Our latest newsletter and press articles

September 2021

Research into knitted stretch sensors

Seed funding from the School of Future Environment’s Future Materials Cluster will enable the lab to carry out new research into the performance of knitted stretch sensors. Innovative yarns sourced from Europe and the US that enable improved stretch and recovery properties as well as sensory capability, will be knitted on the lab’s Shima Seiki flatbed machines before being tested for functionality at the university’s School of Engineering. ‘Our previous attempts at producing this type of sensor haven’t quite hit the mark due to the inability of the fabrics to fully recover consistently’, says TDL manager, Peter Heslop. ‘It is hoped that the yarns that we are now able to source will help us to overcome this issue and enable us to attain accurate data from these sensors’, he adds.

Jacquard knits

Postgraduate Creative Technologies student, Finn Godbolt, has been working on his knitted jacquard pieces at the lab this year by adding traditional rug designs into his portfolio. Finn mastered the technique of creating ‘knitted paintings’ during his master’s degree, which he completed in 2019.

E-textiles and new materials testing

Work has begun on a project to identify existing and potential material testing capabilities across the numerous locations and labs within the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies.  Research projects involving e-textiles have necessitated additional testing resources and a better understanding of their properties to ensure they are fit for purpose. PhD student, Aleksandra Novikova, has taken on the role of Research Assistant to create a database of all appropriate testing resources, capabilities and protocols for accessing these facilities, which will be available to support emerging areas of research such as smart clothing, functional and architectural textiles.

TDL in the news

Further to the article in our August newsletter about staff at Hillcrest High School in Hamilton wearing their customised digitally printed suits at the recent school ball, Ashleigh Teahan and her colleague, Brett Chibnall, decided to liven up proceedings at the reopening of the school following the recent lockdown period.

Read the full article courtesy of the Hamilton Press.

November short course and workshop dates announced

Dates for our next round of short courses and workshops to be held in November have been finalised and registrations are now open via the TDL website. Our short course programme comprises of the following subjects:

• Introduction to Textiles
• International Textile Development and Sourcing
• Photoshop Basics for Textile Design
• Digital Textile Design – Repeating Patterns
• Knitwear Design
• 3D Visualisation and Concept Development
• Introduction to Woven Textiles – Theory and Design
• Introduction to Woven Textiles – Practical Sessions
• E-Textiles