks.blogspot.com

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Who's footprints are they?

Who's footprints are they?, a photo by Aika Felt Works on Flickr.

On the way to my work room. Did you enjoy the sunlight today?

Via Flickr:
This is something that I enjoy in Lapland, seeing animals' footprints on the snow. I imagine where their nests are.

... and, these are footprints of a wild rabbit!

aikafeltworks.blogspot.com

Who's footprints are they?

Who's footprints are they?, a photo by Aika Felt Works on Flickr.

On the way to my work room today. It was another beautiful day.

Via Flickr:
This is something that I enjoy in Lapland, seeing animals' footprints on the snow. I imagine where their nests are.

... and, these are footprints of a bird. You can see the footprints started over there, after landing from the sky!

aikafeltworks.blogspot.com