Tyvek Innovative Uses - Material Concepts Blog

DuPont™ Tyvek® Fabric Product Demo - Breathability and Durability Tests

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:21:00 +0000

The video below was developed by DuPont to demonstrate the difference in physical and performance properties of Tyvek compared to microporous film. The tests done are for breathability and durability. Check out how Tyvek performs in these tests.

Tyvek Paper Cutting: Mexican Papel Picado on Tyvek by Phil Ponce

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Kohn, www.MaterialConcepts.com) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:23:00 +0000

Phil Ponce, host of Chicago Tonight, a nightly television magazine of news and culture on Chicago's WTTW, is also a folk artist and Material Concepts customer. He has purchased and used black Tyvek rolls and Tyvek style 10G, a traditional white Tyvek that is used for many creative applications. This video features Phil's "secret" hobby of paper cutting and he's done it on Tyvek.

(Originally featured on this Chicago Tonight story: Paper Cuts.)

Having discovered his talent for paper cutting when he was in his twenties, he later discovered while on a trip to Mexico with his wife and mother that what he was making was actually Mexican folk art called papel picado. Papel picado is what decorative paper cutting in Mexico is called and it literally means paper with holes in it.

In the video Phil talks about papel picado being typically made from tissue paper and used to decorate celebrations. "With Mexican papel picado it's typically made out of tissue paper so it's very transient and it's a metaphor that beautiful things are transient and life is transient," said Phil in the video.

Instead of paper, Phil decided to use Tyvek. "I don’t want it to be transient, I want it to be something that is lasting. This is something that should last a very long time."

Tyvek is very easy to cut and is extremely strong and durable. A perfect combination for such delicate works of art.

Visit Phil's blog where he shares some of his inspiration behind his designs.

We have previously featured artist Béatrice Coron who is renowned for her "stories cut from paper" where she too uses Tyvek.

If you would like to purchase some black Tyvek or Tyvek 10G for your own art project, give us a call or order online. Also, check out our Tyvek excess inventory section for great deals on narrow width Tyvek rolls.

Stunning Tyvek Dresses

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:36:00 +0000

Designer Hila Martuzana provides four sets of stunning new Tyvek dresses in a picture set called The Rhythm of Paper, related to the four seasons. Of course, it's not paper, it's Tyvek!

Martuzana comments (from the Coroflot website):

"Four sets of clothing which related to the cycles of nature, by codes of transition between seasons. Each season of transition involves changing: climate change, a change in motion, rhythm, sensations, smells and feelings. Each garment combines two seasons of the year, according to the characterization of each season, using a different modal component by means of repeated motifs, sizes, dosages and different arrangements of the "Tyvec" paper strips. Although the "Tyvec" paper is not torn, it can be cut, folded and heated. These are the techniques I used to create the textile surfaces."

(Note: of course, the correct spelling is "Tyvek".)

The Fall-Summer Tyvek dress design is particularly striking, where the Tyvek material has been cut to provide an airy look. The detailed shot shows the intricate work needed to create this look.

The Summer-Spring Tyvek dress design is also rather innovative.

View the entire gallery of Tyvek dress designs from Hila Martuzana. These designs were also featured in a recent ecouterre story.

Of course, if you are a dress designer wishing to expand the material you use for any fashion design, Material Concepts can supply the Tyvek material. There are many styles of Tyvek that can be used, soft Tyvek / Tyvek fabric, hard Tyvek / Tyvek paper, or for a more mysterious look, black Tyvek would be a dramatic choice. For more information, contact Material Concepts via phone (1-800-372-3366 or 215-338-6515). Or simply buy Tyvek online and have it shipped directly to you now. And when you have completed your Tyvek fashion designs, send us your photos and maybe we'll feature your work in future feature on this Tyvek Innovative Uses Blog!

3D Tyvek Clock - Manifold Clock from Studio Ve

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:02:00 +0000

As recently featured in a CNET story, the Manifold Clock is a 3D clock made with colored Tyvek and designed by Studio Ve. As described by CNET:

The Manifold Clock doesn't just tell time with flat hands, it expresses it with ever-changing shapes created by a flexible sheet of Tyvek attached between the hands. Every minute looks slightly different.

