Adjust your suspenders to fit you-- they will become less stretchy once the circuit is sewn on.
Mark where your pixels will go with some tailor's chalk. We're using 30 pixels in total, marking every two inches. The FLORA main board goes at one end.
Line up the two front bands of the suspenders and transfer marks across.
Mark where your pixels will go with some tailor's chalk. We're using 30 pixels in total, marking every two inches. The FLORA main board goes at one end.
Line up the two front bands of the suspenders and transfer marks across.
Use a sewing machine set to a zigzag stitch to affix three strands of conductive thread to the suspenders along one side. Following the circuit diagram on the previous page, create a power rail extending up one side of the suspenders, around the back, and then down the other front band.
Leave tails at the ends to stitch to your components.
Leave tails at the ends to stitch to your components.
Repeat with the ground rail, zigzagging three strands of conductive thread along the other edge of the suspenders. See how the center back pixel acts as a pivot point for these two conductors.
These two beefy sections of thread ensure ample power delivery to the super-bright NeoPixels.
These two beefy sections of thread ensure ample power delivery to the super-bright NeoPixels.
Pick up the tails of thread (all through one needle) and stitch the power line to VBATT on FLORA, and the ground line to GND-- again refer to the circuit diagram on the previous page. Tie off, weave in, and snip the tails.
Now it's time to start adding pixels. Stitch small data connections between each pixels' arrows (all arrows should face away from FLORA)-- the first one is connected to D6.
After all the data connections have been stitched, knotted, and sealed (check out our guide for working with conductive thread), use more conductive thread to stitch in line with the power bus. Stitch under the zigzags, stopping at each pixel to wrap around the pad marked +. When your thread gets short, just interleave it with the threads under the zigzags and cut off the tail. Pick up a new piece of thread and continue on.
Repeat with the ground rail, connecting it all along the suspenders and to pads on the pixels marked -.
This method of powering the pixels is similar to the Chameleon Scarf, and results in fewer knots to seal and more effective power delivery along long lines of pixels.
Repeat with the ground rail, connecting it all along the suspenders and to pads on the pixels marked -.
This method of powering the pixels is similar to the Chameleon Scarf, and results in fewer knots to seal and more effective power delivery along long lines of pixels.
