I am a scientist and a seamstress. The base of this denim skirt was made following the pattern Yasmin Yoke by Maria Denmark. The embroidery features the band structure of graphene. Graphene was the reason for the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 to Prof Geim and Prof Novoselov and it is the thinnest material known (just one atom thick!). Band structures described the energy of electrons that are allowed in a solid, and the band structure of graphene is particularly interesting because it has a conical shape. The skirt is featuring the band structure in two dimensions which means that the same pattern is repeated all around the skirt. I worked out the appropriate times to repeat the pattern so that is matches perfectly around the hem of the skirt. The bands are embroidered by hand, and I used different colours to make them more impactful. I love that people question what they see and some have even stopped me to ask, a great opportunity to teach solid state physics to people!