The designers call it "Telling time in 3D". They say, "Time has many properties. The Manifold Clock is our interpretation to the concept of time, displaying an ever-changing form."

But these videos describe it much better!

This is a Kickstarter project; Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects.

Manifold Clock from Studio Ve.

If you want to create your own clock (or any other product) with Tyvek, contact Material Concepts - we'd be happy to be your Tyvek supplier for your next project.

Tyvek Origami Jellyfish with LED Lighting at Vancouver Aquarium Installation

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:47:00 +0000

Origami jellyfish made from Tyvek and lit by LED lights are featured in an interactive installation at the Vancouver Aquarium called "Jelly Swarm". The Vancouver Aquarium show "Luminescence - A Celebration of Aquatic Light" runs from Nov 24, 2011 to Jan 2, 2012. "Jelly Swarm" is part of that show, described on the Vancouver Museum website as:
"a unique light installation created by Tangible Intervention in collaboration with origami artist, Joseph Wu. Over a hundred jellies with LED lights will fill the entire ceiling of a gallery. Control the lighting yourself at the touch of a button and create beautiful patterns of light throughout the amazing swarm hanging above you. Then take part in glow in the dark arts and crafts activities or make your very own origami jelly decoration to take home with you."

Read more in this article about the installation, and view the time-lapse video of its setup:

Origami cases made out of DuPont Tyvek

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Kohn, www.MaterialConcepts.com) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:08:00 +0000

Check out the latest from Origami - Origami cases made out of DuPont Tyvek.

Also - view the video from Origami designer Kevin Leong - many of the clothing items in the video are made with Tyvek.

If you have fashion forward ideas and want to use Tyvek in your designs, you can source the Tyvek from Material Concepts' online catalog or just contact us!

Tyvek Cape from Béatrice Coron

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:20:00 +0000

This story and video featuring a Tyvek cape via exchangemagazine.com on Tuesday Nov 1 2011:
Béatrice Coron: Stories cut from paper.

"With scissors and paper, artist Béatrice Coron creates intricate worlds, cities and countries, heavens and hells. Striding onstage in a glorious cape cut from Tyvek, she describes her creative process and the way her stories develop from snips and slices. Béatrice Coron has developed a language of storytelling by papercutting multi-layered stories. ... Coron's oeuvre includes illustration, book arts, fine art and public art. She cuts her characteristic silhouette designs in paper and Tyvek."

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For your own art or cape made from Tyvek, consider sourcing the Tyvek from Material Concepts' online catalog. And Material Concepts can provide material selection assistance for your next project using Tyvek - just contact us!

Working with Tyvek - Joggles Video

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:57:00 +0000

Joggles.com is Material Concepts customer that recently produced this video on working with Tyvek. View the video and see their comments below.

Joggles.com is an online retailer specializing in products for mixed media and textile artists, and Tyvek fits both categories. We’ve been using and selling Tyvek for years and our customer love the product, both the hard and soft structure types. Tyvek is versatile which means the creative possibilities are almost limitless. Take some Tyvek, add a little paint and a little heat and you never know what might happen!
- Barb at Joggles

Here's the direct link to the Tyvek items on the Joggles.com store.

Thanks Joggles.com for their comments and allowing the posting of their video!

Tyvek Designer White Raincoat with Wheatgrass

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Kohn, www.MaterialConcepts.com) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:05:00 +0000

Designer Airi Isoda of Wrk-Shp gets our vote for creating perhaps the most innovative piece of apparel made of DuPont Tyvek.

Isoda, a designer whose 2011 fall winter collection uses materials from architecture in clothing, created this raincoat which utilizes rainwater to feed wheatgrass. Isoda sells each raincoat with a packet of wheatgrass.

The stark white raincoat made of Tyvek, which by the way is recyclable, coupled with the vibrant green contrasting wheatgrass is not only a unique and innovative fashion forward idea, but it’s also, dare we say, the greenest raincoat we’ve ever seen.

