Augmented Weaving was represented at two group exhibitions at Dutch Design Week 22. A milestone in our project and a great opportunity to show the results of our experimental research.

One of them was NEW CRAFTS by the Crafts Council Nederland showcasing projects embracing the implementation of technology in contemporary craft practices.

Initially, the Silver Grain fabric was designed in a 3D program. As a next step in its existence we wanted to bring it alive and find novel ways to interact with it. Combining our skills allowed us to pursue parallel paths: application of cloth in digital wearables and the translation into weaving patterns. The result was an immersive installation consisting of a hand-woven fabric inspired by digital aesthetics and two mirror screens with digital wearables. Visitors were able to try-on the virtual "Earrings" and "Helmet" on the screens, and to their surprise, play around with their own appearance. They could also touch the real textile and take selfies or pictures in front of the fabric.
The two realities blend in front of the camera to the point where one can hardly tell what is real and what is virtual anymore. This has sparked a lively discussion about the potential of digital assets becoming part of expressing ourselves and the craft and skillset needed for their creation. In juxtaposition both the digital and physical representations of Silver Grain got a lot of attention and inspired visitors to reflect on the future of textiles. The experience left everyone, young and old, with a smile on their faces.

Learn more by reading the interview by Crafts Council Netherlands HERE

Augmented Weaving is exploring novel workflows in complex textile and shape creation. Crafts are the technologies of the pre-digital age while digital tools are about to become the crafts of the future. The combination of digital design tools for simulation and visualisation with advanced craft techniques for materialisation opens up a whole path of yet unexplored possibilities in both fields.

In this part of the project, we studied experimental shapes and abstract blobs generated in 3D. Along with their attributes and physical material properties once they have been woven and assembled. We approached the object from its final state and from the perspective of form. Thus, the fabric was custom-designed and woven to fit a particular shape taking all requirements into consideration. This method differs from common practice where textile design and its manufacturing are in most design disciplines clearly separated from the product development processes. Textiles are chosen according to a set of preferred properties. On the contrary, Augmented Weaving aims to directly "program" information into the textile's design.

During Dutch Design Week 22 at the exhibition of iAtelier, a program initiated by Crafting Europe and running in nine European countries, we have shown an installation in three parts:

/ Wearable Object - A unisex jacket designed entirely in 3D, woven and tailored by hand
/ Textile Panel - Hand woven jacquard fabric with flat cutting pattern pieces of the jacket (Warp 100% cotton, weft 100% hemp)
/ 3D Animation - The digital jacket in motion

The jacket and cutting pattern were engineered entirely in Clo3D, a powerful software that allows efficient virtual prototyping. The resulting 2D pattern pieces were then translated into weaving patterns where each was customised individually. In addition to the relief structure, all details like seam allowances, notches and text were worked directly into the fabric. The fabric was hand-woven on a TC2 (Thread Controller) jacquard loom. The pattern pieces only had to be cut and assembled to manifest physically as a jacket. At the same time, the virtual prototype was refined and brought to life in a 3D animation.
By meeting our initial workflow assumptions this jacket stands as a fundamental proof-of-concept. It demonstrates how digital and physical crafts can go hand in hand and co-evolve together.