Flat Bling Applique
I have previously experimented with printing lace onto tulle and concluded that I need to start working with TPU/TPE filaments as these are more flexible. My aim is to simulate beaded, sequin, embroidered and lace applique as closely as possible. I want to be able to attach these to a garment and have them as flexible as possible. I also want to leverage the versatility of 3d printing design.
Could be Sequins
My first experiment was with a dot image. I processed this via the trusty Makerlab Image to Keychain tool. My only criticism with this would be the practicality of applying it. In future, I need an image that is not so sparse. Otherwise, printing an image that is made up of a series of round dots, created a very flexible ‘textile’.
Rhinestones
My next experiment was to approximate rhinestone applique. This worked really well, other than it not having the sparkle of rhinestones. I did print them onto a holographic plate, so there was some bling.
Tiled/Mosaic
I was happy with the print but it was not as flexible as the sequin or rhinestone versions. Printing with TPU/TPE may be an improvement.
Halftone
One thing that all these experiments have in common is that they use just the one colour. This is a practical thing as I don’t like the waste involved in using multiple colours. With this in mind, I thought that halftone prints may work out well, because of the negative space in the images. The image of Che that I used was let down by having large areas without gaps for flexibility. In future, I would create my own halftone images so I can have some control over this.
