Written by Nick on Monday, August 06, 2018.
In my short 25 years I’ve noticed some patterns…
But few are more powerful than the simple concept of joining two technologies or ideas.
3D printers and cakes, Computers and Telephone lines, or in this case, a Needle and Wires.
After submitting some brilliant photos of her creation to the Seattle Makers group on Facebook, I had to interview Erin Weathers about her project and how Vetco Electronics helped remove some of the roadblocks between her and the execution of her ideas!
Original photo from the Seattle Makers page on Facebook.
Q: We love projects because you always learn something new! What is something you learned from this project?
A: Soldering is hard….really hard. This was probably the biggest challenge for me. I got wiring down, programming the Teensy, drafting the pattern, making the dress, make up, gluing sugar crystals to my face, but soldering was the most difficult and frustrating part of the entire project. Now I think I can win some soldering competitions!
Q: Any interesting facts about the project?
A: The ball gown was a 30 day, start to finish, project from sketch to completion. I was not allowed to work on or plan anything including the component layout or coding until day 1. The entire dress is made from neoprene and vinyl, which smells terrible – Think wet suit rubber, which was a material that I had no experience with prior.
Q: So, How did Vetco help you out?
A: I bought pretty much everything that wasn’t the main neopixel rings, and fabric from Vetco! Resistors, capacitors, jumper headers, wire, and solder plus some tools I needed including a soldering iron and wire strippers.
Q: Most projects will hit you with a surprise or two, what are some difficulties you encountered?
A: Figuring out what I needed component wise was difficult since I was completely new at this I didn’t know proper names for anything. I kept researching and learning and discovered Vetco in the process! It is great to have a local resource!
Q: We like to think Vetco also offers up a surprise or two, Did we?
A: I was so nervous going into the store because I’ve been treated like crap for being a girl in other stores, but Vetco was awesome! Helped me spend lots of money while making me smarter and getting everything I need without making me feel like I didn’t belong.
Q: Anything else you would like readers to know?
A: My website is: www.fairweathersclothing.com, I got the fabric from Seattle Fabrics, Hair by P.M.K.M.I. and Photos by Nowhereman Photos.
While this dress may not advance space exploration or allow us to transmit images through the air, it serves as a reminder and an example of what can happen when someone combines knowledge and skills in several areas to create something awesome!
What unique range of skills do you posses and how can you combine them to create something the world has never seen before?
As technology continues to blossom, consumer’s access and ability to mold it is changing the game forever…
Never Stop Creating!
-Nick Franklin
Cart (
