Schedule

Shop tours are a great opportunity to learn and take away tips to implement into your own shop. The conference kicks off with a tour of Rainier Industries’ headquarters followed by a meet and greet.

Edward Scott, Rex Pegg Fabrics Inc.

This is a basic foam 101 class where you’ll get to learn about the number system for foam and how to identify foam types and what they mean. The presenter will cover specialty foams used specifically in the marine industry, plus foams used in transportation and furniture and other markets. Attendees will get an opportunity to view and touch foam samples to better understand what’s being described.

Gregg Burrows and Patrick Howe, Wholesale Shade

The presenters will provide an overview of shade sail design and address the fabrics, hardware, posts, finishing and footings being used in the fabrication of shade sails. Plus, you’ll learn best practices for installation and how to incorporate shade sails.

Amy Poe, Wyckam and Jonathan Palmer, Autometrix

Learn about various digitizing solutions currently on the market, software options for manipulating the data after it is in the computer, and how to transform the raw data into a pattern.  See a live digitizing demo.

Learn from each other is this interactive question and answer round table session.

Karl Deardorff, SLO Sail and Canvas

In this session, you’ll discover how higher-level thinking about the sewing process and managing sewn product workflow, coupled with working on fundamental operator skills, will help to maximize your throughput. The goal is making everyone better at sewing and managing the manufacture of parts.

The session is appropriate for all skill levels and focuses on how to develop your own sewing skills and processes to maximize both speed and quality. We’ll discuss sewing station set-up, maximizing machine speeds and developing sewing operator skills such as, muscle memory, vision and troubleshooting. The course will wrap-up with a discussion of sewing problems and solutions from the group where we can all help each other.

Marty Potsdam, Consew

Learn about a fully automatic compound machine with a demo on tacking, cutting thread and passes. Plus, you’ll get an overview of sewing machine maintenance that includes keeping the machine operational, preparing the machine, ergonomics, solutions for needles and thread, shortcuts for tools and material handling and how to move better and faster with binder and folder attachments, presser feet. Come with your questions that we can solve together.