Pat will show us how to assemble these fun carnival masks in various designs, and then you can decorate them using art supplies from Machspace. If you have any decorations you’d like to use, please do bring them along!
As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public, and we invite you to read our open day rules before attending.
We look forward to seeing you there! 🙂
Facebook event: Click here
This open day will be led by Pat, who has experience with a similar community workshop focused on printing. She’ll teach us how to cut a design into a small square of lino, and then print it onto paper. You’ll also have the option of turning your print into a badge with our badge maker.
As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public, and we invite you to read our open day rules before attending.
We look forward to seeing you there! 🙂
Facebook event: Click here
Hosted by Avery and Cassian. Bring 100% cotton t-shirts new and old that you’d like to enhance with a DIY industrial aesthetic. It’s very simple and easy and fast! You can use some nerdy stencils pre-made by Avery, you can cut stencils yourself in cardboard, and if it’s not too busy we might be able to help you make a more detailed, reusable stencil from plywood with the laser cutter.
You will need to bring:
We will provide:
As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public and free to attend. We invite you to read our open day rules before attending.
We look forward to seeing you there! 🙂
Facebook event: Click here
This open day will be led by Pat, who has experience with a similar community workshop focused on printing. She’ll teach us how to cut a design into a small square of lino, and then print it onto paper. You’ll also have the option of turning your print into a badge with our badge maker.
As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public, and we invite you to read our open day rules before attending.
We look forward to seeing you there! 🙂
Facebook event: Click here
Join Penny and Cassian at Machspace for our Hand Stitch Open Day!
Bring your own project or choose from:
Here’s a few of the cross-stitch kits we’ve bought to share, pay-what-you-feel:
Plus we have a whole selection of embroidery hoops to go with them, so you can join in even if you’re a complete beginner. We also now have one of those giant magnifying glasses with LEDs on it, which clamps onto the table, like so:
As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public, and we invite you to read our open day rules before attending.
We look forward to seeing you there! 🙂
Image credits, L-R: Machspace, GM Zines (Wikimedia Commons), David Silver
The next open day has a dual theme, two crafts that go together like cheese and pickle.
A zine (pronounced “zeen”) is a homemade booklet, often copied by photocopier, with big counterculture vibes. Informative or arty or silly or serious, they’re versatile and limited only by your own imagination. At this open day we’ll teach you how to make a mini zine using just an A4 sheet of paper, no staples required, and then you can copy it using the Machspace inkjet printer-scanner.
Our badge maker was one of the first things we bought for Machspace, and we’re very proud of it! Put your art into the die with all the right layers, crunch the handle, and voila, now it’s a proper badge. From brain to badge in 3 minutes! Very satisfying. We can do 25mm and 45mm badges.
It’s a drop-in for members and non-members (ages 11+), so feel free to pop by anytime between noon and 2pm. If you’re into the theme you can bring your own art supplies and stickers and washi tapes. Machspace can provide printer paper and printer ink. And you’re very welcome to bring anything else to make instead, or just come to hang out and drink tea.
It’s free to attend, and food, drinks and materials are free – donations welcome but not required.
If you have any questions, feel free to email us: hello AT machspace DOT org
Our first open day of 2024 is on Saturday 6th January, 12-2pm – and as you can see, this time we’ve picked a theme. Avery and Cassian will be hosting, and they knitted all the items above. They can help you get started, and they can probably help you with knitting pattern questions or advice with mistakes, too.
It’s a drop-in for members and non-members (ages 11+), so feel free to pop by anytime between noon and 2pm. If you’re into the theme you can bring your own knitting project(s), or learn the basics from Cas and Avery. Machspace has a stash of donated yarns and a collection of knitting needles, or you can bring things with you. And you’re very welcome to bring anything else to make instead, or just come to hang out and drink tea and eat leftover mince pies.
Please be aware that you can take yarn away with you afterwards, but you won’t be able to take Machspace knitting needles with you. (We recommend checking out the local charity shops, who often have a good supply of knitting needles for cheap, but they usually keep them behind the counter and you have to ask at the till to have a rummage.)
The kitchen has new teas and hot chocolate and LOTS of snacks, and a supply of small cartons of cow and oat milk. Also we’ve 3D-printed two towel holders (about 45 minutes each) for the kitchen:
Our t-shirt stencil bleaching went well:
And then we had our festive open day, complete with decorations, mince pies, and shortbread with Christmassy decorations, which was well-attended enough that I was too distracted to get photos of attendees:
And today, we finally got around to replacing the 15 missing and broken lightbulbs!
This open day is a little longer than usual, because of the festive season!
We’ll have mince pies, hot beverages, and spiced berry cordial (hot or cold). You’re invited to bring sweet and savoury snacks to share, and festive crafts to work on together. Tell us in advance if you have any dietary requirements, so we can make sure there’s stuff you can eat and drink.
With any luck we’ll have been organised enough to get some decorations up! Any members who would like to mastermind any decorating sessions are invited to email us: hello AT machspace DOT org
It’s free to attend, and food and drinks are free – donations welcome but not required.
Our grand opening was on 20th October, and today, almost a month later, we have 14 inducted members and 16 people waiting to be inducted.
We have storage space for members’ projects now:
We’ve also got some posters for members to tell us about what equipment they’d like us to get (some since acquired), and – as we have very limited funds for equipment – a very offline way to informally crowdfund for particular items:
And, since the poster thing has been turning out so well, we added another for sharing materials and coordinating skill-sharing:
Members are invited to write on this poster if they want to teach others how to do their favourite crafts, or if there are particular skills they would like to learn.
Also, our kitchen now has shelves, a sink and a working hot water supply, and a little fridge under the worktop:
Today’s open day was pretty good, we had a few visitors coming from the repair cafe over the road, and a couple of new members signed up. Cassian and Avery used some salvaged materials (left by the previous pop-up art shop tenants) to create a sandwich board to make the workshop look more open and welcoming on open days:
Things are still pretty chaotic, and occasionally overwhelming, especially with regard to offers of donated items! We have a small space so we have to be quite careful. Also, there are only three volunteers at the moment, with limited time and energy, so we can’t accept anything that needs any kind of mending, maintenance, etc.
We’re sending out emails to applicants once a week or so, to offer time slots for induction, and managing about 3 sessions per week.
Our next open day is scheduled for Saturday 25th November, 12-2pm, but we may not have enough directors/volunteers to manage it – stay tuned! If you want to be sure we’ll be there to show you around, come on Wednesday 6th December, 6-8pm. Open days are intended for everyone, members and non-members alike, to drink various hot beverages and make things together – come along and meet each other!