Ataller Textile Studio

Textile based goods are an important part of our lives and cultures. Once, we produced almost all textile goods - fiber, string, fabric, garment, blanket, etc - beginning to end, within our communities. Learning to knit, dye, weave and sew was something everyone did to at least to a degree of self sufficiency.  Now, this knowledge and skill-set are rapidly disappearing, kept afloat only by reality television. Textile based goods are produced in sweatshop conditions, shipped around the world, and are either prohibitively expensive, or extremely short lived. Ataller Textile Studio will offer shared resources to reweave the tenuous threads of local textile and garment production in Miami, well made goods, and the undervalued skills and abilities of Little Havana’s immigrant seamstresses and tailors. Ataller is a word play on atelier and taller - tailor in haitian-french and spanish.

The studio will be equipped with predominantly older all-metal sewing machines, as they last longer, are more robust, and provide an example themselves of well made goods. Also, they fit the budget. Manual silkscreening equipment, a dyeing lab and small manual loom completes the initial studio. A limited number of modern machines will be purchased as they can be afforded; sergers, quilters, fabric printers, etc.

The in-house materials store will focus on repurposed materials; sailcloth, recycled yarn, re-made garments, and so forth.

The studio will offer basic through advanced sewing classes, as well as a range of textile creation courses.  It will also serve to connect local seamstresses and tailors to clients and work. Most importantly, it will offer a creative and constructive alternative activity - and education - for local youth.

• Source, purchase and refurbish 15-20 all metal electric sewing machines
• Equip silkscreening and dyeing lab
• Collaboratively design and construct tabletop loom
• Program regular community building, textile-based social events
• Engage local school, community groups and neighbors through program offerings
• Offer regular courses in equipment use and textile arts
• Host regular reviews of community member work

Textile based goods are produced in sweatshop conditions, shipped around the world, and are either prohibitively expensive, or extremely short lived. We, as a society, have no understanding of what it takes to create a textile good. In our own communities those who still do textile work are not valued. Little Havana has a large immigrant textile worker population - people with incredible skills that are not being passed on to the next generations. Additionally, there is nothing engaging or meaningful for area youth to do other than get into trouble. Ataller Textile Studio intends to address all of these issues by bringing the art of textile work back into the community through a shared resource studio, classes, events and programming.