Posted by Crystal Pepperdine, Founder and Executive Director of Flint Handmade
Recently, I took a trip down to Ann Arbor with my friend Antonia (aka Toe) to check out a Southeast Michigan Crafters Meetup at Maker Works.
Maker Works is "an 11,000 sq. ft. member-based studio located in Ann Arbor, MI. It features 4 areas of making: METAL, CIRCUITS, WOOD and CRAFT. It also provides hundreds of hand tools, classes, a retail store and more."
From left to right: Rae, Karen and Sarah
Karen of One Girl Circus and Rae of Made by Rae have been organizing these monthly Southeast Michigan Crafters Meetups for about a year to give crafters the opportunity to meet, network and craft together!
The location for the Meetups often rotates, but I was glad to go to one at Maker Works, which I learned about at the 2010 Maker Faire.
At the Meetup, Toe made a bracelet with beads she brought...then she gave the bracelet to me! Thanks, Toe!
This lovely gal was making a fabric puppet theatre to fit in a doorway. So cute!
After we crafted for a while, Thea from Maker Works gave us a tour of the facility. We started in the CIRCUITS area.
Super cute signage!
This area is located between the CIRCUITS and CRAFT area. It's called the tool crib...what a great name!
My favorite tool at Maker Works was the Amaya 16-thread embroidery machine in the CRAFT area. Thea said that this is one of the most powerful tools in the entire facility. It requires a 3-hour class to learn how to use!
The very same Epilog laser cutter I saw at the 2010 Maker Faire is located in the CRAFT area.
The laser cutter makes some cool stuff!
The MakerBot 3D printer that won a blue ribbon at Maker Faire is also in the CRAFT area. (Guess who else won a blue ribbon at the 2011 Maker Faire?)
Leah used one of the Bernina sewing machines available in the Maker Works CRAFT area.
The ShopBot CNC Router cutting out stools in the WOOD area.
Fullly operable vintage metal lathe in the METAL area.
Flint Handmade is considering organizing a field trip down to Maker Works in 2012. Please email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com if you are interested!
What a fun time to be had plus learning about others and their art form.
ReplyDeleteIt is SO MUCH FUN. Nothing like a child/husband free evening of crafting. (Or cutting out all the crap to sew later in my case) =) It was nice to meet you guys!
ReplyDelete-Sam
Oops...Sam, I called you Sarah in the blog post! I'm sorry! It was great to meet you, too. :) -Crystal
ReplyDeletesoooooo fun~!!! what a remarkable organization maker works is! a perfect place for crafters to get together, eat munchies & get work done. have to give props to the carrot cake jam, as well! :) thanks for a fabulous time, crystal & all the Southeast Michigan Crafters Meetup gals!! xo toe
ReplyDelete