Textiles

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Textiles Shop
TM-Textiles-Shop-2020-1.jpg
Location: Northwest corner of the main building
Shop Colors:    
Shop Captain(s): Chad Marks
Shop Email: textiles@tinkermill.org
Slack Channel(s): #textiles-shop and #sewing-embroidery
Shop Usage Fees:
  • $3 per hour
  • $6 per day
  • $20 per week

General[edit]

The Textiles Shop at TinkerMill is one of the best sewing and fabric arts maker space shops in Colorado. We provide equipment, hand tools, and basic supplies to support home sewing, industrial sewing, machine embroidery, upholstery, clothing care, and general fabric and textiles crafts. We have a clean, comfortable, dedicated room specifically for textiles work. The centerpiece of our shop is a large, 8' x 5' cutting table with gridlines and a variety of measuring and cutting tools. We have a variety of home sewing machines, sergers, embroidery machines, and industrial sewing machines. The full list of shop equipment is listed in the #Equipment section below.

Our shop is open to TinkerMill members and non-members alike. Non-members are welcome to use the shop but must be accompanied by a member. To ensure safety and proper equipment usage, the computerized embroidery machines, industrial sewing machines, and the heat press require training before use. The home sewing machines, sergers, and all hand tools are available for anyone to use at any time. The shop is open to TinkerMill members 24x7 and to non-members whenever accompanied by a member.

Classes[edit]

A variety of classes are offered on a regular basis. Check the TinkerMill Calendar to see what classes are coming up. If you need to take a certification class and don't see a scheduled date that works for you, you can contact a shop captain to discuss arranging a private class.

If you wish to teach classes in the Textiles Shop, please contact a shop captain to let them know of your interest. We are looking for instructors to teach basic sewing, pattern making, quilting, automotive upholstery, and leathercraft.

Shop Fees[edit]

All TinkerMill shops are self-funded and do not receive a portion of membership dues. Both members and non-members are required to pay for time spent in the shop and for materials that are used. The shop fees help pay for equipment maintenance and repair, shop supplies, and the purchase of new tools and equipment. The current rates are shown in the Info Box on this page (top-right corner) and are posted on a sign in the shop.

Payments by cash or check can be placed in the blue box in the shop. Please use one of the envelopes provided and write your name, the amount, and that it is for Textiles Shop before depositing in the box. Payments can also be made electronically via Venmo or at the kiosk at the front office.

Donations[edit]

Cash donations are appreciated and accepted at any time. Payments can be made as described above for shop fees.

Donations of equipment must be approved by a shop captain. Do not leave unapproved donations in the shop. Unwanted donations may be disposed of at the discretion of the shop captain and may be offered to the membership, donated to charity, or thrown away. Please do NOT leave home sewing machines in the shop We do not need them.

Below are some items that we could use in the shop. If you have any of these items to donate, please contact a shop captain:

  • Technical fabrics and upholstery fabrics
  • Leatherworking tools and supplies
  • Sewing patterns
  • Tool chest(s) for hand tools

Equipment[edit]

Below is a list of some of the equipment, tools, and supplies in the Textiles Shop. The shop has many additional tools and supplies that are too numerous to list.

  • seamless 8'x5' cutting table with measurement grid
  • a variety of measuring tools, including tailor's tape measures, straight edges, rulers of various sizes, and templates
  • a variety of cutting tools, including basic sewing scissors, dressmaker shears, pinking shears, and cutting wheels
  • two straight stitch Industrial Sewing Machines with walking presser feet and attachments
  • a variety of home sewing machines from Singer, Brother, and others plus a variety of specialty feet and accessories
  • two Brother SE-400 sewing machines configured for machine embroidery
  • a BabyLock EMP-6 six-needle large hoop embroidery machine with accessories (on loan)
  • two sergers
  • a selection of needles, thread, scrap fabric, and notions
  • a professional grommet and snap press, and hand-held rivet and snap presses
  • leather-working tools, including scissors, skivers, bevelers, awls, thronging wheels, chisels, punches, and mallets
  • a heat press (located in the new "Vinyl Frontier" area of Rapid Prototyping)
  • a hot knife for cutting poly webbing
  • electric carving knives and an insulation saw for carving foam
  • hand tools for automotive and furniture upholstery
  • a Surebonder 9600B pneumatic staple gun
  • a clothes iron, ironing board, press cloth, and other supplies for clothing care
  • a Windows PC loaded with various types of productivity software, graphic design software, and specialized embroidery software

We are always open to suggestions for other tools and supplies that would help to make the shop more useful. If you have something that you would like to donate, please contact a shop captain or the TinkerMill executive director first to discuss your donation. See the #Donations section above for more info.

Activities[edit]

The Textiles Shop can be used for a variety of activities, including tracing and cutting patterns; hand and machine sewing; garment construction; hand and machine embroidery; knitting and crocheting; clothing care and mending; basic upholstery; and basic leather working. The shop is also a generally fun place to hang out, talk to other members, and get creative!

Basic Sewing[edit]

We have several home sewing machines and basic sewing tools and supplies available for anyone to use. Types of home sewing machines include the Brother SE-400 and the Brother XL-2600i. For more information, see the Basic Sewing Machine page.

In addition to regular sewing machines, we also have two sergers available for use. For more information, see the sergers page.

Industrial Sewing[edit]

The Textiles Shop has two industrial sewing machines available for use: a Juki DNU-1541S and a Kingmax GC1541S. Both machines are straight stitch only with walking feet. They are capable of sewing leather and other materials that would not be suitable for a home sewing machine. Each can sew through 1/2" of fabric! We have accessory feet for zippers, rolled hems, and welting / piping. Both of the sewing machines have been fitted with variable speed motors which make it much easier for new users to learn.

Because these sewing machines can be dangerous if not used properly, users are required to take a training class before using the industrial sewing machines. Members with previous experience on these types of sewing machines can take a "fast pass" certification test to pass out of the training class, but must be able to demonstrate their skill and must still pay a certification fee.

For more information, see the Industrial Sewing Machines page.

Machine Embroidery[edit]

One of the most popular activities in the Textiles Shop is machine embroidery. We have three machines with embroidery capabilities: two Brother SE-400s and a BabyLock EMP-6. All of these machines require certification training before use. Certification can be obtained by taking a class or by arranging for "fast pass" certification with an instructor.

We have all of the supplies needed to use these machines, including hoops, a wide variety of stabilizers, and a huge selection of embroidery thread. Users are asked to make a small donation to cover the cost of any materials used. Of course, you are welcome to bring your own supplies!

We also have available several commercial and open source digitizing software applications so that you can create your own embroidery patterns or modify existing ones. Examples of software applications that we make available include Inscape with Ink/Stitch plugin, SewArt, Embrilliance, and Brother PE-DESIGN NEXT. For more information, see the Embroidery Digitizing page.

See Also[edit]