This week, we had our first class session at the Fab lab. I have been looking forward to this for weeks- the idea of combining multiple facets of Digital Making has been something that has excited me since I found out about the Fab Lab during the first week of school. I have thoroughly enjoyed 3D printing, but have been excited to get my hands on things like engraving, wood working, and embroidery. Embroidery has been especially intriguing to me, as I used to be an Irish Dancer, and the costumes needed are all custom embroidered by different dress makers who mostly use embroidery machines like the ones the Fab Lab has. These dresses can cost thousands of dollars, so I was excited to learn the method of how to make such an in-demand item in the world I used to be such a big part of.
After a tour of the lab, where we saw their computers, 3D printers, electronic devices, milling machines, and embroidery machines, we were split into two groups. My group ended up in the embroidery room. We were instructed on how to select an image from online and import it into the software for embroidery. We learned how to play with the settings to make sure that the software was picking up the right parts of the image to sew, learned how to set different stitches, and how to custom select what we wanted to embroider. After we did this with a simple image, we found more complex ones. We used these to import into the machines themselves via special cords and actually began to embroider on small pieces of canvas, held taught by an embroidery hoop.
I chose to embroider a colorful outline of the Chicago skyline. I am really pleased with how it turned out, but I did not think about the amount of time I would have to spend choosing thread colors and then switching them out constantly. I would estimate that about eighty percent of the time I was using the machine was spent threading a new spool into the machine in order to get the colorful skyline that I wanted. I have attached a video below of my skyline being sewn.
I believe that this is going to be the top of a box that we are going to make. The other group in the fab lab was working with the milling machines in order to learn how to make a box that will fit together snugly, with an open top for canvas to later be fitted into. We are also going to be learning how to set up electronics in order to have lights inserted into our canvas creations. I am going to have lights on top of a few of the buildings on the skyline, to bring it to life. If I were to be able to print a larger version, I would have perhaps used the lights as windows instead, but the canvas ended up being only about 4 inches long.
Hey Shayna!
I love how applicable the embroidery is to your own interests and hobbies. I had no idea Irish dancing outfits were custom embroidered and that expensive! I really liked reading through your post since I was in the opposite group and therefore didn’t yet have the embroidery experience. I’m glad you mentioned how much time you spent switching out the thread, I’ll try to take that into consideration when I’m choosing an image to embroider this week! I really enjoyed the video you attached as well, I love watching things be made and that was a nice touch to add to the blog. The skyline looks fabulous and I can’t wait to see the rest of how your box turns out.
Shayna,
I really loved your embroidery design! I feel like I was intimidated from doing too many colors because I didn’t want my machine to jam up on me. But after see your skyline, I wish I did more! You set the bar high for the rest of our designs!
Ajie