Encoded Cloth from the Future

Part 1: Imagining the Future
due: Tuesday, Oct. 20

Part 2: Generating 100 Ideas
due: Thursday, Oct. 22

Part 3: Creating your Project
due: Thursday, Nov. 5

Slideshows and Demo Videos

Overview

Imagine you come upon a time machine. You use this time machine to travel 10 years into the future. What do you see? What is life like in 2030? While you are there, you look for something to bring back to present time. You choose something made of cloth that will help you tell a story of what life is like 10 years in the future.

For this assignment, you are to create an encoded cloth that communicates something essential about you and/or the world in the year 2030.

You are in full control of what life in the year 2030 looks like. When you imagine the year 2030, it can be “realistic”, fantasy, or anywhere in between. The first part of this assignment is to let an image of the future develop in your imagination.

Your encoded cloth can be a story quilt, a piece of fashion, or a cloth replica of an object from the future that we have never seen. You may use any technique you deem suitable for constructing your “encoded” cloth including, but not limited to, techniques we will learn in class: sewing, piecing, embroidery, quilting, appliqué, and weaving techniques.

Things to consider:

  • Consider how the design, construction, embellishment techniques, and materials contribute to our “reading” of your work.  How do these elements affect the encoded meaning?
  • Consider the form that your cloth takes and how that helps you tell your story: is it a flag, a coverlet, a quilt, a jacket or other wearable?
  • Consider how your installation or presentation contributes to our understanding as well: how do we interact with it, see it or experience your work?

Part 1: Imagining the Future (due: Tues. 10/20)

Spend time imaging the year 2030. What does it feel, smell, sound, or look like? How do people travel? How do people interact? What do people eat, wear, or spend time doing? What are the environment and cities like? Do we have more technology or less? What happened between now and the next 10 years to make 2030 the way it is?

Create a blog post on this WordPress site to document what you image for the year 2030:

  1. Categorize your post with this WordPress category: Encoded Cloth from the Future
  2. Embed clear, quality images or scans of some sketches/collages/photos of what you imagine 2030 will be like.
  3. Write text about what you imagine the year 2030 will be like.

Part 2: Generating 100 Ideas (due: Thur. 10/22)

Generate 100 ideas of encoded cloths you could bring back from the future to communicate something essential about you and/or the world in the year 2030.

Create a blog post on this WordPress site to document your 100 ideas.

  1. Categorize your post with this WordPress category: Encoded Cloth from the Future
  2. List your 100 ideas.

Part 3: Creating your Project (due 11/3)

Choose your favorite of your 100 ideas and develop it further by actually creating it in cloth. Allow your project to grow and take on its own life as you make it.

Create a blog post on this WordPress site to document your final cloth project you created.

  • Categorize your post with this WordPress category: Encoded Cloth from the Future
  • Write a brief paragraph outlining your explorations: intended effects, surprises, discoveries, challenges, successes.
  • Embed clear, quality images of your Encoded Cloth in the blog post.

Slideshows and Demo Videos

Slideshows

Sewing Machine Demo Videos

The below sewing machine demos were created by Natalya Pinchuk. She was generous to share them with us.