So if you are ready to design your own Tyvek clothing, shoes, jacket or other Tyvek apparel, contact Material Concepts for Tyvek material selection information, or buy Tyvek online from Material Concepts, a Dupont Tyvek authorized master distributor.

Tyvek Shade Canopy - Superscript Installation

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:27:00 +0000

Thanks to Kate Moxham and Oliver Hess from Materials & Applications for this guest blog post about Superscript - an experimental shade structure / shade canopy installation made with Tyvek®. It was designed by Moxham and installed at the 826LA literacy center in Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA. Photos courtesy of www.mayoralphoto.com
(Click photos to enlarge.)
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Superscript Tyvek notes by Kate Moxham and Oliver Hess

Materials & Applications was approached by 826LA, a literacy center in the Echo Park neighborhood, to design and fabricate a shade canopy. They have a 600-square-foot outdoor space that was virtually unusable because of the intense sun, and were looking to transform it into a comfortable classroom extension with minimal disturbance to the building.

We realized we had an opportunity to create something fun and unusual, and were immediately drawn to Tyvek because it is reminiscent of paper and seemed an appropriate choice for a literacy center. The Tyvek also allowed us to laser cut text from the students’ writing projects into the surfaces, so when the kids are reading outside they are sitting under a canopy of their own words. The fact the cut edges would not fray was an important design consideration, and allowed us to experiment with forms and techniques that would have been impossible with fabric or mesh. Also, we realized that it is very strong and lightweight, which reduced our structural requirements. And since it doesn’t absorb much moisture we knew it would resist dirt and not become too heavy when wet.

Materials & Applications goes about production differently then most design-build firms: we set about to create a series of workshops for the public to participate in the invention of the shade system. Inviting various experts we explored our way around the problem. Kate Moxham was named designer for the project and she immediately began creating lectures for our volunteers on Tyvek, its history, material properties, and various uses, as well as coordinating extensive materials testing and manipulation processes.

After a series of experiments, we chose the Tyvek 1085D for its strength, and because out of all the materials we tested it looked and felt the most like paper. It was important to us that the final design take advantage of the specific and unusual properties of Tyvek -- in other words, that we create something that could not be achieved with any other material.

Besides the material itself it was essential to resolve our fastening strategies as well. We tried a number of glues and tapes, double stick tape and sewing both worked great for subordinate jobs but the majority of connections were accomplished with custom cut Tyvek brand tape reinforcing a punched hole which then had a stainless steel twist ring inserted through it. A number of tests we did with months of outdoor weathering all performed adequately for this low stress design but ultimately we decided using a single piece of specially folded material would give us the most dependable results.

The final design is a field of simple folded surfaces arrayed on parallel cables and nested in a way that filters and reflects the light, while maintaining enough porosity to allow wind and rain to easily pass through. With the light projecting through the text on hundreds of folded “pages”, the effect is like sitting under a fluttering book that has been blown apart in the wind.

Even after executing this project it is clear that Tyvek has many more potential uses for exciting and engaging architectural experiments. Using this project as a test bed, we are looking forward to more interesting investigations in the future. For other architects and designers looking to do similar work we encourage you to think first and foremost about sunlight durability, this is always the most important hurdle with synthetics and from what we have seen so far it appears that 1085D is going to hold up well for our purposes.

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Thanks to Kate and Oliver for providing the story on this compelling Tyvek shade canopy installation and to Scott Mayoral for the fantastic photos (used with permission). Check out Materials & Applications on the web.

And if you do want to do your own art or installation piece with Tyvek, consider sourcing the Tyvek from Material Concepts' online catalog. And Material Concepts can provide material selection assistance for your project - just contact us!

Tvyek with E-ink

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Fri, 27 May 2011 19:43:00 +0000

E Ink Corporation, the company that makes screens for e-readers, also know as electronic paper displays (EPD), has created an new application for its technology. Check out this video that demostrates E Ink on Tyvek!

