Automatic Smocking
The goal of this project was to incorporate Nitinol into traditional smocking techniques used in fashion garments and textiles.
First, I selected a pattern for the smocking that I desired.
Using a pen and ruler, I marked a grid to prepare for the smocking. The intention was to use the nitinol as a thread that would weave in and out of the fabric so that, when heated, the fabric would react and create the shape of the desired smocking. In other words, instead of pulling a thread tightly through the fabric to create the smocking patter, the heated nitinol would move in a way that created the smocking.
However, when I tried to heat the nitinol, it did not move very much, the wire got very hot and there was a bit of movement but not enough to create the desired effect, also the fabric began to burn.
This was the final desired pattern of smocking, however, the nitinol experiment was not successful so I used regular thread instead.
