Saturday, November 1, 2014

TEDx Christchurch - Bridget McKendry

Bridget McKendry



Textile designer Bridget McKendry has turned her passion for traditional crafts into a career in hi-tech digital fabrication. From an early age she learned about textiles from rural spinners and weavers; eventually, she studied textile design at Otago Polytechnic. In 1994, when Bridget was introduced to the Internet, she recognised that pixel art for designing icons was no different to textile design, and electronics was no longer a separate thing from craft. Inspired by Leah Beuchley's work at MIT, Bridget began experimenting with designing eTextiles circuits using conductive thread. She found sewing and textiles to be a far more engaging context for some people to learn about electronics, and developed teaching resources for workshops. Bridget spoke at FAB8 2012, the annual conference of the MIT Fab Lab network, and is currently co-director of Fabriko, a social enterprise set up to make fabrication technology accessible to all learners.
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Starting with her story of her grandad - a tapestry man... occupational therapy opened new opportunity!

Access to technology can open different pathways!

Referring to embroidery as technology - making stuff with tools...

Technology does not have to be about digital tools - don't loose site of technology that may be of use...

Sharing a story from her youth... accessing a glimpse.... through a library!

Life has no meaning, is purposeless - what do you do if this is true!

Make something!!!

Hats and scarves, making creative things out of the never ending supply of wool from the never ending flock of sheep in the country.

Finding purpose through making!

Exortential anxt sorted!

A week in a coma, meningitis suffering, thoughts of focussing on creation may have pulled her through.

Creation - sharing a shady glimpse into unlimited free access to the internet due to creative use...

20 years ago on the internet - learning html!

Working in a library, teaching children about the web 'way back then'.

Teaching curious people in libraries how to make things!

Making, doing...

Printcraft - server within the minecraft world.

Access to technology - every aspect of connecting and learning and growing through use of technology.

Habadashery 3D printing session - designing buttons, buckles and bling... WOW

Fablablima in peru - http://www.fablablima.com/

Weaving technology into traditional craft - allowing the craft piece to actually tell the story... conductive thread!!!

Using the sharing of digital files to see and solve problem in other parts of the world.

The journey of crafting - loose the artificial boundaries between technology and craft!

Access to a culture where everyone feels safe to participate!

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