This week in class we took a trip to the FAB LAB that is located on campus right by the ACES library. Although a lot of us were late because we didn’t know of where the lab was (or if they were like me, had just opened the announcement that we had class in the FAB LAB right before leaving to class), it was a very fun and interesting workshop where we learned a lot about the capabilities that the FAB LAB has when it comes to 3D-making and other sorts of making.
We began the class with a tour of the lab led by Jeff who had previously spoken in our class. He showed us the different rooms and sections in the FAB LAB and what was created or experimented with in each section. We learned about 3D printing, laser cutting, sewing and embroidery, as well as about all the projects that were currently being worked on in the lab. One thing that was mentioned again which I got excited for was the project that some people in the lab are working on where they are creating a dress for the famous drag queen Sasha Velour (who her father happens to teach at this university).
After the tour, we went on into two separate rooms where we had a workshop on how to use the embroidery tools that were available for us at the lab and had to use them to create a design to be embroidered and then later used to cover a laser cut box we will make in the next visit. I was amazed at the possible images and shapes that could be embroidered after fooling around with some tools and I began to get very excited to make this object! I wanted to make a design for the dance team that I am currently a part of on campus called Dance2XS: Caliente
After multiple attempts and many many many changes of thread to change colors, I was able to embroider a box with my dance team’s logo on it as well as the Chicago flag as we perform in Chicago and I am also born and raised there, then there is a dancing couple on top (which was so small some thought was a pigeon, but I think is great!). Although in text this does not sound like a fun design, it is actually really nice! To prove such, here is a picture and a video I got on my snapchat of it:
Snapchat Video of Embroidery
Scott,
Thanks for sharing that video of the embroidery – it was definitely cool to see it in action. I was in the other group, so now I’m looking forward to the second half of this box making activity. I wish I had shared my video of the laser cutter in action so others could see what they have to look forward to this week.