DuPont Tyvek Used for Window Display at Anthropologie store

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Kohn, www.MaterialConcepts.com) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:02:00 +0000

A friend of ours was recently at the Shops at Brinton Lake in Concordville, PA and snapped these pictures from outside the beautiful window display of Anthropologie.

We wanted to share the beauty that the creative folks at Anthropologie showcased in their window display utilizing DuPont Tyvek. These pictures show some extremely creative and beautiful displays utilizing what appears to be Tyvek style 1443R that looks to have been dyed in gorgeous spring colors. This is a terrific example of a window display utilizing Tyvek for texturing and layering.

We've already begun to see other retailers utilizing other styles of DuPont Tyvek, such as Tyvek Vivia, for printing bold graphics that pop with vibrant color.

With the recent unveiling of DuPont's Life-Cycle Based Solutions, we expect to see more and more retailers looking to DuPont Tyvek not only to capture the consumer's eye with beautiful textures and layers, but to also incorporate high impact high resolution messaging graphics on a variety of Tyvek styles.

Recyclability coupled with outstanding graphics are two of the leading reasons why DuPont Tyvek is becoming a highly sought after material to help retailers meet their sustainability goals.

Click here to see Retail Graphics printed on DuPont Tyvek.

Retail Graphics using DuPont Tyvek

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Kohn, www.MaterialConcepts.com) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:39:00 +0000

Last week Material Concepts attended Global Shop 2011 which ran from March 28 - 30. For those not familiar with Global Shop, this is the world's largest annual event for retail design and shopper marketing.

Specific to Tyvek is the area of Store Design and Operations with the focus on retail signage.

At the show DuPont unveiled a family of Tyvek print media under the new Life-cycle Based Solutions platform featuring Tyvek media for wide format banners, displays, and bags. What makes this significant is that retailers now have a substrate that can help them achieve their sustainability goals by using recyclable Tyvek.

DuPont has teamed up with Waste Management and Northstar Recycling Group to develop a tremendous program designed to measure and track the impact of a retailers recycling effort and actually report the results. Once recycled, Tyvek retail materials will have a second life, repurposed for products such as playground equipment, landscaping materials, corrugated pipes, and park benches.

DuPont has also put together an Authorized Printer Network comprised of printers who excel in providing in-store and wide format print solutions to retailers. This printer network has met strict criteria for quality, testing, training, and sustainability compliance. Click here to find an authorized printer. Some of these printers had booths at Global Shop with some very impressive banners printed on DuPont Tyvek.

Great Big Pictures from Madison, WI displayed some impressive printed banners of which 3 were printed on DuPont Tyvek.

White / Black printed on Tyvek 1443R

Color banner printed on Tyvek 1443R

And this brilliant banner was printed on Tyvek Metallic

Rainier Industries out of Seattle WA also had some impressive graphics printed on Tyvek Metallic and the peacock feather which was printed on Tyvek Vivia.

Color Reflections printed graphics on Tyvek for DuPont's booth.

Butterflies printed on Tyvek Metallic

Color Reflections working at the DuPont Booth

Additional graphics printed by Color Reflections for DuPont's booth.

Aside from printing the tradeshow displays for DuPont and helping work DuPont's booth, Color Reflections was here to show off their capabilities.

Currently, CR has locations in Houston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Hollywood, FL, and a satellite in Puerto Rico.

Other printers who are part of the Authorized Printer Network with booths at Global Shop included

Belaire Displays

Yunker Industries

and Innomark Communications

Some of the other printers not exhibiting at the show who also helped work DuPont's booth were Merisel / Color Edge Visual, Pictura, Stella Color, Image Options, GFX, Portland Color, & Infinity Images.

Overall this was a very well attended show. We heard some great feedback from the Authorized Printer Network and the DuPont booth generated a ton of interest - and for good reason. I've seen my share of recyclable media substrates, but this is the first time I've seen a major company like DuPont step up and really put their money where their mouth is.

DuPont is not only interested in selling Tyvek - they want you to recycle it and they're not just saying so. DuPont has gone the extra mile to put together a select network of authorized printers that can speak to all aspects of a retail campaign - from the design of truly inspired retail solutions on a variety of Tyvek styles appropriate for messaging, texturing and layering - to the end-of-use recycling option that best fits the need of individual retailers.

This family of DuPont Tyvek substrates provides recyclable solutions for window and door messaging, interior and exterior displays, hanging banners, fixture signage, textured and layered display elements, and alternative media for promotional items such as bags, labels, vests, and anything you can imagine.

Even better - You don't have to be a big retailer to recycle Tyvek. In fact, anyone can recycle Tyvek right now. Even products that have been printed or coated. Simply purchase your own Tyvek recycling kit and keep it on hand until it's full and you're are ready to send it back. You can even track your own recycling campaign. Learn how by visiting http://www.recycletyvek.wm.com/

All photos of printed banners from Global Shop 2011 used with permission.

Tyvek Jackets from Unawi, a Chilean Clothing Designer

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:13:00 +0000

We recently got this guest blog post from Unawi, a Chilean clothing designer that is creating and making Tyvek jackets. Unawi sends the following:

Unawi is an independent Chilean clothing designer that designs 100% hand-made custom, organic, fashion and ethnic wear. With its Tyvek jackets, Unawi wants to offer fashion and casual jackets to artists, skaters, snowboarders and everyone who loves to be unique. These jackets are part of our Tyvek collection for women.

Where did the idea of working with Tyvek come from? One day a friend went to the Unawi lab in Chile with a piece of Tyvek he had just found on a construction site. As I started to touch the material, I was thinking how awesome it would be to design clothes with this "paper thing".

As a designer using Tyvek, I find it fashionable and stylish. My Tyvek jackets are ultra-breathable and tear-proof. They are ultra-light when made with Tyvek only and then really warm (though still breathable) when lined with cotton or other fabric. Tyvek is also water and wind resistant, so it is really adapted to harsh conditions - I mean it resists anything. Besides Tyvek is easy to recycle so I guess it is better for the environment to buy a Tyvek jacket than a typical polyester jacket.

I do Tyvek jackets, lined cotton Tyvek jackets or even reverse Tyvek jackets. I print on the Tyvek using digital printing or screen printing right in my workshop. I love screen printing as I can use organic inks and really lower my impact on the environment as I screen print myself.

Regarding the fashion design, my first goal is to make the most comfortable jacket ever. Unawi Tyvek jackets are the result of a long process. I tried a lot of thing: with or without hood, Tyvek or fabric wrist, raglan or classical sleeve...and I keep trying new things. My final touch was to integrate a different secret pocket on each jacket. Location of the pocket varies and makes each jacket even more unique.

Stay in touch for more news as original Tyvek jackets will keep coming.

Check out the English version of the Unawi website or visit Unawi's Facebook page.

All photos copyright by Unawi and used by permission.

The Empowerment Plan - Tyvek blankets for the Homeless

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Kohn, www.MaterialConcepts.com) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:39:00 +0000

I came across Veronika Scott's blog called The Empowerment Plan and was thoroughly moved. Not only has she organizing making a coat/blanket for homeless people in Detroit, she's employed a group of homeless women who will be paid minimum wage, fed and housed to create these coats for those living on the streets. We asked Veronika to do a guest post here and hope that others might adopt a similar plan in their city. The Empowerment Plan is one that needs as much exposure as possible. The work Veronika is doing touches the people’s hearts who read about it. I live in Philadelphia. One thing we have in common with Detroit is a huge homeless problem and it never seems to improve. I am sure there are people like Veronika here in Philly that would benefit from reading her story and learning more about The Empowerment Plan.

The following guest post was written by Veronika Scott:

I want you to imagine the coldest day you can ever remember, the biting wind chilling you to your core. Now imaging spending your whole day, from morning to night wondering endlessly though the city, with no home, no bed, and no warm cup of coffee at the end of the road.

This is reality for over 32,000 Detroiters and because of this, the shelters that you would turn to are too overwhelmed and under supported to take you in.

The problems facing Detroit homeless people:
The struggling Detroit economy has resulted in a major lack of funding that has resulted in Detroit shelters becoming too overwhelmed.

