The process begins with leftover textile
“We’ve sourced material from
a range of Scottish textile brands
including Bute, Calzeat, Begg and
Co and the Scottish Leather Group,
with our filaments holding many of
the attributes that have made these
materials recognisable throughout
the world.”
The research, funded by Textiles
Future Forum, is set to enter its
next phase.
Sam is working with Kathy Vones and
Sarah Taylor, jewellery designer and
woven textile designer respectively,
to use the two filaments to produce
items with a view to taking them to
a commercial market.
There’s also an educational angle
to the work. This method of using
offcuts that would be disposed of
otherwise is a new way of thinking
about sustainability and upcycling.
Conversations are under way with
manufacturers throughout Scotland
regarding the new technology
with the research already helping
encourage what is a very traditional
industry to think of ways to innovate
and to embrace the digital world.
The textile is extruded to produce a filament
Sam adds: “Scottish design isn’t just
about hand-woven heather. Our work
would add an extra dimension to what
people relate to as the traditional
Scottish experience. If you could buy
a Harris Tweed bangle that had been
3D printed, you would think about
tradition, innovation, the changing
world and sustainability all at once
– it would be amazing.
This filament can then be 3D printed
Interested
in this project?
Dr Sam Vettese
School of Arts
& Creative Industries
[email protected]
“On the whole, Scottish mills are
pretty good at recycling but it’s nearly
always a downcycle process; very
few have actually used their offcuts
to upcycle to a product of higher
value. Kathy’s jewellery work and
Sarah’s woven textile work could help
them, with time, to do that. We’ve
already had manufacturers that have
expressed an interest in working with
our flexible filament and I’m sure that
this interest will continue once we
have our initial products made.”
Get the whole story at
www.napier.ac.uk/impact
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