WASHINGTON

After a morning that included a Farm Bill briefing in Anamosa and a Town Hall meeting in Wapello, Sen. Joni Ernst arrived at the Washington Public Library on Friday, Aug. 2 for what may have seemed a bit of respite from the political grind. She headed down to the basement level and toured the MakeIT Place, 3,000 sq. ft. of creative space that opened to Washington Public Library cardholders in June.

Prior to renovation begun Sept. 2023, the library’s unfinished basement was used for storage. When asked what they most wanted from the library, community members requested a makerspace, and the Washington Public Library Foundation granted their wish.

Today the turquoise- and terra cotta-colored basement walls frame a host of creative stations, including those for 3D printing, laser cutting/engraving, pottery making, and video/podcast recording.

MakeIT Place staff took Ernst and her entourage through each of the stations, and the senator was duly impressed.

“It’s really great. No taxpayer dollars were used to create the space, but it’s very educational,” she said after the tour. “It’s not just books that teach you new activities, it’s also hands-on instruction. All ages can use this space, for sure.”

Ernst was particularly interested in the sewing stations, as that is a craft she engages in herself.

“I grew up with a mother that sewed pretty much everything for us, from underwear to prom dresses, so I grew up with a knowledge of sewing,” she said. “Even within the last month, buying jeans that don’t fit, I wanted to preserve the original hem, so I did all of my own hemming. I still use my own sewing machine today.”

She appreciated that the MakeIT Place allows people, especially those younger without sewing mentors or machines, a place to learn a skill that has become “kind of a lost art.”

Overall, she saw the MakeIT Place as providing “just endless possibilities” for community members.

Ernst concluded her Friday four-county workday at ACT in Iowa City.

The Washington Public Library is located at 115 W Washington St., Washington. Use of the basement MakeIT Place requires a Washington library card in good standing and certification (safety/use training). Users must reserve time slots online, and materials fees are charged, although users may supply their own materials.

Learn more about MakeIT Place hours and policies at Washington.lib.ia.us/services/makeit-place or call the library at 319-653-2726.