Hello!
My name is Ashley Del Valle. I am a post-doctoral researcher at Queen's University, working closely with Professor Sara Nabil in the iStudio Lab. Currently, I am exploring the design and fabrication of functional and beautiful soft sensors and interfaces.

My doctoral research focused on computational tools for Handmade Textile Crafts. I developed systems in which digital and manual methods operate together (1) to produce new forms of artifacts and computational tools for handmade textile crafts, (2) to preserve and extend the expressive, functional, and social qualities of handwork, and (3) to create more accessible and personally meaningful entry points into computational making for crafters, youth, and creative learners.

Published research

texTile: Making and Re-making Crochet Granny Square Garments Through Computational Design and 3D-Printed Connectors

Emilie Yu, Prof. Jennifer Jacobs

DIS'25 Madeira Portugal | July 5-9th 2025

Engaging Young People in the Expressive Opportunities of Digital Fabrication Through Craft Oriented CAM-Based Design

Ashley Del Valle, Mert Toka, and Jennifer Jacobs. 2024. Engaging Young People in the Expressive Opportunities of Digital Fabrication Through Craft-Oriented CAM-Based Design. In Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS '24). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 1162–1176. https://doi.org/10.1145/3643834.3660693

two images placed vertically. The to image showcases the PunchPrint workflow. The bottom image showcases the five artifacts created with PunchPrint.

PunchPrint: Creating Composite Fiber-Filament Craft Artifacts by Integrating Punch Needle Embroidery and 3D Printing

Ashley Del Valle, Mert Toka, Alejandro Aponte, Jennifer Jacobs. 2023. Punch- Print: Creating Composite Fiber-Filament Craft Artifacts by Integrating Punch Needle Embroidery and 3D Printing. In Hamburg ’23: ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, April 23–28, 2023, Ham- burg, Germany. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 15 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/ 3544548.3581298

Residency

image shows a series of knitted swatches displayed in a green board.

Electronic Textile Camp (ETC) 2023

ETC is a ten-day, artists-run residency for creative practitioners working at the intersection of craft, computation, textiles, and electronics to meet, make, and learn together. This residency gave me the space to explore meaningful ways of interacting with textiles and smart wearable devices.

Art Installations

Fabric Peacing: Threads of Memory, Light, and Hope

Fabric Peacing is a multimedia quilt installation that combines traditional textile craft with animated projection to reflect on memory, loss, and the urgent need for peace. The quilt, designed by Dana Jones, features six paper cranes inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who developed leukemia after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Following a Japanese legend, Sadako folded paper cranes in hopes of healing—believing that folding 1,000 could grant a wish. Her story, shared in Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, has become a lasting symbol of peace and resilience.

Over the quilt, projections trace the cranes’ outlines in motion—suggesting energy, flight, and transformation. These fleeting lights bring the stillness of the fabric to life, echoing the artist’s own longing to create peace for herself and others. This work invites viewers to consider what peace means, who gets to experience it, and how we can protect it for all.