Textile Engineering Commons^™

Weaving Transformations: Integrating The Tc2 Loom In Higher Education Textile Programs, Anna Stuffelbeam, Kate Nartker, Janie Woodbridge

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The Thread Controller 2 (TC2) loom is a novel technology that has reshaped how artists and designers explore the technical intricacies in jacquard weaving and harness textiles for creative expression. In this presentation, we discuss the integration of the TC2 within higher education art and design programs across the United States. Our research aims to explore the complexities and opportunities presented by the TC2 loom from both educator and student perspectives. The integration of this unique technology emphasizes the need for adaptation and innovation in pedagogical approaches.

In this two-part presentation, we first discuss the results of a qualitative study …

Environmental Metrics In Action: Exploring U.S. Superfund Sites Affiliated With The Fashion Industry, Nidia K. Trejo

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Little is known of Superfund sites, long-term clean up sites, affiliated with the apparel and footwear supply chain in the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) manages the clean up of contaminated sites that pose a significant risk to human health and the environment under the Superfund program. A site can become contaminated if hazardous waste from industrial operations are mismanaged or dumped into the environment, in an uncontrolled manner. In this study, a proposed Superfund site (Mohawk Tannery in Nashua, New Hampshire), an active Superfund site (Ciba-Geigy Corp. in Toms River, New Jersery), and a …

Experimentation On Manual Paper Making Using Mango Seed Fibers, Mercy Wanduara

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This paper seeks to explore the use of Kenyan mango fiber as a core ingredient in papermaking. Mango is a tropical fruit grown in many countries around the world, including Kenya. The fruit tree grows naturally and has a maturity period of approximately three years. When this juicy fruit is ready for harvesting most of the fruits are harvested for consumption but plenty of them find their way into compost because of overproduction and lack of market. Moreover, the fruits are either consumed whole or juiced. The core of the fruit is a hairy seed which has little value to …

Inconclusive Objects: Sample Making As Inquiry-Driven Practice, Etta Sandry

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

In Inconclusive Objects: Sample Making as Inquiry-driven Practice I will discuss craft sample making as a valuable practice of critical thought and experimentation. Craftspeople, artists, and designers make samples to practice technical skills and to demonstrate results on small scales. It is process work, typically used to learn a new technique or a hidden step on the way to a final product. However, as a cumulative process of research, material probing, and play, sampling is a critical aspect of design and creation. What can a closer study of sampling reveal about creative practice and knowledge production in craft and beyond? …

Flax Fibre: Innovation And Change In The Early Neolithic; A Technological And Material Perspective, Susanna Harris

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Flax (Linum sp.) was one of the first domestic plants in Neolithic Europe, providing a potential cultivable source of fibres for the first farmers. As the plant provides both oil and fibre, it is a matter of enquiry as to whether the plant was first domesticated for its seeds or stem. Through examining new data collected by the EUROEVOL Project, UCL it is possible to chart the earliest archaeobotanical evidence for flax species in Europe. This provides the basis on which to consider the origin of fibres from the flax plant (linen) as a basis for change and innovation …

Kitab Al-Hadaya Wa Al-Tuhaf: A Unique Window On Islamic Textiles, Wendy Landry

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

During the first millennium, a rare kind of literature evolved in the Islamic world that provides a fascinating window on the interest and importance of material objects. A unique example of this literature, entitled Kitab al-Hadaya wa al-Tuhaf [Book of Gifts and Rarities] was translated into English, annotated and published in 1996 by Kuwaiti curator and scholar Ghada al Hijjawi al-Qaddumi. It is an anthology of anecdotes referring to the period between the sixth century and the twelfth century, probably compiled in the late twelfth century by an official in the Islamic Egyptian government.

Although the historical veracity of the …

Figured Velvets From Simple Looms: Velvet Pick-Up And Related Techniques For Handweavers, Wendy Landry

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Much historical velvet was designed to be figural, often in elaborate curvilinear floral motifs, and multiple colours. These complex patterns could be efficiently designed for and executed on the available drawlooms and their successors, the jacquard looms. Faced with such complexity, and the unavailability of jacquard looms and drawlooms, few handweavers have attempted to add velvet technique to their repertoire. However, the basic principles and weave structures of velvet are relatively simple and can be executed on simpler handlooms. Pick-up techniques and simple loom modifications make figured velvet accessible for weavers without access to complex jacquard velvet looms, allowing them …