Fibertastic 3D Accessories by Maartje Dijkstra #WearableWednesday

Just when I thought the holidays couldn’t bring more cheer, I came across a Facebook update from designer, Maartje Dijkstra. You may recall I mentioned her work before from Wear It– Berlinwhere she exhibited a corset with intricate tubes filled with pulsing water. I feel her new work brings a similar symmetry with a touch of nature, and I asked her about the inspiration behind these new bold pieces.

Inspiration comes most of all from my imagination…trying to stay away from fashion trends and the past, more focused on what is to come and to rely on my own inner creativity. Imagination, of course, is also coming from things you do and see. So, nature and, most of all, its complex structures and repetition of shapes and patterns to create one piece–this is something I use a lot in my work, trying to create progressive, sculptural silhouettes by repeating patterns. Loud electronic music, like hardcore and jungle,  is also a big source of inspiration, something that feeds my imagination while creating.

The pieces are created using PET filament with a 3D print pencil , as well as silk/polyester wires, combining tech and handcrafting for a beautiful finish. The silk looks as if it has been macraméd, adding a ’70’s flair to the jewelry. The stone in the center of this piece is a black Swarovski crystal shrouded in plastic–it’s very Cher.

I really enjoy these pieces because of their mix of textures–it’s the same reason I enjoy soft circuits. Here you can see the flexible metal band playing peek-a-boo. The plastic filament is flexible, as well, making this piece a smart design for the wrist. Below you’ll find the result when you run out of room on the body to show art–use a purse as a canvas! This piece really shows off the fine lines of filament, which resemble a cluster of leaves. I’m sure this fab fashion took quite a while to make, and I’m really excited by Maartje’s artistic journey.

Creating pieces using 3D technology takes patience, because it usually takes a few tries to end up with the piece you want, whether it be manually made, or programmed. I know at my hackerspace that we have a box of duds collecting dust, which is why I’m going to turn you on to the idea of recycling prototypes. Check out our tutorial on DIY 3D Printing Filament and start re-using that plastic.


Flora breadboard is Every Wednesday is Wearable Wednesday here at Adafruit! We’re bringing you the blinkiest, most fashionable, innovative, and useful wearables from around the web and in our own original projects featuring our wearable Arduino-compatible platform, FLORA. Be sure to post up your wearables projects in the forums or send us a link and you might be featured here on Wearable Wednesday!


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