To better understand the struggles and needs of homeless people, I volunteered at a local shelter. Neighborhood Service Organization provides a place to warm up in the winter and offers food, and other services for the homeless, but no beds. I worked one-on-one with the individuals there, three times a week every week for 4 months. From this I was able to recognize the pertinent needs and challenges of this group and began to develop what has now come to be called The Empowerment Plan.

What everyone needs in the winter is a coat but for those with no home, your coat is also your shelter. I began designing a coat that would capture the users body heat generated during the day, for extra warmth later at night when the coat doubles as a sleeping bag. I wanted the end product to be constructed by people; homeless, abused, and veterans, of the Cass Community Social Services. Those making the coats will be paid minimum wage, given full-time housing, and fed. The coat was named Element S. This coat is made of Tyvek and wool or synthetic fibers. The Tyvek is used on the exterior as a water and heat barrier. The wool or synthetic fibers are used for the interior since their hollow fibers are great for insulation.

It is designed to become obsolete. I am not advocating living on the street. I want it to do more than just keep them warm but to also teach these people new skills so they can feel a sense of pride and know that they are capable of putting their skills to work to gain employment and provide for themselves a better life.

With immense support and help from The College for Creative Studies, Carhartt, Cass Community Social Services, copywriter Matthew Arnold, and Jody Turner I have been able to begin the production of 25 Element S Coats before the end of this winter season.

Contact at veronikascott27@gmail.com
EmpowermentPlan.org
veronikascott on twitter

http://detroitempowermentplan.blogspot.com/

Big thanks to Veronika Scott for this guest blog post. Image used here with permission, Photo credit to Brittany Thomasson.

How to Make a Tyvek Kite

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:14:00 +0000

The August 2010 issue of Popular Mechanics contained a DIY article on How to Make a Kite from Tyvek. The piece from the President of the American Kitefliers Association (Barbara Meyer) describes how to make a Tyvek box kite without doing any sewing; it suggests using tape instead. The Tyvek is used for the kite skin.

If you want to buy some Tyvek to make a kite, Material Concepts now offers various Tyvek odd lots, over runs and other excess inventory for sale online. You can view all Tyvek inventory that is currently available. All material is authentic Dupont™ Tyvek® product resulting from converting operations at Material Concepts. And unlike Tyvek used in building construction, it is unprinted.

And if you do want to sew the Tyvek for kites, banners or other projects, Material Concepts provides instructions on how to sew Tyvek, or download this PDF.

Tyvek Canvas for Digital Art

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Kohn, www.MaterialConcepts.com) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:22:00 +0000

Loek de la Haye, a digital artist living in the Netherlands, is using Tyvek as his canvas for digital art.

Loek says, "I consider myself an artist with a camera rather than a photographer." His website is http://www.fritzcatstudios.nl.

Artist Statement:

As a digital artist I’m always looking for materials I can use for my art. Most of my small work is printed on paper or aluminium and earlier in my career I used canvas for my bigger prints. But I don’t like the texture of the canvas so I started looking for suitable materials for my printed art; I found Tyvek.

I now use Tyvek style 1085D. I like it very much and it is an exceptional material. It feels like paper but it is strong and water resistant which means I can use it on stretcher bars and use it outside. A good example is the picture of my art in my garden. It is hanging there for almost 1.5 years and the weather in the Netherlands is not always that friendly. It is nice to see my work inspired by nature in that very nature.

To prepare the Tyvek for my Epson printers I first have to coat it with a few layers of Inkaid white matte. If I need some texture I will treat the last layer with a crumpled plastic bag. It gives depth to the image and lovely imperfections in the print. Sometimes I make an underpainting with acrylic paint.
The smaller prints on Tyvek I will mount on board with a double sided mounting film. For the big ones I use stretcherbars.

I can ply the printed Tyvek like paper, a property that I use for my artist books. The book ‘Light’ has boards covered with printed Tyvek. The book is on display now in the Gutenberg museum in Germany.

Thanks to our friend Loek de la Haye for this guest blog post showing his amazing artwork. All images used here with permission, copyright Loek de la Haye.

