HANDCRAFTED PIN BOARD

HANDCRAFTED PIN BOARD

WHY WE DESIGNED THIS:

This design has been in the works for a while, but we put it into development when a spine injury left me unable to sit or stand for long periods of time. I needed to be able to move around and take my work with me. The adjustability of this pin board was an absolute necessity to remain working while injured.

I searched extensively for an existent pin board that met my needs, but could find none. So my partner (a skilled welder) and I designed our own around the specifications I was seeking as a fibre artist. I’ve been using my pin board for months now and wouldn’t want to live without it.

Once I started creating more complex macrame pieces–many of which are on the metal frames we sell in our shop–a free-hanging rack was no longer sufficient. I needed to be able to layer detail onto a frame and so I needed a sturdy pin board that was large enough to handle a medium sized piece that was rather weighty.

HERE’S WHY THIS PIN BOARD IS SO SPECIAL:

1) At 1″ thick, its depth makes pinning heavier pieces possible. If you’ve worked with a pinboard before, you’ll know that depth is key. Without at least 1″, your pins will slide and your work will fall off. On this board, your work will remain securely fastened (especially if you glide your pins in on a diagonal angle, which the speciality foam is adept at accommodating).

2) An adjustable stand makes a world of difference. It means that you can take your work with you and still be productive (or meditative) when away from a desktop. It means that you can adjust your angle of vision, your neck, your spine, and your physical posture. With the help of carefully thought out (and discrete) pin-slots on all four sides of this pin board’s metal frame, you’ll be able to ensure that the foam base remains firmly in place while you pin against the upright board.

3) Customizability is often crucial. We live in a world where content creation can sometimes take precedent. And we live in online spaces where visual branding reigns supreme. Being able to choose the powder coated colours of your pin board’s metal base from our extensive colour library means that you will possess a board that fits with the aesthetic of your workspace and that aids with your visual branding. Time can be wasted when making tutorials and creating in-process photos of your work if those photos don’t extend the visual signifiers of your creative brand.

4) A reversible handmade cotton cover for your pin board adds to the strength of this tool. Without a fabric covering, foam boards become very quickly filled with unsightly pin holes. Of course we earn these holes with use, but sometimes we want to look at something more aesthetically pleasing (especially when presenting work and workspaces to the public). Every board is accompanied with a cotton cover that’s fitted to its dimensions. Each covering pre-shrunk, washable, and machine dryer friendly. Each covering is also reversible: with one cream-coloured surface and one darker, you’ll be able to choose contrasting colours so that you can better see and represent your work (regardless of whether it’s light or dark).

5) Washable, durable foam is critical. We’ve chosen a dense, yet light speciality foam that is non-toxic, anti-microbial, North-American manufactured, and can easily be washed with soap and warm water.

6) Pin compartments in all four corners of the board mean that you can have your extra pins and needles sitting accessibly on your board. This is a pin-cushion and working surface all in one, and yet the striation of the board means that your working space will remain unhindered by unused pins.

7) a re-sealable, robust plastic container for your set of 50 pins is an added bonus for travelling. If you want to store your board safely while on road trips or cut down on safety hazards, having a little durable box for your pins will mean safety first (and they’re much harder to lose in transport this way too).

8) purchasing one of these boards means that you’re supporting the creative dreams of a female (fibre) artist who’s working to find time for a committed art practice. It’s not just that the design for this tool has been fuelled by my art; it’s also that the sale of this tool funds my continued immersion in macrame sculpture. It means that I can bring together a love of supplying thoughtful tools and materials to others while still being able to work actively with those very tools to create art.

EACH PIN BOARD COMES WITH THE FOLLOWING INCLUSIONS:
1) a sturdy, small or medium metal base with an attached, adjustable stand–and in a powder coated colour of your choice. Choose from our drop-down menu of colours. Please note that if you select a transparent coating colour, you’ll be able to see variants in the steel beneath it (refer to listing images for an example). Some people love the aesthetic of metal because it signals a product that’s hand made and not mass produced. And some people prefer the aesthetic of a smooth, even surface that doesn’t look like metal at all.

2) a piece of specialized, durable, washable, lasting, anti-microbial, 1″ thick foam fitted perfectly to your metal base.

3) a handmade, reversible, pre-shrunk, washable 100% cotton covering tailored perfectly to your pin board. You can choose your colour of choice and let us know what you’d like in the personalization section of your order. We’ll do our best to meet your request, but if a specific colour is not available, we might contact you to see if a substitution is ok.

4) a set of 50 stainless steel pins accompanied by a re-sealable hard carrying case.

5) a set of care instructions to keep your pin board in tip-top shape.