Ever wish your clothes could change color to match each other? Make a chameleon scarf to match every outfit using the Flora color sensor and 12 color-changing LED pixels diffused by a ruffly knit scarf.
This is a very simple FLORA project with no soldering– a single NeoPixel lights up on an embroidered angler fish on a pair of shorts. The main board is stitched on the front of the design, in the belly of the fish. A snap is used on the fin as a digital switch, triggering a color change in the pixel in the angler’s lure. Follow the circuit diagram to stitch up this circuit, and tuck the battery in the pocket.
Project created with assistance from Risa Rose, portraits by Collin Cunningham
Make clothing that lights up when you move! This is a sewing (no soldering) Flora project using 12 color-changing NeoPixels and the Flora accelerometer/compass module. Spikes in the sensor readings cause the pixels to flash, and sparkle. The pixels are sewn to the skirt’s lining and are diffused by the outer layer of fabric, whether it be a sheer overlay or a cutout lace design.
If a skirt doesn’t appeal to you, use this circuit and code on a hat, a belt buckle, and even a blinky dog collar.
Make a twinkling accent for your updo! This tutorial will teach you to make a ribbon bow and simple LED circuit. One Adafruit LED Sewing Kit has enough supplies for two bows, so make this project with a friend! The included LEDs contain a tiny chip that flickers the LEDs to simulate a candle’s glow, so all we have to do is power them up!
Before beginning this project, check out my LED Sewing Kit guide!
Make your necktie light up like a VU meter! This Flora project uses an Electret Microphone Amplifier to trigger 16 Flora NeoPixels sewn with conductive thread along the length of the tie.
Before you begin this project, we recommend reading the following guides:
You will need a good quality basic multimeter that can measure voltage and continuity.
Soldering iron and solder
Circuit Diagram
The Flora pixels are all connected to a common ground bus, as well as a common power bus connected to VBATT. The Flora pixel data bus is connected to D6. The microphone amplifier is connected to 3.3V, GND, and D9.
Battery Pouch & Flora
Use a piece of scrap fabric to stitch a small pouch for your lipoly battery. The pouch should be stitched to the back of the tie, just above where the Flora goes, and have an opening at the top for easy removal of the battery for charging. Use a seam ripper to open up the back seam of the tie just a little so you can thread the JST plug and wire inside the tie and down to the Flora.
The plug joins the Flora just inside the folds of the tie so it won’t get caught on anything.
Tack your Flora in place with plain thread by stitching some unused pads to the tie. Try to just stitch to the back surface of the tie so the front fabric remains smooth.
Sewing Pixels
Use a ruler to draw a line down the center of your tie with tailor’s chalk, and evenly distribute your 16 Flora pixels along this line.
Mark the position of each pixel with chalk.
Stitch a long length of conductive thread to GND next to D6, only piercing the back surface of the tie. Stitch over to the (-) pad on your first pixel and secure (but don’t cut the thread).
Add a few more pixels by connecting this long ground line to the (-) pads on the pixels.
Stitch the data bus from D6 to the input pad on the first pixel (marked with an inward-facing arrow). Tie off, seal the knot, and snip the thread.
Stitch small segments of conductive thread between each pixel, connecting the output of one pixel to the input on the next.
Use another long length of conductive thread to connect Flora’s VBATT pad to the (+) pads on the pixels.
Once you’ve stitched a few pixels, test for shorts with your multimeter (make sure your long power and ground threads aren’t touching), and fire up the NeoPixel library test code to ensure your fledgling circuit is all good so far.
Stitch up the rest of the pixels – you’ll have one long ground bus, one long power bus, and short segments between each input/output data pads.
Add Microphone
To match the tie, paint your microphone amplifier with a little black nail polish.
Cut a piece of ribbon cable longer than the main part of the tie.
Peel off three wires to use with the microphone amplifier, which will live at the knot of the tie.
Insert the ribbon cable up through the inside of the tie. Cut a small hole with a seam ripper inside the knot of the tie and bring the ribbon cable through it.
Strip the ends of the wires and solder them up to the three holes on the microphone amplifier.
Use plain thread to anchor the mic to the tie knot using the large mounting holes.
Back at the Flora end of the board, solder the corresponding wires to 3.3V, GND, and D9.
The Code
You’ll need the NeoPixel library for this project. For newer Arduino IDE versions, select Library Manager, scroll to “Adafruit_NeoPixel” and install the latest version.
For very old Arduino IDE versions, download by clicking the ZIP button on the NeoPixel Github repository page, and rename the resulting folder “Adafruit_NeoPixel” and move to your Arduino libraries folder.
For more information on programming your Flora board including the software you need to do so, head over to the Getting Started with Flora guide.
We got so excited about this project we made TWO Arduino sketches to meter the volume in the room (by Phil Burgess, James DeVito, and Andy Doro). You can download them both at the LED Ampli-Tie Github repo. You can download the code from the listings below. The first dynamically adjusts to whatever volume is happening.
Take your tie out on the town! It’s perfect for parties, concerts, weddings, Bar Mitzvahs…
If you need to wash your tie, remove the battery and gently spot clean– the pixels, thread, and Flora board can handle getting wet (then dry thoroughly), but water should not get in the microphone.
My friend asked if I could help make him more visible on his motorcycle, so Tyler Cooper and I designed a brake light backpack that uses a Flora accelerometer to auto-detect braking behavior on a motorcycle or scooter. It also has turn signals triggered by a simple wireless module, and still leaves plenty of room for your stuff in the pack!
This is a complex project with many components! Here are some recommended prerequisite guides:
