OK7 Costume Workshop
Topic outline
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OK7 Costume workshop induction course is needed for accessing and working in the Aalto Studios Costume workshop at Otakaari 7 (Sewing Studio, Wardrobe, Laundry, Dyeing Studio). In addition, you need to complete required practical exercises to get the full working licence.
The Spaces and equipment sections can be studied based on your needs. For example, if you don't need a Dyeing Studio, you can skip the section. The work permission to different facilities is given based on your choices.
In this course a student will:
- Familiarize her/himself about workshop spaces and equipment.
- Learn important information about working safety.
- Learn practicalities and rules about working environment and -methods.
After finishing this MyCourses part of the course, contact the Workshop Master to set the final details to accomplish this course. Those who have registered for the Workshops Safety and Health course (1 cr) will continue on practical training as scheduled on a course.
Note that this course expects that you have at least tolerable knowledge of working with textiles.
At the moment this course is not optimised for mobile devises. It is recommended to use desktop or laptop computer at least for the Quizzes. Also, Google Chrome is not supported at the moment.
Attention! In case you cannot see the navigation of this course on left hand side of this page, click the rectangular, white "list" button at the top left hand corner of this page. Go from section to section via navigation, if you use the arrow at the bottom of the pages to move from page to page, some information may not be visible. The arrow takes you directly to the "inner pages" of the next section.
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Covid-19 restrictions:
Please note that because of the restricted access to the campus we are only open for ongoing coursework and official research projects. Be in contact with the workshop master at the latest two days before your proposed booking.
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The Sewing studio provides room and a variety of tools for patterning, cutting, sewing, product construction and fitting. You can use the Wardrobe’s products in your course work and performing arts productions, and costume care is easy in the well-equipped Laundry. The Dyeing studio is available for the dyeing and surface manipulation of products, as well as projects requiring a wet work area.
For special equipment, it is possible to use the ARTS infra workshops https://www.aalto.fi/fi/arts-infra (sign in to see the content).
The Costume Workshop is part of the Aalto Studios Workshops, providing you with easy access to the possibilities offered by the Set Design Workshop and Aalto Fablab https://studios.aalto.fi/. The working environment and expertise of staff are particularly suited for the context of performing arts and the methods of digital work.
Working times
It is possible to work in the Costume Workshop on weekdays from 9 to 16 when the workshop master is present. Once you have received a work permit, you can work independently in the Sewing studio, Wardrobe and Laundry every day from 8 to 20. You can work in the Dyeing studio after completing the orientation on weekdays from 9 to 16. The Wardrobe is always opened on request.
Please check the ongoing courses from the calendar on the Sewing Studio's door or ask the workshop master about available working hours. Courses and productions in accordance with the ARTS timetable are prioritised.
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In this section, you will get to know the general rules of Aalto Studios Workshops and the workshop-specific instructions.
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In this section, you will get to know about Occupational safety in the workshop. You will learn more about potential hazards, how to prevent them and what kind of protection you need for different situations. Occupational Safety Responsibilities highlight your responsibilities in the shared working environment. You will learn what to do in case of emergency.
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In the following sections, you will learn to choose the Costume Workshop equipment and space appropriate for your needs. You will also learn how to adjust the basic settings of the equipment and do troubleshooting. The section of the Dyeing studio briefly presents the basics of dyeing. In addition to an approved online course, independent work in the premises requires the completion of practical exercises in the Sewing studio and Dyeing studio.
In this section, pay particular attention to the Sewing studio manual and the different uses of the equipment. You will receive more in-depth induction in connection with the exercises related to your studies. Please note that you do not need to learn everything by heart at this stage. You can refer back to the user videos and more detailed instructions on specific devices (such as threading charts) throughout your studies.
You complete your work permit by demonstrating a command of the following practical skills:
- Threading, winding a bobbin, replacing a needle and adjusting the settings of an industrial straight stitch sewing machine.
- Threading an overlocker.
- Sewing with the above-mentioned machines.
- Safe use of the steam iron unit.
In the Sewing studio you have access to the most common machines and steamers in the clothing industry, large cutting tables, equipment for making patterns, a fitting area and mannequins. You can also study literature related to the techniques in the field and browse technical experiments folders and material suppliers’ sample folders.
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In this section, you will learn about the basics of dyeing and the equipment and possibilities of the Dyeing studio | Wetlab. Please note that in this facility, lessons learned in the Occupational Safety section are highlighted. Special attention should be paid to chemical safety and studio-specific instructions. In addition to the quiz, your knowledge will also be tested in connection with a practical exercise.You will complete the tasks required for a work permit in the Dyeing studio by performing the first dyeing exercise under the supervision of the workshop master, preferably in connection with the first project / course related to your studies. Please agree on the schedule of the dyeing exercise with the workshop master in good time.
In the Dyeing studio | Wetlab, you can manipulate surfaces and dye materials in a pot or a machine. You have access to Dylon direct dyes and the most common water-based printing pastes and pigments. The wet work area enables, for example, different BioArt experiments, and you can also use plant-based and reactive dyes.
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In this section, you will learn more about the possibilities offered by the Laundry and Wardrobe. You can work independently in these facilities as soon as you have completed the online course. On your first visit, the workshop master will guide you on how to use the Wardrobe and Laundry.
In the Wardrobe, you can find clothes, accessories, jewellery, make-up and skin care products for men and women for your project. You can also borrow racks, make-up mirrors, travel steamers and sewing kits for filming. You can store the costumes in the production storage during the production.
All products returned to the Wardrobe are serviced in the Laundry. You can wash clothes and materials in the well-equipped Laundry. Ozoning is a good alternative for cleaning items that cannot be washed with water or that only need to be freshened up. We use professional laundry services for products requiring a chemical wash, such as stained suit jackets.The Laundry is a facility for clean work. Please note that the dyeing and ageing of fabrics are strictly prohibited in the Laundry. -
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Thank you for completing the online orientation course!
Remember to give feedback on the course and schedule the following practical exercises with the workshop master.
Sewing Studio (1,5h):
- Threading, winding a bobbin, replacing a needle and adjusting the settings of an industrial straight stitch sewing machine.
- Threading an overlocker.
- Sewing with the above-mentioned machines.
- Safe use of the steam iron unit.
Dyeing Studio (2,5h):
- Supervised dyeing (preferably related to course work / a project).