EmbroChet: A Hybrid Textile Fabrication Approach for 3D Personalized Handicraft via Heat-Shrinking

Abstract

We propose EmbroChet, a hybrid approach that bridges digital fabrication and textile craftsmanship, empowering individuals unfamiliar with intricate craft techniques to design and fabricate 3D textile handicrafts intuitively. EmbroChet allows the creation of handicrafts by embroidering chain stitches (a fundamental embroidery technique) onto a heat-shrinkable film, which subsequently self-transforms from a 2D composite to a 3D textile through a freely controllable heating triggering process. Through a single stitch type, the method enables custom designs and intricate geometries to be achieved without complex manual skills that often requires expertise between different stitch knowledge. To better demonstrate EmbroChet, we propose a design tool that includes shape-changing libraries to assist users in customizing 3D shapes. The evaluation demonstrates its unique strength in balancing geometric complexity and textile softness. Furthermore, our workshop verifies the feasibility of EmbroChet, exploring its potential for personalized textile fabrication, and synergizing the precision of digital fabrication with the tactile artistry of textile craftsmanship.