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to Textiles Lab
Meeting Purpose
Review textiles lab status and plan for future financial strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Quilting Machine Rehomed: The large quilting machine is moving to First Parish Church in Dover next week, resolving a space issue.
- Class Pricing Review: All instructors will review class pricing to better reflect market value and instructor skill, aiming for more consistent revenue.
- New Budget Model: A new budget model will fund shop needs from a central revenue pool, ensuring all labs are supported regardless of individual class revenue.
- Leather Cart Ergonomics: The leather console cart will be modified to lower its foot pedal, fixing an ergonomic issue created by previously lowering the machine's table.
Topics
Financial Strategy & Class Pricing
- Problem: Inconsistent class pricing across labs ($40–$60 for 3–4 hr classes) undervalues instructor skill and limits revenue.
- Goal: Set prices closer to market rates to better compensate instructors and increase revenue.
- Action: Instructors will review their pricing and prepare for a discussion at the next meeting.
New Budgeting Model
- Problem: Current model ties shop budgets directly to class revenue, creating funding imbalances between high- and low-activity labs.
- Solution: A new model will fund shop needs from a central revenue pool.
- Action: Instructors will prepare a list of monthly consumable needs and a wishlist of larger items (e.g., Brother machine accessories) for the next meeting.
Equipment & Space Management
- Large Quilting Machine:
- Status: Rehomed to First Parish Church in Dover.
- Rationale: High vocal interest but low materialized sign-ups made the machine a poor use of space.
- Pickup: Scheduled for next Wednesday around 1 PM.
- Knitting Machines:
- Working Machine: A strategy is needed for its storage.
- Broken Machine: Will be offered for free via Abby's Facebook group and Marketplace. If unclaimed, it will be scrapped.
- Leather Console Cart:
- Problem: Lowering the machine table created an ergonomic issue by raising the foot pedal relative to the floor.
- Solution: Install side-mounted wheels to lower the cart's overall height.
- Plan: Use a wood mounting block to adapt the cart's 40-year-old metal frame for new hardware.
Lab Operations & Curriculum
- Sewing Machines: All four auto-threaders are now confirmed working.
- Class Bookings:
- Sunday class is sold out.
- May class has 3 of 4 spots filled.
- Instructor Recruitment: Anna may have a contact for a knitting instructor.
- Software Trial: Ray is considering a 14-day trial of Clo 3D software for potential youth classes.
- New Class Idea: A 4th of July-themed class using red, white, and blue vinyl from the Analogic donation.
Next Steps
- Port City Makerspace:
- Offer the broken knitting machine for free via Abby's Facebook group and Marketplace.
- Coordinate the quilting machine pickup with First Parish Church (Wed, ~1 PM).
- Research side-mounted wheels for the leather cart.
- Textiles Instructors:
- Review class pricing for the next meeting.
- Prepare a list of monthly consumables and a wishlist of larger items for the next meeting.
- All:
- Meet for the next Textiles Lab meeting on Saturday, May 23.
