….seashells sum some stiff and some stretch to stay stuck
Mussels are able to cling on in the face of waves that ought to overwhelm….
unexpected textile
She spins sea silk by the seashore…..
It was known to ancient Chinese traders as mermaid silk and mentioned on the Rossetta Stone. Those who weave it swear a Sea oath to never profit from its production….
Darn and (skin)graft!
The idea of darning up a missing piece of skin…
Fungus based leather alternative
We’re always interested to come across materials that meet particular requirements. In this case a leather alternative that is not an animal product. Muskin is a material based on a large parasitic fungus that grows on trees in subtropical forests. It is similar in appearance… Read More »Fungus based leather alternative
Bat Bot the aerobatic robot
I have an ongoing fascination with bats, bat wings and bat flight and so was delighted to come across this bat-based aerobatic robot.
A cracking idea
A big theme in textiles and materials development at the moment is sustainability and recycling so this story about egg packaging made of eggs has scrambled our minds. Researchers as Tuskegee University added egg shell nanoparticles (350,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair) to… Read More »A cracking idea
Where once silver was mined, now jeans are
To me, this sounds like the story line from a children’s book, but no, this is something that really happens.
Pickled fabric? Not quite, but it is grown in a jar.
Designer Suzanne Lee has produced (and continues to develop) a fabric that comes from a zoogleal mat formed during the fermentation of a sweetened tea. The fabric that is produced is still made up of cellulose (like cotton, linen, viscose and rayon) but it comes… Read More »Pickled fabric? Not quite, but it is grown in a jar.
EPSRC centre for innovative manufacturing in industrial sustainability: fourth annual conference
An interesting conference in Cambridge with several thought-provoking talks. Kresse (of Elvis & Kresse) was particularly inspirational and challenging. I saw her speak when the company was just starting out and fell in love with the reclaimed firehose material. It’s an amazing story of rescuing… Read More »EPSRC centre for innovative manufacturing in industrial sustainability: fourth annual conference
Matisse and textiles as portable inspiration
I just came across this interesting article about an exhibition in 2005 of the textiles that (it’s claimed) inspired Matisse’s use of colour.
A fabric-covered car
The BMW GINA concept car was made a few years ago but I started thinking about it the other day. It’s such a different way of thinking of a car.
A wool-lined wetsuit? I kid you not
Here at Thread we love natural fibres, particularly Merino wool, so it’s brilliant to see it being used by Patagonia to line their frigid water wetsuit.