Fyber Collective Projects

From Noisebridge
Revision as of 21:03, 15 August 2023 by Michelle (talk | contribs) (Michelle moved page Stable Diffusion Art Quilt page to Fyber Collective Projects: Old name didn't encompass updated projects)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

✨ ✨ ✨ Current project status: in progress.✨ ✨ ✨ We're also now discussing incorporating electronic components (LEDs, arduinos, motion sensors) into the finished quilt. See stable-diffusion-quilt channel in [AI discord](https://discord.gg/cBpbz9VedY) for more updates Come join us!


Documentation (in progress August 2023)

We learned a lot working on these projects. Here is where we'll be documenting what we did, what materials we used, and what we would do differently next time / what we learned. Hopefully this helps future people either continue to hack on these specific projects or start their own.

Summary:

Between April and August 2023, we worked on multiple projects that combined AI, code, woodworking, LEDs and electronics, quilting, embroidery, and machine knitting. Active participants include: TJ, Matt, Ken, Dana, Ellie, Julian, Michelle, Anthea, Emeline, Brennan, Emily, plus a lot of people who came out for a traveling quilting bee on August 13, 2023. We've been loosely calling this the "Fyber Collective".

For some of these projects, the hopeful intention is that we'll get them into a 'final' state and mount them for viewing at Noisebridge, but they will continue to be hackable. For example, people will be able to hack into the LEDs and update/change the patterns and display.

  • Machine knitting: Emeline
  • Machine embroidery: Anthea, Michelle, Emeline
  • Quilting: Anthea, Michelle, Emeline
  • LEDs: Julian, Matt, Ellie, Brennan, Dana, TJ
  • Code: TJ, Julian, Matt
  • Laser Cutter: Julian
  • Woodwork: Ken

More info:


Projects

From Cyberculture to Fiberculture #1, 2023

By: Michelle

Cotton fabric, cotton batting, invisible thread. Sewn on a domestic sewing machine.

Stable Diffusion was used to generate a quilt design. Fabrics were sourced and used to match the design, and sewn together on a domestic machine. This first shot is a finished quilt, based on a pattern generated by a stable diffusion build.


Do Generative Models Dream of Androids?

By: Émeline Brulé, Fyber Collective, 2023

Knitted tapestry - 138 x 25 in

This piece is the result of a performance: five hours spent on a computerized knitting machine in May to physicalize an image generated with stable diffusion the day before, prompting this generative model to show us what it dreams of. Many of the results emphasized spaces, and here we can read a cityscape rising between the clouds. Scaling it up in tapestry format distorts the image, emphasizing its ethereal aspect and breaking with the hyper reality usually sought from generative models, inviting the viewers to question these tools.


The Cybernetic Collective Quilt

Quilting/textile work by: Emeline, Michelle, Anthea, Julian + quilting bee participants

Mixed media including cotton fabric, cotton batting, cotton thread, motion sensors, arduino, LED lights, wood glue, particle board. Produced using a sewing machine, programmable embroidery machine, laser cutter, table saw. Designed using Inkscape, Ink/Stitch, Singer Futura Quartet software, Stable Diffusion, and ChatGPT.

Original AI design generated by: Ellie, Matt, Michelle, Emeline, Anthea, TJ

Useful links:

To do: (1) Create a final photoshopped image composing the desired elements. Come to consensus by next weekend (2) Figure out how to print on cloth ( @emelineb has a lead). (3) Figure out the embroidery machine. (4) Buy supplies (also determine supplies: fabric, threads, others?) (5) Organize a series of working sessions to do the actual work! (0): Use upscaling to get high-res versions of the input images"


Tenses: A Text-to-Textiles Quilt

Quilting/textile work by Emeline & Michelle. Materials include cotton fabric, cotton batting, polyester thread. Sewn using a domestic sewing machine and programmable Singer Futura Quartet embroidery machine. Designed and produced using Inkscape, Ink/Stitch, Singer Futura Quartet software, Stable Diffusion, ChatGPT.

For this project, we used Stable Diffusion to generate images of letters of the alphabet, which were then converted into a vector that was sent to a programmable embroidery machine.

We’re using thread and fabric in matching colors as a callback to an embroidery practice called whitework that gradually disappeared over the 20th century, where white embroidery was used on white fabric. We used ChatGPT to come up with a color scheme for the quilt, asking it to suggest colors and a layout inspired by San Francisco. It gave us some colors associated with mechanical components of the city, like the orange of the bridge and cable car red, alongside natural components, like foggy gray and ocean blue.

Quilt backing/frame/LEDs/code by Matt, Julian, Ellie, Brennan, Anthea, Emily, TJ

Woodwork/frame by Ken

What we did / what we learned

AI


[Add info here!]

Materials:

  • Sample
  • Sample

Process:

Learnings:


Quilting


[Add info here!]

Materials:

  • Sample
  • Sample

Process:

Learnings:


Woodwork / Frame / Laser Cutter

[Add info here!]

Materials:

  • Sample
  • Sample

Process:

_Laser Cutter:_

  • To match the quilt and put LEDs behind each block, we needed a frame with 36 squares (one for each quilt block) in a 6x6 grid, with a half inch between each one (for the stained glass sashing). Julian and Michelle don't know enough about how to use tool in the woodshop, and figured that using the laser cutter would give us more 'exact' measurements. We bought a sheet of 1/4 (?) inch plywood at a local hardware store and used the laser cutter at a maximum setting.
  • It still needed multiple passes to cut through, leaving the edges very charred and almost catching on fire. It also meant that the burnt parts were coming off on our fingers. We asked around for fixes to this: https://discord.com/channels/1065712609699045446/1086740572276002906/1126283860431351870 (fixative, wiping down with a damp rag)
  • The laser cutter also could only fit about 5 rows, so we had to do this in two pieces, and then try to attach.
  • The resulting piece felt very brittle, and barely enough room to attach the LEDs around each block.

