Today we're going to turn a fashionable baby bag into a functional remote control for your iPod & iPhone!
Now you can change tracks and volume by squeezing the handles. No more fumbling for the iPod to pause when you meet someone.
Oh, what's a baby bag? Mona said: They're just big enough to use as an evening bag - you can fit your lipstick, cell phone, money, credit cards and maybe another thing or two. It can fit on your wrist for dancing, a night on the town, or weddings.
Ingredients:
your own bag from Mona Lucero
magic dock connector
conductive fabrics
conductive thread
Conductive fabric & preparation
We use two types of conductive fabric for this project:
The light gray one is very conductive.
It's used for the Forward/Volume UP actions.
The darker one is not so conductive.
It's used for the Back/Volume DOWN actions.
Sadly, you'll need to open up the handle.
Open just the length you'll need.
Cut 4 pieces of conductive fabric into small 1-inch squares.
Fold the pieces, check what they'll fit into the handle, and tuck them into the creases.
Sewing
Now you're ready to sew the conductive pieces together.
Arrange them so that you have enough spacing on the handle. Start at the darker material (velostat), then the light-gray (zelt). Leave about 1 foot of conductive thread after sewing each pair.
Use these sewn pieces as a guide for where to cut the holes in the handle. You'll need four small holes.
Experiment with the right size holes in the fabric:
- too small requires a hard squeeze
- too large and the remote may turn on even when you don't press it.
Tuck the first pair into the upper handle crease.
Feeding through
With a large needle, feed the conductive thread down one side of the handle, coming through only when you reach the inside of the bag.
Stuff the second pair into the lower handle crease, making sure they don't touch the upper pair. Feed the conductive thread through the handle as before.
When you come through, make sure the two lengths of thread are not touching.
You can use a multimeter to test this.
Tubes
You need about 8" of thread leading to the dock so it's more convenient to plug in your iPod. Use a simple fabric bias tube for a stylish way of insulating the thread.
Use a needle to loop through each hole on the dock connector.
It doesn't matter which thread goes to which hole.
Tie a double knot to secure the conductive thread, and leave some excess tot uck back into the tube to avoid fray thread.
Final assembly
The magic dock connector comes in 7 pieces: 3 metal and 4 plastic.
Before finishing the assembly, follow these pre-test and mid-test procedures.
When you're sure that everything works, apply a little glue or epoxy to the top and bottom plastic pieces.
Use it
You're pretty much ready to roll.
Connect your iPod, and squeeze the handle.
Now you can leave iPod in the bag, even when you want to pause or change tracks!
