I was excited to attend the grand opening of the Jersey City Fabrication Lab! (Or, JCFabLab!)

This lab is about 20 min from my house and has a laser cutter, 3D printer and other fabrication its equipment like wood shop tools and space to work. I helped out with the "make a boat" workshop cutting the boats on the laser cutter while talking to some pretty cool people interested to see what a laser cutter can do! I also saw a really cool technique by the FabLab staff - they made a ribbon out of velvet and etched on it. The etching burns away the fuzziness of the velvet leaving the fabric beneath untouched. It is a very elegant effect - I can't wait to try this as a technique for jewelry or a purse! But I'm most excited about the spot being a place to meet other makers in my neighborhood and to hear Artist talks.