Makerspace: Bellevue Library Offers So Much

My focus on delight has included highlighting things that are beautiful and interesting. In this case, it is a location where the beautiful and interesting can be created.

In the last 10 years, the equipment available to make things has exploded. There are 3D printers that make something by printing with plastic, Laser cutters that can engrave wood & acrylic, Cricut-style machines that cut adhesive vinyl, leather, balsa wood, Sewing machines that can embroider intricate designs. My mind has been swirling with the possibilities. The trick is knowing what you want machine would suit you best, exploring how to use it and considering if you'd like to own one.

When I read that the Bellevue, Washington library had a Makerspace available to adults and kids I was very interested to see how it worked. For my purposes, I wanted to see a Cricut and how it worked and ask about what was required to use a laser cutter. I made a reservation for the Open Lab and spent 2 hours investigating the process.       

The staff librarian was very helpful and provided me with a laptop and headphones to log into the Cricut Online Training website so I could create an account and watch a few tutorials as I compared the video to the machine in front of me. They provide scrap vinyl and encourage attendees to plan their projects ahead of time to maximize their lab time. 

I really just wanted to be an observer and I was really interested to see a young mother and her 2 children arrive and she start using the equipment at the next table immediately. At the same time, a middle age man was designing on Adobe Creative Cloud software in one glass room, while another patron was using the laser cutter with supervision in another glass room. It was so great to see these expensive and complicated tools available to the public for free.

Anyone with drive and a library card could teach themselves how these machines work and get some hands on experience. 

I concluded that I did not have a future in cutting vinyl or wood. There are simply not enough projects that I want to make that would warrant my mastering a new machine. Yet I got a great explanation and could see it all up close, which I appreciated. I learned that I should become comfortable with Adobe Illustrator (and perhaps design what I want to print ahead of time) if I decide to pursue laser cutting. This is what I needed to know! 

Always be on the lookout for special opportunities to explore new technology or crafts. I may not be a regular patron at this library Makerspace, but I can tell people all about how it might work for them. 

#makerspace #beautifulandinteresting #finddelight #bellevuewa #technology
 

Maker Spaces: My Patchwork Quilt Takes Shape in Seattle

I had so much fun Sewing in Seattle.  I like to make things (sew, bake, knit, buy, try) and when I knew that I would be spending a month in a hotel in Seattle, I wondered how I would adjust to having no sewing machine, serger or any of my crafting tools.  I could pack my knitting needles, but how many scarves can a girl wear? (Read my post about why I only knit scarves.)

When I had been on location about 2 weeks, I bought some beautiful stretch knit fabric and started hand-sewing it into a scarf one morning while I had coffee in the hotel lobby/dining room. 

My husband saw me making little to no progress over the course of breakfast and said, "This is ridiculous. There has to be a place where you can borrow a sewing machine."  He started Googling on his phone and sure enough, he found several places for me to contact.  Maker Spaces. Have you heard of them?

A maker space a workshop-style location filled with the machines and supplies needed for specialized creating.  In this case, I needed a maker space for sewing. I paid $10/hr to use the iron, measuring grids, rotary cutters and sewing machines.

I haven't found the perfect sewing maker space for me just yet, but I did visit a couple and was able to start making myself what I call a Reading Quilt (you can see the beginnings of it above). 

I wanted something that was: beautiful, portable, cozy and offered warmth when relaxing.  My favorite thing about a large patch quilt is that the fabrics have a chance to speak for themselves.  It isn't the tiny pieces and intricate stitches that capture your interest, it's the colors and patterns. I bought these gorgeous fabrics (from many different collections) at the Fabric Depot in Portland.  My quilt will be my souvenir from Portland, one that will last a lifetime.

As I worked on my quilt, I talked about it, and one of my new friends stepped in and loaned me her sewing machine! Can you believe it? The nicest thing a girl can do is lend her sewing machine to a friend who wants to sew. I designed this quilt to be patchwork on both sides and I will insert a blanket-style batting and finish it when I am back in Michigan.

When I return to Seattle this fall, I'll explore some other maker spaces I found. I want to take some basic sewing classes for fun and camaraderie, as well as create something unique at a high skill maker space.

I found one called Metrix Create that offers 3-D printing, heavy duty sewing machines (sturdy enough for leather and vinyl projects), large-scale knitting machines, lamination and grommeting tools, plus so much more. If you don't have the skills required to operate the machines, you can pay skilled labor by the hour to create your design. I was given a tour and it was so exciting. I have been trying to think of the perfect project to undertake. My mind whirls when I am in such a creative space. This was meant to be!