When Rebecca asks for better Armor, Simon would recall he always meant to get the cabal more durable and protective armor. Simon was of the mindset to try and keep his family moving and together. Entropy was a natural foe, but one to respect. This also lead him to think about the Durability of Armor that he had produced in the Past. A fascinating thought sort of started to stitch in his mind.
Matter works well with Life. Not everything in Matter was once alive, but a lot of things in Matter were once attached to Life. That brought Simon to think about clothing. Simon started to investigate about Kevlar, and if anything in Nature could replicate such a powerful thing. As a Life mage, perhaps his association with life could create something strong and supple for his friends. Something that could prevent them from taking a lot of hurt all at once. Preventative Maintenance as it were.
http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-...210152.htm
Thus became a catalyst for Simon! Bark Spiders were something he could control by force if necessary, but would prefer coercion. In fact, a lot of the hard work would just be research. Simon would go to the Cabal for their assistance.
For Rebecca: Simon would need a thorough report of what has been done by scientists already for actual real life testing. What they learned. Papers. Anything at all to learn from mistakes and not repeat them.
For Kiera: To work hands on with Simon. With a good 5 days of work, she could use Time to undo terrible mistakes, and help with the hard crafting portion.
For Richard: Simon can create life and manipulate it crudely, but Richard is a much stronger Puppet Master. Richard was in control of getting the Spiders to manufacture the needed ingredients.
For Ferris: Ferris can assist in whatever manner he's capable of. Herding the Spiders. Feeding Them. Spending time boots on ground to gather Materials that may be needed.
For Solaire: Observations of Combat practicality and Defense. What better than a Suit of Armor to know?
For Simon: The crux of actually crafting and handling the materials to forge into practical clothing that is protective and believable based on Science, so it won't tear the fabric of reality with Vulgarity.