The prototyping process for e-textile circuits presents unique challenges, as traditional electronic prototyping tools are often rigid and incompatible with the flexible nature of fabric. In this paper, we document the iterative design of FabricBoards, a set of fabric-based breadboards designed for e-textile LED circuits. FabricBoards reimagine the solderless breadboard in a textile-based form, using tools and materials native to textile crafting, inviting and accessible to historically underrepresented makers. We experimented with various textile crafts including machine-sewing, felting, knitting, crocheting, digital embroidery, and weaving a breadboard. Our user study with 18 participants consisted of group workshops for ideation and individual interviews. A thematic analysis revealed four themes on the user experience of FabricBoards in terms of familiarity, materiality, and layout; the inherent incompatibility of electronic components with textiles; and the curiosity and engagement that FabricBoards evoke. Finally, we reflect with generalizable insights on computational making when reimagining e-textile breadboards.

This work brings cultural depth to Hybrid Craft research by exploring Tatreez (Palestinian Arab embroidery) as a medium for Indigenous interaction design. We conducted four participatory workshops with 23 Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim individuals, incorporating traditional hand-stitching, digital embroidery, and reflective interviews. We investigate how digital design and machine embroidery can support handmaking and enable interactive Tatreez with e-textiles that connect to digital archives for storytelling and remembrance. We present a sampler book with embroidered braille, conductive threads, and seamless touch-sensing, bridging cultural heritage and accessible interaction. Our qualitative analysis highlights design opportunities (including co-crafting with machines and multisensory interaction) and design considerations for HCI such as respecting collectivist participation modes, decolonizing Hybrid Craft, and making politics in diasporic and marginalized communities. This work expands Hybrid Craft in HCI beyond neutral and Western norms, foregrounding cultural pride while offering practical insights for conducting user studies with underrepresented groups.

This work explores e-textiles in the design space of Human-Vehicle Interaction (HVI) and compares distraction levels between e-textile and screen-based interactions during driving tasks. We developed three prototypes (in the steering wheel, headrest cover, and seat-belt pad) to support tactile interactions (tap, press, and swipe) with car interior elements for non-driving applications (such as media control). Our designs used digital embroidery to achieve aesthetic design qualities and wireless connection. In a deployment study with 16 participants, we collected quantitative and qualitative data through video recording, field observations, and user interviews. The study repeated all scenarios using screen-based interaction for comparison. Our findings present insights into fabric-based sensors including fewer collisions and a 302.7% decrease in eye distraction. These findings suggest new design opportunities, such as retrofitting existing vehicles, designing ideation toolkits for diverse users, devising an e-textile Fitts’ Law for reachability, and expanding vehicle interaction research within the HCI community.