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Musical 
Machair

This piece was commissioned by An Lanntair for a local children's home in Stornoway. 

Working with the young people who stay or visit the home we wove over 50 flowers using specially designed looms. We used waste rope from the beaches on Lewis and Harris to create this colourful musical machair (Machair is the fertile grassy and wildflower patches often close to the beach). 

The piece was made interactive and musical by weaving conductive material into selected flowers and attaching them to the Bare Conductive Touch Board. When the conductive flowers are touched they trigger sounds to be played -watch the video to see it working. 

A huge thank you goes to Jane from @JANERDESIGNS for her help making, building and installing the piece! 

I run workshops making the flowers with local communities - if you would like one get in touch: Hello@LucyRobertsonDesigns.co.uk

If you would like to make your own you can also buy looms at my shop. 

Heat Reactive Hue

Say hello to Heat Reactive Hue!

 

With Jane from JANER Designs, I created one of the 80 penguins for the Maggies Penguin Parade!

Hidden in some (one on his front, the rest on his sides and back) of Hue’s snowflakes are thermochromic areas which disappear at 18c revealing Hue’s true colours and the word 'Hello' in lots of different languages written by sponsor Insights International employees. When Hue is feeling cold he will appear black and white, you can warm him up by placing a warm hand on his heat reactive snowflakes. When he is feeling warm you will be able to see his true colours underneath. Hue’s temperature is also affected by the weather – when it is warm outside Hue is likely to be showing all of his colours!

 

Hue is part of the Maggies Penguin Parade - 80 penguins take over Dundee and surrounding area and all need collected! You can do it through a sticker book and app - go find all 80 now! Some of thir babies are also placed around - bonus points if you see them! Spot Hue at Discovery Point and pick up your sticker book. 

 

There is an impotant message behind Magggie Penguin Parade, all the penguins will be auctioned to raise money to run Maggies Centre Dundee who provide free practical, emotional and social support to people with cancer and their family and friends. Donate to Maggies here: DONATE

 

This was a collaborative project with JANER Designs. 

 

 

Image by Martin Dunstan. 

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Sonic Flock
The Sonic Flock

As Part of my research and Internship with An Lanntair we created the sonic flock. Makers from all over the UK made birds from knitted and sewn patterns - these were then displayed in An Lanntair gallery as part of their Cuimhne (Memory) exhibition. The birds were then taken on a tour of Lewis, Harris and Usit to be gifted to those living in care homes. Some of the birds were adapted to play sounds when touched. More information on my research page.

 

Images by Margaret Joan MacIssac, Paula Brown, Mhairi Law and Lucy Robertson.

 

Film by Kate Macleod and Lucy Robertson. 

Honours project
 

A collection of experimental designs to aid communication between generations through a physical textile interface.


Recognising an increasing trend for families living further apart, I have explored using textiles and technology together to create interactive wearables around the concept of communication.
Using technologies such as laser cutting, digital printing, thermochromatic pigment, fibre-optics, LED’s and Arduino these wearables pair new and exciting technology with my textile surface designs. These patterned surfaces are inspired by beautiful, almost invisible patterns under our feet; drain covers. Through social media I have gathered pictures of drain covers from throughout Europe creating a community of interest and a way for drain lovers to communicate.


The collection brings together drain motifs, communication, textiles and technology. This starts my exploration into using textiles alongside technology and how by using my design skills I can bring these together.
Share your drains with @drainspotting

 

 

 

 
Colour Connection

 

Colour connection addresses the communication between my Grandmother and myself.  As we can both feel quite isolated in our surroundings I wanted to create something that reminds us of our relationship. The idea being that I can remotely control the colour of her object and she can, in, turn control the colour of my dress creating a colour connection.

 

Photographs taken by Graeme Binnie -

http://www.graemebinnie.co.uk/ 





Thermochromic Shirts



This collection of shirts combines digital print, thermochromatic pigment and interaction. The thermochromatic trims are placed along the yoke and on some pockets and sleeves. These change from blue to white when touched by a warm hand. This encourages interaction and records touch.

The patterns created for the shirts were inspired by beautiful, almost invisible patterns under our feet; drain covers. Through social media I have gathered pictures of drain covers from throughout Europe creating a community of interest and a way for drain lovers to communicate. Share your favourite drains on twitter @DrainSpotting. 

 

Fashion technician: Jane Robertson 

Co-Founder of JanerDesigns



 

Sonic Map
A trip to the zoo

 

As Part of my research and Internship with An Lanntair I created a Sonic Map of the Outer Hebrides. The map has been digitally printed then worked into with conductive thread. When the areas of conductive thread are touched the map plays different voices of the Islands saying the word 'Cuimhne'. 

A trip to the zoo was inspired by the arrival of the pandas at Edinburgh zoo. I collected photographs and sketches of some of my favourite animals; penguins, pandas, otters and a warthog

These were developed in editing programmes to add colour and create a pattern.  

 

Applied to interior textiles, greeting cards and postcards I sell the range at craft fairs and  in The Wee Boorachie.

 

This covers both my Sailing Jacket and Optimist projects. 



Sailing Jacket- made from recycled topper dinghy sail cloth. I have printed photos from my summer project on the sail fabric using a sublimation printer.



Optimist - Working to the 2012 Optimist trend I developed patterns that encouraged positive thinking, through simple shapes and bright colours. These were then translated into a menswear context.  

Sailing 
Jacket
Game Design

 

Working as the designer with a team of academics I created the visuals, board design and counters for a development board game. This collaboration taught me to work with others and stick to a group brief. The game is still in development. These images are all copyright to the game. 

A few of my recent projects... To see more or discuss possible work contact me.
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