cbryantcohen's Profile

Depending on what you want to make, shared maker/hacker spaces could be an option. The only one I found in a quick search for hacker spaces in Brooklyn was NYC Resistor, http://www.nycresistor.com/.

I live in Seattle, where there are several hacker spaces like Metrix, http://metrixcreatespace.com/. Here's more about Metrix, http://metrixcreatespace.com/about. There are shared woodshop tools, electronics tools, sewing machines, and a laser cutter available for low fees.

Haven't dyed a rug, but I did study surface design in college. Thickening a fabric dye and painting in or around a stencil is a good way to go, but here's another thought, if you're aiming for something like that dark blue and white patterned rug:

Dye it all dark blue with whatever dye is appropriate for the fiber.
Then use thickened bleach (bleach pens are great for this) to remove the dye within your stencil.
Once the bleach has worked to whatever lightness you desire, rinse it out carefully ... maybe turning the rug over, suspending it above the sink, and forcing the faucet stream directly onto the areas you bleached, so the bleach water discharge runs down and off, not around your rug.

That's the easiest and most colorfast thing I can think of.