Here's a quick and easy soft circuit project from Instructables user craft-tech:

There are a lot of really cool iPod remote control projects: some have simple buttons, some react to heartbeat or body motion, and others are designed to interface directly with software running on a computer. However, not one of them is truly wearable, or speaks to the unique needs of e-textiles designers. They have been mostly prototypes, and are seldom intended for serious, daily use. With this in mind, we took our time to design a system that is tiny, robust, and very easy to incorporate into your project. The end result has three components:

1. a tiny, complete circuit that sits *inside* the dock connector

2. four pieces of conductive fabric that form the two buttons of the remote

3. two-channel conductive yarn to connect the sections (we spin it ourselves)

More:

New Soft Circuit Kits in the Maker Shed and Massive Soft Electronics Roundup

Captain Electric and Battery Boy is a heady fashion project with electronic elements in the clothing that respond to the actions of the wearer. The three dresses in the collection, Itchy, Sticky, and Stiff, each create a different thought provoking paradox. Stiff translates pressure into soothing music, Sticky harnesses the power of the wearers struggle against restraint into blue light. But my favorite, Itchy, makes good use of the agitated fidgets caused by it's purposefully uncomfortable and oversized wool necklaces. With enough fiddling, the kinetic energy powers jewel-like LEDs.

You can convert any bag into a solar charger for your gadgets, via ReadyMade.

Designer Julien Madérou shares a downloadable paper dock for the iPhone and iTouch. There is a nice instructional video on how to cut, fold and assemble the dock as well.

[ Via NOTCOT ]

I find using my laptop on my actual lap to be very uncomfortable. For one, it gets really hot. For two, if I have anything plugged in to the ports on the side, I can't sit cross-legged for fear of bending the port or unplugging my external hard drive in the middle of an upload or video export. I find putting a pillow between my lap and the computer to alleviate some of the problems, but it's really not stiff enough to prevent wobbles. I've also been thinking it'd be nice to have a mousing surface while laptopping; the trackpad aggravates my carpal tunnel. I came up with this design for a laptop desk using a piece of stiff material (MDF, plywood, or even a few stiff layers of cardboard would work), some upholstery foam, and a fabric cover. Now I can use my laptop more easily while traveling away from my desk to motels, friends' houses, or even just my couch. Read on to see the plans for making your own.

Traveling Vine iCozy
By Vickie Howell

During these tough economic times the only traveling some of us get to do is across the world wide web. Thanks to cool gadgets like the iPhone, though, that internet trip can be taken anytime and anywhere! Every travel buddy clearly deserves proper attire — so if you've ever thought about journeying into the land of knitted lace, then this Traveling Vine iCozy's the project for you!

So classy and so classic is this Playstation iPhone case, via BBG.

iPhone-owning Little Big Planet fans rejoice, this felt Earth wallpaper is for you. Via BBG.

Here's a foldy pocket mechanism for keeping your dearest lappy safe and scratch-free, a felt and Velcro laptop pouch by Instructables user knarx.

On March 19th, I had my book release party for Fashion Geek: Clothes, Accessories, Tech at Pop Lounge. It included a fashion presentation of all of the DIY electronic fashions in the book. Here's a look behinds the scenes of making the DIY projects into a fashion presentation.

Jen Parker and Elizabeth Owusu were the hair stylists armed with headbands to give the models' hair Gossip Girl style. About an hour before the show an EL wire driver breaks! Edith Kollath steps in and helped hand sew a replacement EL wire driver on the back of a model's skirt, just 15 minutes before the show's start time.

Finally, the models are in place on Fashion Geek platforms. Fashion Indie did a fantastic job running the event. They helped find the location Pop Lounge, managed the guest list, told the models when to smile, and the DJ's where to stand. As the guests begin pouring in, someone noted that the nerds tended to congregate towards the back of the room, while the fashion designers stood in the front near the models. Everyone munched on bacon toffee and chocolate covered Pop Rocks from Danielle Bilton. We listened to digital music from Eric Skiff. Then DJ Joey Mariano played digital music live from his hacked guitar and hacked Game Boy. In the end, I think everyone all had a good time.

You can watch a video of the fashion presentation by Bre Pettis here:

Thanks to CRAFT for letting me share my behind the scenes with you. I'll be back here later next month with a fashion project. Until then, catch up with me on my blog Fashionnerd.com.

