LED Quilt Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Update

This is hard! It isn't intuitive or simple. It's OK to have trouble. Don't Panic!

Some Problems you may have:

Some LEDs light, but not others

Trace your circuit. Start at the top of your square and follow your conductive thread. Look for these things that are problems:

• Thread crossing thread. 
  • This is a problem. You will have to remove one of the threads and let it take a different path
• Broken Thread. (Open circuit)
  • If you have slack, you can tie the ends together using any knot you want. If you don't have slack, you may need to replace that piece of thread
• One LED doesn't light: LED connected backwards. 
  • Starting at the top, as you trace your thread, you should always come to the + of the LED first, not the -
• Thread is loose at the LED terminal. 
  • Make sure you put in at least 3 tight loops and tie it off to have a good connection
• Make sure your circuit is wired in parallel!
  • This project needs everything to be in parallel, connected side by side. Each LED should have its own path path from + to -.
  • If you used metal (aluminum foil) as a decoration, it might be making a connection between two pieces of thread and changing your circuit because metal is a conductor. You can either route the thread around the metal, or put tape (an insulator) on the metal so it doesn't connect to the thread.
• It smells bad / it started to smoke / my LED won't light even when I connect it straight to the battery. 
  • Oh no! Did you use a 9V battery? You might have to make a square that doesn't light up 😥 or come to AHA and get new LEDs

NO LEDs light

• Battery is backward /  Battery is dead
  • Try flipping it around or test your battery in something else.

It used to light up, but now it doesn't

• Follow the same instructions as before, but pay special attention to all of the connections. Is the thread connected well at the battery? at the LEDs? Is the thread broken?

It fell apart

• Glue doesn't work well on felt. 
  • Try sewing your piece on, either by sewing through it, or looping over it. You may want to review the sewing video for more info.
• My stitches came loose. 
• My stitches pulled through the fabric. 
  • Check the sewing video for more help, including How to move an LED

How to start over

• Flip your felt over and try again on the other side!
• Use another piece of fabric of the same size. Please nothing that can't be easily sewn through (no canvas, leather, or hard plastic/metal

Still need help

Come to AHA in person or on zoom

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