Material Concepts offers many styles of Tyvek that can be used in innovative designs for fashion, art and new products. Contact Material Concepts for Tyvek product information or buy Tyvek online

Tyvek Shoes from Unstitched Utilities

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:05:00 +0000

Unstitched Utilities is a shoe designer that creates Tyvek shoes. Unstitched Utilities are "all about creative inspiration with an out-of-the-box design concept. It is a street wear and life style brand featuring an array of designs that will complement any style. Not only are the shoes creative and stylish, they are a great price. Visit their website at http://www.unstitchedutilities.com/ to see more of their work or purchase Tyvek athletic shoes. Unstitched Utilities provides this guest post for the Tyvek Innovative Uses blog:

How are you using Tyvek? We are using Tyvek as the entire upper (above the outsole) of Lifestyle Athletic Shoes. This gives a fresh exciting new look and eco-friendly product. We call this part of our line "The Unpressed Collection" due to the wrinkled effect we added to the Tyvek.
What you did do with Tyvek? We used eco-friendly dyes and added a wrinkled effect. We added a backer to the parts of the shoe where we needed additional support with eco-friendly adhesives. We dye cut pieces as ordinary shoes. We designed all the styles to take into account the nature of the materials.

Why did you chose Tyvek? We chose Tyvek for numerous reasons; first trying to add to the sustainability of the planet; second was that it is unique to the product category; and third all Tyvek's properties (water proof barrier that is breathable (important for comfort and durability); its tensile strength (durability again)and its weight (comfort). It also gives a great cool look.

Thanks to the folks at Unstitched Utilites for this guest blog post about their cool Tyvek shoes. Images used here with permission, copyright Unstitched Utilites.

Material Concepts offers many styles of Tyvek that can be used in innovative designs for fashion, art and new products. Contact Material Concepts for Tyvek product information or buy Tyvek online.

Tyvek Jewelry by Carol-lynn Swol

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:41:00 +0000

Carol-lynn Swol is a Tyvek jewelry artist and the first guest poster on the Tyvek Innovative Uses blog. Visit her website at www.carollynnswol.com to see more of her work. Ms. Swol provides this statement on her work with Tyvek:

In creating jewelry, material and the passion for material manipulation help drive my creative process. This passion led me to begin making pieces with Tyvek, which feels as delicate as paper, but is far more durable. It is in the duality of this material that I yearn to find a sophisticated balance between durability and ephemeral-seeming and between intentionality and spontaneity in design and form. Restricting these pieces to texture and form, I have thermal-kiss cut, tufted, and stacked the Tyvek to strive toward producing a visually arresting and sensual effect.

My work with Tyvek was originally inspired by my love of books and the feel of paper. I have used dyed Tyvek, and more recently, plain white Tyvek. More so than the dyed Tyvek, the white seems like the paper we encounter every day, bringing my recent work closer to the original inspiration that led me to this material. In their stark whiteness, these pieces seem to be made of stacks of the cleanest paper possible.

In earlier work, I stacked dyed pieces of Tyvek to produce layered patterns that looked like colorful, organic forms. The muted colors had great variety due to different shades of dye and because of shadows created by the undulations along the surface of the pieces. The newer pieces, using bright white Tyvek, restrict the work to texture and form. This creates a challenge, but it also produces an arresting effect, both more minimalist and somehow more sensual.

Many thanks to Carol-lynn for providing this guest blog post and for being a Material Concepts customer. Images used here with permission, copyright Carol-lynn Swol.

Have an Innovative Use for Tyvek? Inviting Guests to Blog about How They Use Tyvek.

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:02:00 +0000

In a few years of running this Tyvek Innovative Uses blog, Material Concepts has found many different and unusual ways that people are utilizing Tyvek. Now, it's your turn!

If you would like to write a guest post describing how you or your company is using Tyvek in some new, innovative or unusual way, you are invited to do a guest post on this blog.

