A4 Sewing Lab, A31 Dye Lab Rules

Soft Technologies Facilities Rules 
Questions: contact Olivia Robinson (orobinso@andrew.cmu.edu) or Natalya Pinchuk(npinchuk@andrew.cmu.edu)

A4, A31 Room Rules, PDF

A4 – Sewing Lab

  • General Rules:
    • Leave the lab cleaner than you found it
    • Return things to their correct location
  • Food & Drink:
    • No wet, crumbly, messy food (no chips, sandwiches, soups, etc.)
    • No food at sewing machines
    • Covered drinks only
    • Get rid of wrappers and leftovers right away
    • Be kind to surfaces, equipment, and others – or no food will be allowed
  • Equipment:
    • Only use the embroidery machines, overlock machine/serger, or industrial Juki if you have been trained to use them.
    • Update yourself by watching the Singer video on how to use the new sewing machines https://bit.ly/singer-sewing-demo
  • Sharps:
    • Broken needles and pins should be disposed of in the red sharps box (not the trash)
    • If you see needles or pins laying around, return them to a magnetic pin cushion

  • Irons:
    • Always turn off the iron when finished
    • Do not leave irons plugged if you leave the room
  • Material and Fabric Bins:
    • Bin labels:
      • “For General Student Use” – any students can use these materials
      • Some boxes will have specific class names – these materials are only for students in that class and students not in that class should not go into that box
      • “Instructors Only” – these boxes are only for instructors
    • Keep the fabric boxes well organized
      • Go through the fabric boxes in an organized manner
      • Neatly go through the fabric in the boxes and neatly return fabric to the boxes
      • Take only what you need and neatly return what you don’t use
    • Ask for permission to use more than one yard of any of the fabrics

  • Soft Sample Books:
    • Must remain in the studio. They do not have legs or wings, and therefore cannot travel.
    • If they are taken down off the wall to be looked at – they must be returned when finished.
  • Tools and Supplies:
    • If we are running low on any materials, supplies, or small tools – please let us know by writing the item down on the clipboard next to the peg board. The lab assistant will check this board and replenish the low item

  • Music:
    • Be thoughtful of others when playing music on the speakers in the labs or studios.

A31 – the Dye Lab

  • General Rules:
    • Leave the dye lab cleaner than you found it
    • No Food or Drink
    • Return all tools to their designated homes
    • If a supply is running low, write it on the clipboard near the peg board

A31 must be kept clean and dry. Using A31 and A4 labs without supervision is a privilege. If the rooms are not kept clean, you won’t be able to use them unsupervised. We want you to be able to have access to these facilities unsupervised – so make sure they are kept clean!

  • Moisture Control and Cleanliness:
    • Floor spills must be cleaned up immediately (use mop, sponges or towels)
    • The top of the large table on wheels must not get wet, ever
    • Use the A31 cart to transport pots of water and dye to and from sinks
    • Dirty towels go into the laundry bin; simply wet towels that are not dirty should air dry on the drying lines and be put away
    • Wash pots and white bins thoroughly so there is NO dye residue left on them
    • Dry large pots and white bins before returning them to their homes
    • Small pots and utensils can be left on the drying rack to air dry
  • Student Work Left to Dry:
    • Dried projects will be taken down from the drying lines and put in the dried project bin
    • Pick up your project from that bin or from the drying line
  • Sinks:
    • The sinks that can be used for disposal of liquids are: janitor’s closet, bathroom sinks, and future sink outside of the bathrooms.
    • Do NOT use the sink in A5 for anything textile related
  • Safety:
    • Wear a N95 mask when working with dye powders
    • Do not use any equipment in the room that you have not been trained to use
    • Do not leave any hot plate unattended or plugged in after you are finished
    • Plug only ONE hot plate into one outlet at a time. The outlets are marked by colorful tape – only use one of the two pink, two blue, two green or two yellow outlets at a time. Also – do not plug in anything else into the same outlet color when using a hot plate. You will blow a circuit, the outlets in A31 will not work. If you trip a circuit call FMCS 412-268-2910 to let them know (they are the ones that fix it).