By Kirk Cheyney
Well, we made it through another Halloween! Now on to the challenging time of year; the Holidays! It is a time of joy. A time of family. A time of the same eight songs playing in different versions endlessly in every store and some radio stations until what seems like forever. A time of realizing how many cousins and nephews you have, and cringing at the list of how many you have to get a present for. Plus politics discussions with family. There is also turkey, stuffing, and lots of sugary carbs, so it is not all bad.
In this time of thinking of others, many of us start to lose track of giving time to ourselves. If you are a maker, the time you usually spend enjoying your hobby can become a time of stress, as you frantically try to find things that you can make, because getting started on those holiday socks you want to knit did not make sense in July, which was, like, two weeks ago. Now there are only four to six weeks left (depending on which holiday you celebrate, if you celebrate one at all) to cram in All The Things!
Well, we at the Fab Lab are here to help! Check the website often, as well as subscribing to our newsletter (which, if you see this in email, you already have), and liking us on Facebook. We are going to be adding lots of classes which can help you make presents, decorate your home, or give you a little time for yourself, which is about to become a premium commodity! We are here for you, to make your crafting, making, and building easy to accomplish.
Some things that are coming up of special note; First, there is a Fab Lab exclusive! Paul Henley, one of our electronics teachers and volunteers, has spent the last couple of months creating a Menorah electronics kit for our ‘learning to solder’ class, and they are now in! This simple project lets you build your own electronic Menorah, with a push-button that lights the next LED ‘candle’, and another to reset (in case you click too many). This kit was made because we needed a modestly priced Menorah kit to offer along with our Christmas Tree kit. We encourage you to be one of the first people ever to create this unique design, and begin your Hanukkah celebration as a maker.
Second special note is our Make Me A Holiday event, which takes place on Saturday, December 8th from 10 am to 3 pm. Like last years event, we will have a number of different crafts you can buy as a kit or make at the Lab. Jewelry, decorations, small gifts, laser cut ornaments, 3D printed goodies, and our portable forge will be on hand, as well as some refreshments and deals on classes and events for the year!
The last thing to mention for this week is the rearranging of our basics and safety class schedule. As you all know, becoming a member of the Fab Lab includes free classes on the safety and basics of everything we have, as well as a discount on any of our paid classes. We are adding the Lathe and the CNC to the regular lineup, as well as more crafting and electronics basics classes, so you can get started faster as a member! We also are working on a special update on the progress to move into our new, permanent space, where we will have more room to expand, and add more things, such as a quilting room, ceramics, jewelry, teaching kitchen, and more! Stay tuned as we work towards this exciting new year, and thank you all for your continued support of Iowa City’s non-profit makerspace.
Also, make sure to vote on November 8th. One of the best things about our country is that we all help to build it. Voting is the best way to get rid of the old tools you don’t want anymore. Remember my mantra: Great Americans Make Again.
Talk to you all next week!
Kirk Cheyney