Plushies + Circuits 201: Free-form (beyond the basics)

Learn to combine sewing and electronics in fun and creative ways. This class goes beyond Plushies + Circuits 101 basics: You will hone hand sewing skills, learn to make series and parallel soft circuits with hard-soft connection techniques, and apply these skills with instructor support to light-up plushies of your own creation — free-form from scratch, or from a range of templates.

Available Accommodations: To discuss any needed accommodations, contact us at education@artisansasylum.com

• Hone hand sewing skills
• Learn to make a variety of soft circuits, hard-soft connections, for a range of applications
• Create a light-up plushie of your own creation from scratch or from a range of templates, with instructor support
• Learn skills to broaden personal projects and self-expression, expand your practice
• Learn more about the e-textiles and wearables industry

This class is for adults and students aged 12 and up from all backgrounds who are seeking creative fun, inspiration and fresh perspectives to expand the scope of their practice — from light-up plushies, applications to bags, hats, pockets, upcycling projects, e-textiles and wearable sports and fashion tech, and beyond! Studemts who want to use any fabric or embellishments to use, ideas for your own design (keep to simple shapes).

• Felt
• Stuffing
• Thread
• Soft circuts to input
• Access to A2's Fiber Shop and tools for the duration of the session.

Kim Ducharme is an artisan, designer, and educator working at the intersection of textiles and technology. She spent 17 years leading Interactive Design at WGBH Educational Foundation, and then 11 years for CAST advancing their Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework towards expanding learning opportunities for all — in the classroom, in informal education spaces such as science museums and afterschool programs, and in makerspaces. She currently pursues e-textiles and wearables projects and leads workshops and maker-mentor programs for local communities to broaden participation in makerspaces and STEM.

Simone Nemes holds an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is a multidisciplinary illustrator, sculptor, and designer. Her work combines absurdity, nostalgia and kitsch to create animal/toy dream creatures and interactive installations. She also designs and sews textiles and is Assistant Shop Lead in the Fiber Arts shop at A2.