First LilyPad Arduino Workshop - IT HAPPENED!

Although we can't say our first LilyPad Arduino Workshop went off without a hitch; we were able to overcome any obstacles that arose and overall it was pretty dang great. We put out an open call to the ladies of the Fashioning Circuits and anyone else interested to learn the basics of building things with the LilyPad Arduino. It was great to have so many people attend - y'all are AWESOME. An extra big thank you to Dean Terry and the UTD Mobile Lab for letting us use their creative space for the night.


The main things we learned were to:

1) Have the computers set up with the IDE & Drivers before the event

2) Use of alligator clips to prototype is a good thing

3) Have more custom example sketches for the participants to toy with

Patti suggested "perhaps having step by step instructions for how to download the Arduino program and install the drivers may be helpful if the girls wanted to go home and do this on their own." This step is crucial if we want to encourage the girls continue crafting projects at home.

Mary made a comment about how she could do "the project hands on with the rest of the group" and later was able to "go at her own pace and make her own changes." She also suggested having a cheat-sheet for the volunteers the day of the conference that explains how to connect and code with the various sensors. Empowering the volunteers with the tools and information they need will really help the day go smoothly.

If you're interested in attending our next LilyPad Arduino workshop, leave a comment and we can add you to the list for next time.