GEMS Program Meeting

By Elm, Alyssa, and Nalin

Today, we had our 2nd meeting of the season with the GEMS organization. We had two main activities for the girls today: the first was learning the basics to sewing, and the second was finishing their key chains from last time.

We first taught the girls how to properly use a sewing machine, teaching them how the pedal works and how to operate the machine safely. Then, we practiced basic stitching on scrap pieces of felt before moving on to the actual project for the evening. It was a learning curve for the girls to get comfortable with using the pedal to properly control the speed of the sewing machine and to use the machine properly so the thread would not get tangled. However, after a bit of practice, they caught on, and we started the project. We taught them how to make their own little bag from scratch! First, we let them find their favorite pattern and color of fabric, and then we drew the pattern of the bag on the fabric. They then learned how to properly pin and prepare the fabric, so that it would be ready to sew. The girls had a lot of fun getting to use heavy-duty sewing machines, especially because it was their first time handling any major type of industrial equipment.

We wanted to teach the girls sewing because in house fabrication is one of Iron Reign’s specialties as we custom make most of our systems using carbon fiber that we CNC in house. Teaching skills like proper safety and confidence with machines at a young age not only got the girls excited to make their own DIY bags but also helped spark their curiosity in working with even larger machines, such as a CNC. We hope this activity helped them get a glimpse of some of the manufacturing we do on a more digestible scale.

After the girls made their bags, they finished assembling their key chains and necklaces they learned to CAD last time we met. They loved showing off their final products to their parents and peers, and they loved seeing how their digital design came to real life.

Next time, in March, we hope to do some physics labs that relate to some of the things we have had to think through for this season’s challenge. As always, we had such an amazing time working with these creative and smart girls, and we can not wait to meet up with them again in March!