Here's all the Behind the Scenes posts:

• Behind the Scenes of Fashion Geek: Designing Fashion with Electronics
  
• Behind the Scenes of Fashion Geek: DIY Fashion Show
• Behind the Scenes of Fashion Geek: Quick Update

Fashion Geek is crafts meets fashion. I followed the fashion design process: gathering inspiration, sketching, making samples, and drafting patterns to create designs that everyone can DIY. Most electronic clothing is futuristic and sci-fi looking. But to me the future is now. I want to make fashion and technology cute, friendly, and accessible to everyone — something that everyone can make and wear. My inspiration is cute things like Tokidoki + J-pop (Japanese pop culture) with a bit of a hipster edge to make the style more wearable for today. I use a lot of trim, ribbons, bells, beads, and cut-out flowers because it's the little things that make a difference.

Even though there are many cute designs and embellishments, Fashion Geek is not only for girls. Projects like the EL Wire Shoes were inspired by the brightly colored fun clothing of Kid Robot and Japanese hip hop clothing brand Bathing Ape. I wanted to give the shoes an under light glow, but how could I add this without making it look tacky? I thought back to the super cushioned Nike Air Jordans, and added the glow in the cushion. Now we have a shoe with under lighting that is perfect for the Bathing Ape, Kid Robot, and post-Heatherette customer. In true hipster fashion, there is of course a hoodie, the Headphone Hoodie, that plays music in the hood.

My favorite design is the Felt Flower Flash Drive, a USB thumb drive necklace, which I wear all the time. It's oversized and truly inspired by the cute things of J-pop. You can see it plugged into the computer, and me wearing it while MTV films my model call. Stay tuned for my next CRAFT entry Wednesday as I cast models, grab hair and make-up tear sheets, and throw together a few more garments Project Runway-style for the big Fashion Geek presentation this Thursday, March 19th. You can also catch up with me on my blog, Fashionnerd.com.

Holy moly! Gareth @ MAKE writes:

This is creepy and weird in a totally "I SO want that on MY Roomba" sorta way! It's a cover for the Roomba, the "i-Toad," made from needle felted Romney and Jacob wool and glass eyes. And you thought the housepets were freaked out about your Roomba before!

Merit badges are a long-standing tradition, so I'm glad to see Adafruit Industries keeping up with the times:

"Learning electronics" merit badges from Adafruit Industries - In a week or so we will be including "learning electronics" merit badges in some of our kits & tool packs at Adafruit Industries. The first one is "learning to solder" - if you're new to electronics, we'll have a special bundle of tools, a kit and limited edition "badge" to show the world you're proficient in soldering, once you complete the tutorials and kit that is!

More:

Faux Scout Badges

Female Merit Badges

The fabulous Lisa Katayama points to these adorable felt speakers on her equally fabulous TokyoMango blog. Whether they're Russian stacking dolls or Kokeshi, they definitely seem like something you crafty, techno-savvy readers could easily re-create at home. Send us some photos if you do, or post them in the Craft Flickr pool.

Got an iPod or laptop that needs a portable sound system to go with it? One of CRAFT Volume 07's awesome offerings is Syuzi Pakhchyan's Rock 'n' Roll Speakers project. Using this clearly photographed and laid out step-by-step, you can make your own pair of low-fi travel speakers. Here's an image of what you'll need:

The coolest part is that since they're driven by a simple power amplifier circuit and a tilt switch, you turn them on and off by tilting them. When both little white speakers are visible, they're on, and when only one is visible, they're off! As the intro says, "Whether you're in a hostel in Bangkok or backpacking in Goa, you can rock out to your favorite tunes with the portable Rock 'n' Roll Speakers."

Here's a peek at the project in our Digital Edition. You can still pick up this back issue in the Maker Shed.

If the thought of getting into "smart crafting," or incorporating electronics and smart materials into your crafts is exciting but perhaps a little intimidating, be sure to check out Syuzi's book Fashioning Technology:

This DIY Intro to Smart Crafting is an invaluable resource that walks you through the materials and tools you can use, gives technical primers on everything from LEDs to soldering to troubleshooting, and then offers 12 innovative projects of wearables, home goods, and toys you can make. The book is filled with clear, instructive photos for anyone who wants to expand their crafting horizons. There's really no other book out there like it. You can also check out the Fashioning Technology community site for tutorials, resources, and forum discussions.