What do I need to provide for a guest blog post?
Please contact Material Concepts by posting a comment here or sending an email to web@materialconcepts.com. Describe the topic of your blog post. For the blog post itself, please provide a description of how you are using Tyvek, what you did with the Tyvek, why you chose Tyvek, etc. Also, please include a photo (or 2 or 3) and provide your permission to use the images. We'll publish the blog post to this Tyvek Innovative Uses blog and include a link back to your website.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Stylish Tyvek Bags by ShagBags

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:36:00 +0000

Shagbags certainly fit in the spirit of this Innovative Uses of Tyvek blog as the Shagbag products are “innovative reusable promotional products, custom packaging and product development of items made using recyclable DuPont™ Tyvek®.”

Shagbags makes retail and store bags, promotional bags and fundraising bags in a variety of styles with customization. Tyvek is great for making bags as it is stylish and practical – lightweight, durable, reusable, washable and water resistant.

Visit the Shagbags website to check out the other available styles, request a quote or purchase online. Shagbags is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBENC).

Shagbags’ most popular style is the Shagbag Custom Boho Bag, show here in white Tyvek and after customization. The Boho Bag is 18” wide and 16” tall with gusseted bottom and sides and a 72” shoulder strap that wraps to the bottom of the bag for strength. And it all folds into an interior 6” x 8” pouch for easy transport when empty.

This Tyvek Innovative Uses blog has a new URL and feed

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:45:00 +0000

This Tyvek Innovative Uses blog is now located at http://tyvek-blog.materialconcepts.com/. It was relocated due to a change in Google/Blogger's service.

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Using Tyvek as a Car Cover

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:35:00 +0000

Many customers are using our UV Soft Tyvek as a car cover.
This item: 120" X 10 YARD TYVEK 1460 is particularly popular for such uses and is big enough for most cars with material to spare just in case. Let us know how it works for you - send us your photos of your car using our Tyvek as a car cover. Email to web@materialconcepts.com.

Colored Tyvek, Coloring Tyvek with Acrylic Ink

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 03:57:00 +0000

A recent post on the Chewing with the Paper Chipmunk blog described coloring some Tyvek to make some miniature books. Paper Chipmunk says:

"My favorite way of decorating Tyvek is to use a foam cosmetic sponge dipped in acrylic ink. I then evenly smooth the color over the Tyvek, rubbing it in with the foam sponge. ...

Rubbing an even layer of the ink into the Tyvek brings out the patterns of its non-woven fibers. And one of the nicest things about acrylic ink is that it doesn't leave any discernible texture or tackiness--perfect for book pages. It just soaks into the Tyvek."

Check out the photos of the colored Tyvek and the miniature book made with the blue colored Tyvek. (Click photos to enlarge for detail.) Nice work Paper Chipmunk!

Many thanks to the Paper Chipmunk, info and photos used with permission.

Tyvek Ceiling - a User Sends a New Innovative Use for Tyvek

noreply@blogger.com (Matcon Webmaster) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:08:00 +0000

Zach Nagle from Czarnowski Display Service in Chicago emailed recently to describe a new innovative use for Tyvek - a Tyvek ceiling. In Zach’s words:

The problem: We have a dusty sample room, and wanted to add a new roof to repel dust, yet breathe air, and let more light in, and it had to be affordable, presentable and easy to install.

Solution: Make a ceiling out of wood frames and hard paper Tyvek!

The Tyvek looks great, and any imperfections in the tension/stretch are hidden by the fiber texture appearance of the material. It is lightweight and durable, and we think it looks great.

As seen in the photos, the translucent property of Tyvek allows light to come through, and the random swirl pattern of the nonwoven material adds to the attractiveness of the ceiling. And of course it does fit all the requirements stated here as Tyvek keeps out dust, is breathable, lets in light, is affordable, presentable and easy to install.

Thanks to Zach at Czarnowski Display Service for sending the photos and the Tyvek ceiling story.

If you would like to do something similar, Material Concepts would be happy to supply the Tyvek for your application. Click here for more information on hard Tyvek, also commonly called Tyvek paper. You can purchase Tyvek online or contact us for Tyvek product information or to place an order.