Penland Surface Design/Third Floor Textiles Studio Information

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Equipment
This list of equipment is intended to give you an idea about what the studio is like. Keep in mind that although we do have this equipment, if something is not necessary for your class it may not be prepared for use. The equipment used by your class will be determined by your instructor, and will be appropriate to the techniques covered in your class. This is a general description of equipment , and may change before your session.
The studio is equipped with
12 padded print tables + 1 padded demonstration print table
dye kitchen
4 gas burners with exhaust fans above
2 vertical steamers
2 horizontal steamers
Stainless steel double sink
Hooded dye exhaust booth
small refrigerator
pvc pipes for pole wrap shibori
various dye kitchen equipment such as stainless steel dye pots and basins, buckets, pots and pans, measuring spoons and cups, spatulas, whisks, scales, etc.
light table for exposing screens
large sink/spray booth to clean screens
Thermofax
washer and dryer
2 portable garment steamers
2 sergers
6 Kenmore sewing machines
irons and ironing boards

Most of the equipment is meant to be shared with the weaving studio on the floor below.

Our sewing machines and sergers unfortunately possess limited capabilities- it may be best to bring your own if you can. 

Supplies and Materials:
In the summertime, many shared class supplies (such as dyes, pigments, and chemicals) are included in tuition.  If a class uses a large volume of supplies or special materials, a studio fee may be assessed.  You will be notified in advance on the student materials list if a studio fee greater than $50 is expected.

During concentration, shared supplies are unfortunately not included in tuition. 

Some materials are considered hazardous and will need to be disposed of properly. Therefore there may be a hazardous waste disposal cost in addition to the studio fee.

The studio stocks a selection of PFP (preferred for printing) and PFD (preferred for dyeing) fabrics based on instructor requests and are sold to students via the studio assistant. We order most of our supplies from Pro-Chemical (1-800-2-BUY-DYE or visit www.prochemical.com) and from

Test Fabrics (1-570-603-0432 or visit www.testfabrics.com). Please refer to the student materials list for specifics materials needed for your class. Instructors routinely make their sources available for students.

Toolkits
The sewing machines listed above and 6 sewing kits are available for students to sign out first come, first serve. The sewing kit includes scissors, seam ripper, measuring tape, needles, thimble, and pin cushion. The student is responsible for lost items or any servicing needed for the sergers, sewing machines, or sewing kits and will be required to pay for any lost or damaged items.

Classroom
The surface design/textile studio is located on the third floor of the Lily Loom House (sorry, it is accessible by staircase only).  A dye kitchen with the equipment listed above is available for shared use in the studio. The overhead lights are full spectrum florescent. The building is heated, but not air-conditioned: therefore you might want to bring a fan. Smoking is not permitted in the building, so cigarette breaks involve two flights of stairs and a trip outside. A shared bathroom is located on this floor as well as two shared bathrooms on the first floor.

Student Workspace
Students are provided with a 4' x 8' padded print table with a shelf under the table for storage. The tables are higher than normal and we provide an adjustable chair to accommodate you.  There will be a charge for print tables damaged due to carelessness, so we recommend (not require) that you bring heavy drop cloths to protect the table.

Students are welcome to bring favorite personal hand tools for use in the studio.

Safety Information
There is a mandatory safety walk through at the beginning of every class. The walk through is to introduce you to the studio space and to show you the safety equipment. A first aid kit, 2 fire extinguishers, an eyewash station, and flammable cabinet are provided in the studio.

North Carolina Health regulations do not permit us to provide dust masks, respirators, gloves, aprons, and other safety equipment for shared use. Please refer to the student materials list for specifics about safety equipment needed for the class.

Alcohol is not permitted in the studios. Working in the studios under the influence of alcohol is not permitted. The use of illegal drugs is prohibited.
 
Shared Studio Equipment
If you wish to use equipment in other studios during your session, you must work with the instructor, studio assistant or coordinator of that studio to arrange access.  They will determine if the desired usage is compatible with their classÕ activities, and if you are able to work safely and independently with the equipment.

Besides shared equipment, it is important to note that the surface design/textile studio your class is in is a shared space. The whole class is asked to participate in small weekly clean-up sessions and a FINAL clean up at the end of the class. During the summer, the final clean up occurs on the next-to-last day of class--it is scheduled before the auction that evening and before Show & Tell on the last day of class. During concentration, the final clean up occurs on the last Thursday and it is an all day affair. Everyone must participate in clean-up, so if you must leave early, ask the studio assistant to assign you clean up tasks you could accomplish before your departure.

If you have questions contact:
Studio Coordinator: Claire Burdulis
Office: 828-765 2359 x 20
Voicemail: 828-765 2359 x 27
E-mail Address: textile@penland.org