Specialty Sewing Lab

**Specialty Sewing Lab Resources**

PLEASE REPORT BROKEN MACHINES USING THE QR CODE LOCATED ON EVERY MACHINE TABLE.
Reports are anonymous and take seconds to complete.
Only machines that are reported are repaired.

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Iron stations and steamers

Iron stations in the sewing rooms  include an industrial steam iron with a teflon cover, a sleeve board, a pressing ham & roll, a point press and a steamer. You may remove the water tank on the steamers to fill them (Bring your own distilled water. Unplug steamers when not in use) If you do not know how to safely and properly use these stations, as the operation is different to a home iron, please ask your faculty or a technician to go over the operation. Please treat all communal facilities tools as you would your own.

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RESOURCE OVERVIEW:

The Specialty Sewing Lab offers a wide variety of machine orientations & resources. Please scroll down the page for more information about the following resources and how to access them:

• Mandatory Canvas Orientations (online) 
  • 1. Making Center General Orientation
  • 2. UC Sewing Orientation
  • 3. Juki Plainstitch Canvas Orientation 
• Juki Plainstitch Hands on quiz (only scheduled after completing online portion) – sign up available with requirements
• Specialty Sewing Lab Machine Orientations (in-person/ small group) – sign up now!
• Specialty Machine Reservation – for previously oriented students only – sign up now!
• Specialty Machine Consultations (project based 15-20 minute meeting) –  available after orientation period
• Featured Equipment & Threading Diagrams
• Tutorials – Thread Buying Guide, Needle Guide, Ergonomic Cutting Techniques, etc.

IN-PERSON MACHINE CONSULTATIONS 

starting October 4th

(available during the Fall & Spring semesters AFTER orientation period)

Mandatory Canvas orientations must be completed prior to accessing any sewing tools & additional Canvas orientations, such as the Juki “Plainstitch Canvas” Orientation. Canvas Orientations are available for all users. 

Please complete the following orientations in order:

• 1. Making Center General Orientation – Learn how to access Making Center shops & labs
• 2. UC Sewing General Orientation – Access and protocols for sewing classrooms, labs, and resources
• 3. Juki Plainstitch Orientation – Online machine orientation of the industrial lockstitch machine available across all UC sewing spaces

Note: The Making Center General Orientation must be completed to gain access to all Making Center labs or shop specific orientations

UC Juki Plainstitch Orientation  is available on Canvas

The Juki Plainstitch Orientation is comprised of a Canvas portion and an OPTIONAL hands-on quiz that is completed in-person. After passing both sections, you’ll receive a sticker on your ID that grants access to checking out industrial machine kits.

Steps:

1. Complete canvas portion before scheduling hands-on quiz

2. Use calendar link at the end of the canvas orientation to schedule in-person hands-on quiz

3. Arrive during your scheduled time at the Specialty Sewing Lab (UC518) to take your quiz 

4. Complete orientation & receive the passing code and a sticker for your ID

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Specialty Machine Group Orientations:  –  Fall 2026 – available first 6 weeks of the semester

Estimated time: 45 minutes – 1hr

• Group orientations are hosted in-person on a recurring weekly basis for the first 6 weeks of the Fall & Spring semester ONLY. Use the calendar link below to sign up for an orientation slot and arrive at the Specialty Sewing Lab (UC518) at least 5 minutes early. *If you are unable to attend, please cancel your slot on Libcal so that another student may sign up*

Available Orientations:

• Plainstitch Hands-On Quiz : (2 students per session) ONLY for students who have already completed the Canvas Orientation.
• Overedge (Serger Purl) : (4 students per session) We’ll review threading and machine use on the Overlock, Serger, Purl (very similar machines), suited for finishing edges and seaming knit materials.
• Coverstitch : (4 students per session) Industrial machine typically used for hemming knit materials, frequently seen on the hem of t-shirts.
• Walking Foot (Leather sewing machine suite) : (6 students per session) We’ll review the industrial Walking Foot Flatbed & Cylinder suited to stitching leather & heavyweight materials.
• Sonobond : (4 students per session) Industrial machine using ultrasonic waves (sounds waves/vibrations) to bond/weld materials with thermoplastic content.
• Leather Skiver : (5 students per session) Industrial machine that uses a rotating knife to skive/thin the edge of a piece of leather (reduces bulk at seams).
• Blind Stitch : (4 students per session) :
• 3-Step : (4 students per session) :
• Double Needle Plainstitch : (4 students per session)
• Zig Zag Machine : (4 students per session)
• Fur Machine – Model A & B : (4 students per session)
• Post Machine : (5 students per session)

Sign up for an orientation slot on our Orientation Calendar

The Specialty Sewing Lab is equipped with 25+ machines for garment finishing and special materials construction. It operates as an experimentation space for industrial machines, as well as a space where you can check-out tools and attend scheduled machine orientations. Please refer to the “Featured Equipment” tab below for a list of our machines and their accompanying resources; including things like threading diagrams & machine guides.

Technicians oversee the labs operations of tool check out, scheduled machine orientations, scheduled 30 minute consultations, the sewing store, machine maintenance, lab tours  and machine reservations for faculty led demonstrations. For all other requests please email sewingtech@newschool.edu

Additionally, the “Guides” tab below will help you work ergonomically, no matter where you are working this semester, and give you some helpful tools to support the best sewing outcomes with the least amount of stress.

Many industrial sewing machines require previous training and orientations to ensure safe usage to users & equipment. To get a better understanding of how the Specialty Sewing Lab operates, please complete the “UC Sewing” Orientation

No consumables (fabric, thread, extra needles) are provided. Please prepare yourself for your project by visiting  the thread buying guide.

Limited free materials such as donated hand tools, notions, and small cuts of fabric are available the free shelf in 506