_Woodwork_

  • Ken helped reinforce the brittle laser-cut backing, and then built a frame around this [add more!]


Electronics


[Add info here!]

Materials:

  • Sample
  • Sample

Process:

Learnings:


Original project idea/post (April 2023)

I’m Michelle, I’m a former tech worker / current ethnographer and I like making quilts. I have been using the Noisebridge sewing room for quilting. I'm on the Noisebridge Discord if you want to chat with me about this project.


I just ran a quilting 101 workshop in the sewing room. We ran it on meetup and 7 people showed up, and we made this baby quilt (which went to the resident Noisebridge baby!):


I have an idea for a special project that could teach people quilting while also contributing to the Noisebridge space and include collaboration from across other spaces/machines at Noisebridge. I wanted to run it by the community, especially since I’m not a member.

I’m open to any feedback, more ideas, interest in collaborating, or any push back for whatever reason. I outlined my brainstorm below, including the various steps I can imagine this project would take. Thoughts?

Special Project: Noisebridge stable diffusion display quilt

Brainstorm / March 2023

Tl;dr: A project that would be collaboratively created across different spaces and with different people at Noisebridge, and could result in a collaborative art quilt to display in the space. Could include collaboration from these spaces and machines:

  • AI/ML group
  • Woodshop and/or 3D printing
  • Sewing Guild
  • Laser Cutting group
  • 2D printing

More info: I saw in the Discord that the ML/AI group has a local stable diffusion build. We could collaborate and come up with some prompts to generate an image of a quilt that could then be created IRL in the sewing room.

Example: I used the Stable Diffusion Demo to generate quilt images like this:

We could create the quilt in the sewing room, having open sessions for people who want to contribute, learn basic quilting techniques, etc. When the quilt is finished, we could use the woodshop and/or the 3D printer to create a quilt hanger. The finished quilt could then be displayed somewhere at Noisebridge, if the community wants it to be displayed.

Note: I know that there’s an ongoing conversation about art and authorship in the space. For this project in particular, I was thinking: As we work on the project, I like the idea of keeping a running list of people who help with it (as long as they consent, and whatever preferred name/pseudonym they want to offer), and then including this in the ‘display’ at the end - I thought it might be an interesting way for people to feel like they contributed to the space, to feel connected to it, etc. We can use the laser cutter to make a descriptive plaque with the names of participants and a description of the project, and include a space to display the original generated image (printed on the 2d printer).

Potential benefits:

  • A way to collaboratively utilize materials/machines from different parts of noisebridge, and even get people who are more involved in separate areas to technically get to collaborate on a project (AI/ML group, woodshop, 3d printing, laser cutting, sewing room)
  • A way to learn quilting or to learn more about different machines at Noisebridge
  • If we run some of these working sessions on meetup, we can ask for donations to go towards buying the sewing room new domestic machines (or whatever else members decide the money should go towards). No other cost if I donate quilting materials.
  • I’ve seen discussions in the discord about people missing the murals from the previous space - I think hanging quilts are an alternative wall art option.
  • It potentially could help people feel connected to the space if they helped create something that is then put on display.

Downsides: ???

Questions:

  • Does this seem like a fun idea? Can I move forward with it? Any changes/additions/etc?
  • I have no context around what people would like displayed in the space, any potential issues, context about past attempts to display/hang things, etc - anything that we should account for? * Any potential push back?
  • Where could something like this hang?
  • A question for later, if we come to it: how would you hang something like this on the wall?

Possible TODOs:

  • Talk to AI/ML group about generating some stable diffusion images of display quilts
  • Brainstorm “prompts” for the generator. Ideas:
    • Prompt for specific color palettes
    • See what it spits out if we ask it to generate an image of a quilt with a theme of do-ocracy, or something Noisebridge related, etc.
    • Q: Are there ways to submit an image and ask it to generate a quilt pattern? What types of imagery might be fun to play with?
  • Generate image
  • Acquire materials (michelle, unless someone else also wants to donate)
  • Set up working sessions or special project sessions for people to come and learn about quilting / participate in creating the quilt
    • Meetup vs. posting in discord sewing channel?
  • Gather names of participants from AI/ML group, quilting participants, etc (if people want)
  • Collaborate with woodshop or 3d printing / printing group to make a hanger for the quilt
  • 2D color print the generated image for display
    • Q: Are there any lamination options at Noisebridge, or other ways to preserve a printed paper for display?
  • Decide how/where to hang
  • Use the laser cutter to make a descriptive plaque with the names of participants and a description of the project, and include a space to display the original generated image.
  • Hang / display in noisebridge, with the description/participants, original generated image, and hanging quilt.

Ways you could be involved: See stable-diffusion-quilt channel in AI discord for more updates.

I can certainly try to get trained on various machines (laser cutter, etc) and spearhead the process for each of these items myself, but if anyone wants to collaborate with me or run point on any part (like creating the plaque, or the hanging frame, or doing parts of the quilt), that would be more fun.

Other:

  • Give feedback on this project proposal, including any potential problems, or ideas for how to utilize the materials and machines at Noisebridge
  • Let me know if you’d like to participate in any parts of this / collaborate / take over anything / etc
  • Other ideas?
  • Participate in the quilting
Retrieved from "https://main-wiki.extremist.software/index.php?title=Fyber_Collective_Projects&oldid=81553"