This week our class was in the Fab Lab again! We started off learning how to use the lasers in the lab and then we created the watch strap by using the sewing machines.
Learning how to use the laser software was really interesting. I liked how easy the different features were like creating different shapes and trying out the color spectrum at the bottom. Also, we learned this trick where you can find a silhouette on google images and trace the image with the software. We practiced this and I used an elephant image. I was also then able to change the color of the traced image! I understand how this could be very helpful when designing. Below is a picture of the trace feature.
We then imported a template from the software and designed the watch face. The instructors at the Fab Lab gave us a great tip about keeping your audience in mind when designing. My mentor is Arielle who is a Paralympic athlete so I decided to design my watch face with an athlete in mind. Therefore the look I went for is sleek and elegant. (I will post pictures in a future post when I go to the lab and laser etch my watch face.)
After we created the watch strap. To do this we had to use how to learn the sewing machines. I had never previously used a sewing machine and I am very bad at sewing by hand. However, it wasn’t as intimidating as I expected and I think this was great practice for my team’s prototype. One of our ideas is to try to make a fabric cover for the hand ring. Below I included pictures of our sewing practice. I also found this link with tips and tricks as a beginning using a sewing machine. https://www.seasonedhomemaker.com/sewing-tips-for-beginners/ I really like this article because it links to other pages where you can learn specific tips that would be helpful. The section that explains how to attach buttons with the sewing machine could be helpful for my team when designing a cover. We could create a cover with button closures.
The hardest part using the sewing machine for me was continually having to thread the needle and learning how to control my speed. This is something that I could improve with more practice and that was even getting better as I created my watch strap.
Finally, we were able to show our prototypes to Milestone Labs. They gave us a lot of great feedback. One thing we are doing moving forward is reaching out to Dr. Goodman, a Material Science Engineering Professor to ask for help understanding different materials. There are a couple of other teams also reaching out so we are combining into a big group. (A couple of us had Dr. Goodman as a Professor for our Technology & Management minor.)
Gies College of Business || May 2019
Supply Chain Management & Information Systems/Information Technology
Hi Maryam
I also love the trace tool on Inkscape, it made life a lot easier. I found it hard to create my own shapes using strictly the line tool. It was fun to mess around with the software though. I think it’s cool you’re thinking of your mentor while designing the watch. I’m excited to see what you come up with.
As for sewing, I agree it takes a lot of practice to get it down. It can get very frustrating re-threading the needle, that’s the hardest part for me too. Luckily we only needed to sew a straight line for the watch wrist band.
Hi Maryam,
I found you guys were using the sewing machine which is really cool, since our group didn’t have the chance to explore it. I remember when I was young my grandma used to spend most of her time on the sewing machine, but that one is an antique and it’s manual operated. It looks like the one you used was a electronic one, which is really cool. This experience can definitely provide us more opportunities to design our products, which is great. By talking to professionals from different fields, you can discover more potential opportunities to improve your product. I would say talking to the professor in MSE is a wise decision. I hope you can make more progress in the following week.
Hi Maryam! I really like how you chose to design your watch face for an athlete with your mentor Arielle in mind. I was in the same sewing session as you and I also really enjoyed learning how to sew. I agree that threading the needle and controlling the need were some of the most difficult parts.