ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors introduce techniques that are beginner friendly, using materials that are easily obtainable and relatively inexpensive. Creative freedom also comes with being able to fabricate own sensors from raw materials. Liza Stark created a soft linear potentiometer by combining conductive and resistive fabric together with a long metal bead that rolls along the strips to lower and raise the resistance. Speakers can be made by hand, as well, using a combination of strong magnets and conductive materials. Different kinds of fabrics and fibers present different material properties for interface design, depending on the stretch, drape, or fuzziness of a fabric. The practice of e-textiles takes all kinds of skills, and it borrows its material and its fabrication methods from the fields of electronics, fashion, and textile design. Connection techniques are major concerns in the world of e-textiles. The fusion of craft and electronics has led to the breakdown of some stereotypes.
