A Time In Stitch is a clock, except instead of displaying the time in a traditional manner, this clock stitches the hours, minutes and seconds into fabric.

It's a complex machine consisting of a continuous feed of the fabric of your choice, which runs under a sewing arm. At the end of this sewing arm is a compact embroidery device (see links). This is all connected to a microphone and processor that responds to spoken current time requests.

Any demand for "what time is it?" is met by the machine springing into action and embroidering the time into the fabric, which then advances to expose a fresh area ready for a new request.

"A Time In Stitch" offers numerous customisable features, from thread colour, fabric variety, and type faces/formats/language for the actual time.

The completed fabric, punctuated by random time signatures, winds unto a drum to be eventually made into a range of unique garments.
-- xenzag, Apr 07 2019

Embroidery Machine https://www.bambers...ase-deal-1531-p.asp
it probably looks something like this, only with clock features as well [xenzag, Apr 07 2019]

I like this idea, but instead of responding to verbal requests, I think it should work continuously, stitching and then un-stitching itself, in the manner of those whiteboard clocks that write and then wipe themselves every minute.

If it used a chain-stitch, it would be able to reel the thread back in to perform the erasing. It could also be arranged so that it takes precisely 60 stitches to write out the time, and performs one stitch each second.
-- mitxela, Apr 07 2019


This is one of the best embroidery-based clock ideas I've ever seen. [+]
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Apr 07 2019


Summer time transitions would be fun to watch. [+]
-- DenholmRicshaw, Apr 07 2019


Needled it!
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 07 2019



random, halfbakery