Process and/or Research

 I began my project by reviewing notes I'd already taken on inflatables for my own research. Most of the case studies were very large-scale inflatable environments, so I had to translate the methods and techniques to work at a much smaller scale. I combined the sewing and hand-stitching methods learned during class with heat-seaming techniques used in closed system pneumatic setups to make a mock-up of one of the quills. Specifically, I used a tabletop impulse seamer to make the long continuous seam of the quill. To attach it to a base, I used a soldering iron to allow me to follow a circular path. The hardest part with heat seaming my inflatable was to make sure there were enough escape gaps for the air to pass through. Since my outfit relies on a fan, air is continuously blown into the quills- if I sealed them to tightly they would pop! I wanted each quill to be an individual piece rather than making the entire back panel of the sweater inflate, so I had to figure out how to attach the quills to the garment. By cutting holes in the base layer and leaving a wide seam around the base of the quill, it can feed through the hole and the seam can be sewn to the sweater. A secondary layer of fabric strips cover the holes and quills. This is both a practical solution so a person doesn't always have plastic showing on their back, but it also adds an element of surprise when the quills pop out from underneath.