Talk:MN Textiles

Outstanding Questions

Which machines require check-offs or classes before people are allowed to use them?

Are there classes available, even if not required, for other machines? (I'm sure, for example, that there are lots of guys besides me who went to schools where boys didn't take Home Economics and who grew up in families where sons weren't taught to use a sewing machine. I'm also sure that there are lots of tips and trick beyond just sewing a straight stitch that could seem completely obvious and trivial to an experienced sewist but not so much to a beginner.)

What are expectations about the scrap tubs? Will MN replenish them as materials get used up, or are members who use the materials encouraged to make an occasional contribution to the supply, especially if they use a lot? If people are making contributions, what guidelines should they follow to keep the supply from filling up with junk that's unlikely to be used? (For example: no pieces smaller than such-and-such size; no pieces of such-and-such materials.)

What are expectations about the other supplies? What about other supplies (thread, ribbon, snaps, elastic, leather rivets, buttons, ...)? Just use them (if we have them)? Or consider making occasional contributions in cash or in kind?

Materials reserved? Are there any materials that will be reserved for particular classes and that should be considered off-limits for general member use? How can they be recognized? (For instance, they might be kept in specially marked drawers, or in another area of the space, such as the caged area in the back part of Suite 236). Are there any materials that MN will sell to members and students in a standard retail transaction, or something very like it? If so, do we need to collect and pay sales taxes on such transactions, or do they meet some sort of excemption?

Tools and Disposables? What gadgets/accessories do we have? (Clips? Seam ripper? Tailor's chalk and/or dissolving-ink pens? Hem gauges? Soft tape measure(s)? Good shears for fabric only? Pinking shears? Pattern weights? French curve? Bias tape makers? Large tabletop ironing pad? Sleeve board? Special-purpose presser feet? Button-hole attachements? Etc., etc., etc.) Do they have designated places where people should expect to find them if they're not in active use by someone else and where people should return them when done using them?

How can novices learn to tell which presser foot goes with which machine for which task and which hand sewing needle is for which kind of fabric?

What's story on bobbins?

Do any of our machines use something other than a standard (in the U.S.) number 15 bobbin? Do we expect that members will normally use bobbins provided by MN or that they will supply their own? If someone wants to be sure of using the same thread throughout a project that they can't finish in one session, they may want to wind a bobbin with their own thread and keep hold of it between sessions. If many of MN's bobbins are thus borrowed at the same time, our supply could run low--and more so if some percentage of "borrowed" bobbins are never returned. Are there any things that should be documented about the bobbin *cases* for the various machines?

Manual Problems

When I haven't found manuals for our exact machine models, I've sometimes supplied links to manuals for the closest models I could find. How close are they? What are the differences?

     Consew 206RB-5 (manual) vs. Consew 206RB-4 (our model)
     Baby Lock BL450A Serger (manual) vs. BL450 (our model)
     Amazon Power Press vs. FancierStudio QX-A1 (our model)

Accomodations and Efficiency

How can we set things up to support working in a pattern of "sew a little; trim a little; press a little" without having to walk repeatedly between sewing machine, cutting mat, and ironing board? How well can we accommodate how many people within the limits of our available space, cutting mats, ironing board/pads, work tables, and irons, and the number of irons (even if people bring in their own) that we can have plugged in without tripping breakers?

Photos

We should get pictures of all the machines.

  - DONE - just need to upload and place

Can we also get some good pictures illustrating their capabilities (fancy programmed stitches from sewing machines that have them; serger stitches; embroidery samples; member projects made using various machines and illustrating particular techniques)?

Software

Are there any machines in the textile area besides the embroidery machine and the vinyl cutter whose wiki pages should have a "software" section?