Hello Kitty,
Its Valentines Day!

Do you know what that means?
Thats right!
Its time to light up your life with some eTextile love!

Meow!

Last year was the STABBY Valentine - a no sew and all glow eTextile love note.
2011 was the Sparkle LED TuTu partnership with Gala Darling

and this year............

I created a PUNCHY instructable.

Make a badge for your coat or a pillow for your love.
Maybe it becomes a handbag or a quilt?
Whatever you make please post a photo and share the eTextile Love!

Now come over here Kitty.
I'm gonna light you up!

Step 1: Supplies

ELECTRONIC SUPPLIES
Conductive thread - less than 15 ohms/foot resistance
20mm Battery Holder - sewable
3V Coin Cell Battery - CR2032
2 LEDs - 1.8 mm red

TEXTILE SUPPLIES
White cotton
White Felt
Black embroidery floss
Red embroidery floss
Chenille size 24 hand sewing needle

TEMPLATE
Hello Kitty Image

EXTRA TOOLS
Red Marker
Black Marker
Multimeter

Step 2: Design the Electronic Circuit

Place the white felt over Hello Kitty image

Using the Red Marker draw the location for the positive trace.
This will connect the positive terminal of the battery holder to the positive lead of both LEDs

Using the Black Marker draw the location for two separate negative traces.
One trace will connect the negative terminal of the battery holder to top of Hello Kitty's nose.
The second trace will connect the negative leads of both LEDs.

Step 3: Trace Hello Kitty to Your Fabric

Place your fashion fabric (white cotton) over Miss Kitty.
Using a disappearing marker or pencil trace Hello Kitty on to your fashion fabric.

Step 4: Sew the Electronic Traces

Either using your sewing machine, or by hand, sew the electronic traces on to the felt.

Where the positive and negative traces intersect insert a piece of felt to act as a bridge separating electrical current and preventing a short circuit.

Leave about 12 inches of conductive thread at the ends. You will use this tail to hand sew the hardware in place.

Step 5: Introduce Hello Kitty to Electronics

Stack the felt with the conductive thread facing up in alignment and on top of the fashion fabric you traced Hello Kitty on to.

Pin the two layers together.

Step 6: Insert LEDs Into Hello Kitty's Eyes

On the fashion fabric face poke two holes thru each of Hello Kitty's eyes and thru the felt electronic layer.

Insert the positive lead of the LED towards the positive trace.
Insert the negative lead of the LED towards the negative trace.

On the felt face bend the LED leads to connect with the corresponding trace.

Step 7: Attach the LEDs to the Electrical Traces

Thread the hand sewing needle with the conductive thread tails and sew the LED leads into place.
Positive to positive.
Negative to negative.

Make snug firm connections between the conductive thread and the metal leads for a robust electrical connection.

Step 8: Test the Circuit

Pull the two pieces of conductive thread thru Hello Kitty's bow.
One trace on the left.
One trace on the right.

Pull the two pieces of conductive thread thru Hello Kitty's nose.
One trace at the top.
One trace at the bottom.

Test your circuit!
Use the CR2032 battery to connect to the positive and negative traces at Hello Kitty's bow
Touch the conductive thread tails at Hello Kitty's nose together.

If the LED does not illuminate:
Check the sewing to be sure the positive and negative traces do not touch. A multimeter is the easiest way to track a short circuit.
Check to see that all of the LED leads are snugly connected to the electronic traces.

Step 9: Sew Battery Holder

Using the thread tails and a hand sewing needle stitch the battery holder terminals to the corresponding conductive thread traces.

PRO SEWING TIP FOR ELECTRONIC TRACES
To help prevent short circuits bury your thread tails and then trim the excess conductive thread.

To bury a tread tail:
Once you have finished sewing a piece of hardware into your textile project take the needle and feed the conductive thread back along its own stitch line and inch or so. Then pull the excess conductive thread clear of the electronic trace and snip it.

Step 10: Sew Hello Kitty's Nose

Using the upper thread tail and a hand sewing needle make small loops of conductive thread on the upper half of Hello Kitty's nose.

Using the lower tread tail and a hand sewing needle make small loops of conductive thread on the lower half of Hello Kitty's nose.

Make sure the upper and lower conductive threads don't touch!
Use black embroidery floss to keep these threads separate.

When you touch the nose the force of your finger will squish the upper and lower conductive threads together closing the electrical circuit allowing the LEDs to illuminate.

Step 11: Embellish Hello Kitty!

For this example I chose to use French Knot, Blanket Stitch and the Split Chain Stitch embroidery stitches.

You might want to use fabric paint, colored markers, fabric scraps or glitter. Let your imagination explode, but don't let the positive and negative traces touch otherwise you will create a short circuit and Hello Kitty won't light up your life.