Category: Kite Building

It’s Been A while

I’ve gotten behind in writing this blog.  The weather was not cooperating and there have been other activities which have kept us from the beaches.  The last day we flew was Memorial Day.  Fort Macon State Park had finally opened so there was the weekly community kite fly on the holiday weekend.  And it was a busy weekend.  The park was crowded which made the kite fly somewhat of a challenge.  More fishermen, more sun bathers and more people walking along the shore.  This gave us a greater audience to view the kites but it also cut down on the space to fly.

Because of the holiday, we chose to only fly red-white-blue kites.  And we only carried a couple as our kite cart is still in need of repair.  We put up the handmade Painless Parafoil and our new Killip foil.

For the first time in a long time, I brought out a dual line stunt kite.  The red-white-blue Window NG.  I had forgotten that noise that this kite can make as it circles in the sky.  It drew a lot of looks and comments.  Especially with the twenty-five foot tube tail following behind.

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I particularly enjoyed flying the Painless Parafoil as it is one of the first kites I had built.  Although few people who see it recognize the stylized eagle I appliquéd on the bottom panel.  The creator of the Painless Parafoil, Stretch Tucker, was supposed to give a workshop this summer in Pennsylvania but, in light of current events, he is unable  come.  However, I have his plans for the Flowform 16 and will be starting that kite soon.  And, if I’m lucky, I will still be able to attend the workshop and finish the construction there.

The weather is not looking good for a community kite fly this weekend.  So, for now, I will have to clean up the kite room and begin planning for the Flowform.

Fair Winds All

 

 

 

We’re Free To Fly

The beach accesses have been opened.  Parking is at a premium as not all the parking lots have been opened.  The stay-at-home order has not been lifted but that didn’t keep the people off the beaches.  It looked like a holiday weekend with cars parked everywhere and people scattered throughout the public beach.

We, however, had a more private place to fly our kites, away from the crowds, with lots of room for kites.  We love putting up a small personal festival when we fly and this kite fly was a combination of a test fly and a kite show.  The afternoon couldn’t have been better, with good winds, mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine.

The first kite up was the newly finished Sun/Moon Giant Hata.  Instead of fuzzy tails, it has a combination of ribbon tails and a streamer tail.  The wind was in the teens and I was afraid it may be too high for this kite.  But after some bridle adjustments, it went up and hung in the sky.  A very satisfying fly for the first flight.

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Then next kite up was the first flight of the newly purchased Killips foil.  It was a little smaller than we expected and was so easy to handle.  And it really made a statement in the sky.  We’re looking forward to its next flight with some color coordinating line laundry beneath it.

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So after successful first flights, it was time to add lots of color in the sky.  One of the things I like to do is put up kites with a common theme.  It could be having the same sail pattern or having the same colors or being of a common style.  So for this fly, I decided to fly all of the HQ Xylon kites.  There are four in this series and only one is still available.  This just makes me even happier to have all four and fly them all at once.

The last kite up is a real show stopper, a large flo-tail delta.  The tails seem like water rippling in the sky.  And the colors draw the eye and cause the casual strollers to stop and admire it.  And take pictures.  That’s what makes it so satisfying to put up several kites instead of just one or two.  It draws people’s attention and makes them smile.

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So here’s to having more days like this day, to fly more kites and create more personal shows.  And for the state park to open up soon so the community kite flys can begin again and there will be more of us to share in the color in the sky.

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Fair Winds All

 

 

 

On The Beach Again

 

Things are changing here and for the better.  The past couple of weeks the weather has been so erratic.  One day the temperature is cool and the wind is from the north.  The next day it warms up and the wind is from the south but very strong.  Then there is rain and thunderstorms moving through.  Then back to chilly temperatures with north winds again.  The better thing is that I have gained access to the beach and have a place to fly kites.  I just have to wait for a day with moderate south winds.  You see, our beaches face the south and are lined with houses and condominiums.  Winds from the north are blocked and swirly.  Not the best for kite flying.

But the day finally came and I did something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time.  Put up a show of White Bird dragon kites.  They are some of the most beautiful round-headed dragon kites I’ve ever seen.  Unfortunately, they have been out of production for many years.  But I have made it a calling to find as many of their patterns as I can.  I have quite a collection and have always wanted to put them all up.  I could have done it this time but I settled for flying six at once.  And then just sitting in the sun, enjoying the weather, the sound of the waves and my kites.

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These past couple of weeks I’ve also gotten some work done on my Giant Hata kite build.  Finished all the pockets and sleeves and got the binding sewn all along the edge of the sail.

After framing and bridling, you truly realize how large this kite is.  It practically fills one wall of my living room.  Now to decide what kind of tails to make and it will be ready for a test fly.  Hopefully this weekend there will be a beautiful day with winds from the south and a chance to try it out.  And put another show of color in the sky above the beach.

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Special thanks to Don, Jeri and Brett of Kites Unlimited & Bird Stuff, etc.

Fair Winds All

 

 

Flying At Last

The fact that the beaches were closed and there would be no sunrise Easter service really bothered me.  So the Saturday before Easter, we went to a field not too far away and flew our Easter kites.  The winds were gusty and the kites were up and down.  But they were up long enough to gather a couple of spectators who were driving by and stopped to watch.  We had a ghost delta kite, an angel kite and my handmade Easter kite in the air.  I was especially pleased to get the Easter kite up.

I finally got back to the sewing machine.  The appliqué is now complete on the giant Hata skin.  I must be currently obsessed with the sun as it is the motif of my last two kite builds.  The rest of the construction will go faster now.  Except, maybe, the edge binding and the tail.  I have to decide what kind of tail I want to use.  The most common tail is the fuzzy tail.  But I’ve found the zig-zag tail is faster to make as you don’t have to sew a line or ribbon all the way down the center of the tail and there is only half of the side cuts to make.  Decisions.  Decisions.

The Easter yard decorations are down and packed away.  I felt there still needed to be more color in the front yard.  Especially as the dogwood tree was losing its flowers.  So I got out some of the ground decorations that I use at kite festivals.  I wanted to use my crab ground bouncers but the wind is too low and erratic to keep them inflated.  So I set out my shark, fish and octopus mini-windsocks.  An aquarium in front of the house.  All overseen by our “watch” gator.

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So here’s hoping we get to fly again soon.

Fair Winds All