I just revisited an old friend: CRAFT Volume 01! I had almost forgotten what tasty morsels of crafting our premiere issue offered back in October of 2006. I've always loved cutting-edge crafter Leah Buechley's "Electric Tank Top" project. As Leah had written in the intro, "Although challenging, everyone should play with this stuff! It's great fun for both geeks and divas -- build a sparkly fashion accessory and program it with hacker animations." True that, Leah!

In the 14 pages of this project, Leah shows in detail how to sew a cute tank top and to sew in 84 LEDs using silver-coated thread, making a "soft circuit." She even takes it a step further and shows how you can program your tank top to flash patterns. Though the project may be ambitious for folks just starting out working LEDs into their crafting projects, it shows an inspiring example of what's possible. We'll have to check in with Leah to see what awesomeness she's up to these days! Here's a spread from our Digital Edition so you can check out the level of detail.

Aside from the LED Tank Top, CRAFT Volume 01 teaches you how to make knitted boots, a catnip castle, an ant farm room divider, your own hard cider, chainmail, an atomic ball clock, and how to embroider your skateboard, just to name a few projects. It's an oldie but a goodie for sure. You can pick up this back issue at the Maker Shed!

(On a side note, to get started in "smart crafting," check out Fashioning Technology by Syuzi Pakhchyan. This beautiful CRAFT book has an invaluable 60-page reference section that shows you all the tools and materials you need to get started putting some tech in your crafts.)

Amy a La Mode shares a tutorial showing us how to make a soft, cushy camera case complete with a little pocket on the front you can use to hold cords or memory cards.

Marc @ MAKE writes:

Ross sent in these neat little DIY cases that keep your expensive electronics safe and sound. They are made entirely from recycled juice boxes. It's a great way to reuse what is otherwise a very hard thing to recycle. Check out the link for some tips and a nice pictorial how-to on making your own juice box cases.

This custom hand carved iPhone holder has me intrigued. Right now, my poor iPhone just gets dumped on the counter along with keys, groceries and lunch boxes. This work of art inspires me to display it instead.... Via Strangemall.

Lilypad E-Sewing Kit

The LilyPad e-sewing kit contains the bits to sew LEDs into any piece of clothing. Add turn signals to a jacket, accentuate a t-shirt, or light-up your favorite pair of jeans with this simple to use kit. This kit contains the very basics to the LilyPad system. It's a great entry-level kit for people who want to experiment with wearable electronics. Consider adding the LilyPad Pro Kit to extend control and use of the LilyPad system.

Features:

• 5 LilyPad Bright White LEDs
• 3 LilyPad Button Boards
  
• 2 Coin Cell Batteries 20mm
  
• 1 Coin Cell Holder
• 1 Spool 4Ply Conductive Thread

LilyPad Pro Kit

Think of this kit as an 'add-on' to the LilyPad E-Sewing Kit. The LilyPad Pro Kit gives you the full flexibility and power of the LilyPad system. Program the LilyPad main board to respond to physical changes in light, sound, or motion. Create displays of light, sound, and get physical feedback using the various LilyPad periphery boards.

Features:

• LilyPad Mainboard
• LilyPad Power Supply
• LilyPad USB Link
• Mini USB Cable

Here are some project we've featured on the CRAFT/MAKE blogs to get you inspired:

Electronic Embroidery - CRAFT Video Podcast

HOW TO - Make a Turn Signal Bike Jacket

Dress with Electronic Flapping Butterflies

TV-B-Gone Hoodie and Zipper Switch

WAY more projects after the jump including how to make soft sensors!...

Stitch Lounge has a great quick craft on how to make this iPod cord caddy to keep your headphones from getting all tangled up!

Oh, Fransson! shows you how to make a beautiful quilted charging basket, a perfect place hold your keys and change as well as to charge your cellphone, iPod, or other tech accessories.

If you're looking for a fun way to stash your Nintendo DS, why not whip up this fun crocheted case by Instructables user Fruppi? Get the pattern and see more pix here.

Related:
• HOW TO - Needlepoint Nintendo DS Lite Case
• Felt Cozies for Nintendo DS and Mobile Phone

There are a lot of USB flash drive mods out there, but this one has a really good ease-of-construction to impact ratio. Headless bear USB drive, via BoingBoing.

It's high time felting and electronics come together. I got some knobs from Radioshack and felted over them with wool roving and added some embroidered detailing. They can be used for guitars, amplifiers, or any other electronics with knobs. They feel much fuzzier than their traditional counterparts.