This is an old article, but it is evergreen because the Makerspace is still there at 107 Lancaster Street in Marietta. There is so much more to learn to do there now as well! Give them a call or stop in for a tour!
What is a Makerspace? It is a place for our community to come together to learn new trades & crafts, create, explore, innovate & socialize. We have classes that are open to the community, and members who choose to join because they want to be over here so much and/or want to make their own projects with our equipment.
There’s nothing wrong with learning to sew. I want to say that before I begin. I sew.
I’ll never forget what my father said one day after I had watched him work in his wood shop from the basement steps. I longed to be able to fashion wood items myself. My father would make anything we asked him to make, but we had to wait, sometimes a long time. I remember waiting for shelves for my growing collection of books that I had to keep in the bottom of my closet.
After a couple of years of waiting, my mother picked up some scrap boards from the wood shop, and created a make-shift shelf from the boards and some asbestos rocks. Yup, asbestos. My aunt Jeanine grew up in the town of Asbestos in the Province of Quebec, Canada where the main industry was an asbestos mine. She gave everyone some asbestos stones as souvenirs. The stones that supported the space between my shelves were pretty big. And they remained there until I left home. He never made a shelf for me while I lived home. (To be fair, when my twins were 12, he made me ten bookshelves.)
By the time he said what he said that day, we were outside. I was wearing an outfit I had sewn and he was chopping down some brush along the edge of our property. I had just left a project I was working on from the kitchen table. I had actually sewn it backwards and was tired of ripping out the very long seam. I went outside to climb a tree and get a break from the close work. My father was pretty oblivious most of the time until he had a story to tell from his childhood or from a construction site he was working on.
So, I was startled when he looked up and said “It’s good you learned to sew. Girls should sew, like your mother and grandmother.” It was startling in more ways than one. As quickly as it came, the moment ended with his attention drawn back to weeds. Suddenly, I felt obligated to sew instead of sewing because I wanted to. And he had just thrown me a crumb of attention I wasn’t used to getting. Papa’s presence was comforting, but I rarely expected any actual attention — so it felt strange. That laser beam moment cut a notch in my psyche as his words slowly burned into my soul. I was acutely aware that he would not teach me to use the power tools, but my younger brother was already learning. My baby brother would eventually join him. My sister and I were not even on the radar screen when it came to carpentry. Not only that, but he put a deadly fear in me. He wanted me as far as possible from any power tool.
So, just yesterday, I began to overcome my fear of power tools. What are you interested in learning? Do you know what you can learn at the Makerspace? You don’t have to be a member to take a class — but members can use the machines when not taking a class. It isn’t just a woodshop and a sewing space, but the Makerspace does have both. Come by this Friday! Take a tour and get some s’mores! It’s a party and you’re invited. See below for details.
It’s a PARTY and you’re invited! – THIS IS AN OLD ARTICLE, NOT AN EVENT
Marietta Main Street is throwing a birthday party for the city of Marietta! Making things is in the bones and DNA of Marietta, and the BB2C Makerspace is the place where you can continue this valuable tradition. The Makerspace is participating in the celebration of Marietta by hosting an open house on Friday, April 5th, from 4-9 pm. The Makerspace is located in the BB2C Epicenter at 107 Lancaster Street.
Approximately every 30 minutes we will be taking groups on tours of the entire Makerspace so you can get a sense of the types of things you can create here. There will be demonstrations in each area, and you’ll be able to take a party favor home from a few of them. We also welcome you to stop by the fire pit to meet some of our staff and other members of the community while you roast a marshmallow or make your first s’more of the season.
You’ll get a sneak preview of all our brand new classes in April. There is also an opportunity to enter a free drawing for memberships and class gift cards, but you have to stop by the Makerspace in person on Friday to enter. We currently have 6 different spaces in the Makerspace: Fiber Arts, Multimedia, Woodshop, Laser cutter, 3D Printers & Creative Arts. On Friday we will also be unveiling our newest & seventh space to the public – it’s a secret until Friday! Come and join us for a fun evening of creating and explore the newest activity in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
EVENT AT A GLANCE:
- When: Friday April 5th from 4-9pm
- Where: 107 Lancaster Street, Marietta
- What: Open house, tours, giveaways, & more
- Who: The entire community is invited!
What is a Makerspace? It is a place for our community to come together to learn new trades & crafts, create, explore, innovate & socialize. We have classes that are open to the community, and members who choose to join because they want to be over here so much and/or want to make their own projects with our equipment.